Samsung’s Odyssey OLED G8 monitor, which was initially revealed at CES 2022, took a while to hit store shelves, but it was well worth the wait. While it doesn’t completely avoid the shortcomings of OLED, such as low HDR brightness, the G8’s image quality is excellent, and Samsung has included unique features that put it ahead of its competitors.
Design
The first thing you notice about the Odyssey OLED G8 is its sleek, aerodynamic design and exceptional build quality. It comes with a robust metal back panel that feels durable and luxurious, which is a refreshing change in the premium monitor market, where plastic shells are the norm.
Samsung has also ensured that its functionality doesn’t sacrifice aesthetics. The G8 has a mild 1800R curve, which is less pronounced than that of many gaming ultrawides, and it balances immersion in simulation games and shooters while maintaining clear images in strategy games, action-RPGs, and day-to-day productivity.
The monitor comes with an excellent stand that keeps the display stable while taking up minimal desktop space. The ergonomic stand is adjustable for height and tilt and includes support for 100mm x 100mm VESA stands, monitor arms, and wall mounts. While the stand offers limited swivel and height adjustment, it’s not a big issue in every use case.
Connectivity and Features
Samsung makes an unexpected move with the Odyssey OLED G8’s connectivity. Instead of including full-sized DisplayPort or HDMI ports, it features a Mini DisplayPort, a Micro-HDMI 2.1, and two USB-C inputs. This means that you need an adapter or a specific cable to use standard HDMI or DisplayPort cables.
The USB-C ports deliver up to 65 watts of USB Power Delivery for charging laptops or tablets. However, unlike its competitors, the G8 lacks downstream USB-A ports and serves no purpose as a USB hub.
The G8 is a “smart gaming monitor” running Samsung’s Tizen operating system, providing features like a Samsung smart TV. It has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and apps for numerous services like Netflix, Hulu, Microsoft Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Nvidia GeForce Now.
Gaming Image Quality
The Odyssey OLED G8 monitor uses Samsung’s QD-OLED display panel, known to PC gamers through the Alienware AW3423DWF, which features a Samsung QD-OLED panel. Both monitors deliver excellent image quality in SDR games, with the G8’s contrast ratio shining above the rest.
It provides excellent contrast ratios with a maximum luminance of zero nits, offering virtually infinite contrast ratios. The display showcases a captivating sense of dimensionality, presenting an impressive visual experience to gamers.
Colour saturation is strong, providing support for 100% of sRGB, 98% of DCI-P3, and 80% of Rec.2020. Although it’s not the best on a gaming monitor, it satisfies the needs of most content creators.
HDR Image Quality
Brightness is a more significant concern in HDR, and the maximum sustained fullscreen brightness recorded is 271 nits in HDR. It presents a mixed experience in HDR, but the highlights are extraordinary, and it contrasts against the pitch-black darkness of space.
Overall, the Odyssey OLED G8 is a stunning device with a few shortcomings such as modest HDR brightness and subpixel issues at times. But the exceptional features and advancements Samsung has included, make it a monitor to watch out for.