There are few gaming screens on the market extra luxurious than the Samsung Odyssey G9. The huge 49-inch monitor rocked an enormous 5,120 x 1,440 decision with a 240Hz refresh fee and even backed it up with an HDR 1000 ranking. However, 2021 is a complete new 12 months and now we're getting the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9, which takes every part that the Odyssey G9 did and turns it as much as 11.
We're speaking about higher lighting, an HDR 2000 ranking and a transfer to Mini-LED expertise, which makes the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 one of the vital superior gaming screens we have ever seen. However, not solely will you want among the best gaming PCs – most likely one thing just like the RTX 3080 at the least – the Neo G9 is much more costly than it was final 12 months.
But it is largely well worth the added value in case you can afford it. The show is genuinely the most effective we have ever used, with wonderful shade and black ranges that you just will not discover in most different gaming screens. Playing video games on this factor is actually an opulent expertise, which makes the mind-blowing price ticket really feel at the least a bit of justified.
Pricing and availability
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is accessible now for a blistering $2,499 (£1,749, AU$2,999).
This is, by far, one of the vital costly gaming screens in the marketplace, nevertheless it does deliver lots to the desk that different gaming screens merely cannot match. To our information, that is the one gaming monitor with an HDR 2000 ranking, which suggests it knocks the socks off of even the Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ, and it offers the most effective HDR we have ever skilled, together with TVs we have seen.
So whereas the value has been bumped up by lots over final 12 months's $1,479 (£1,289, AU$2,799) mannequin, it really is sensible when you think about all of the flashy new tech that Samsung has thrown in right here. The Odyssey G9 was already the king of ultrawide gaming screens, however the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 takes it to a frankly absurd stage that's good for the kind of gamer that calls for nothing however the most effective expertise cash can purchase.
It's positively a case of "if you get sticker shock looking at the price tag, it's probably not for you". It's one thing we most likely would by no means fork over cash for, however we positively have had enjoyable in our time with it, and should not trying ahead to sending it again to Samsung.
Design
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is huge. And whereas that's fairly apparent from the truth that it is a 49-inch ultrawide monitor, it does not hit till you're taking it out of its field to arrange in your desk.
We're fortunate sufficient to have a pretty big 61-inch desk, and even with that it takes up practically your entire size of it, leaving simply sufficient room for our PC on the aspect. But, that gargantuan dimension positively works in its favor if you're simply on the lookout for an immersive gaming expertise.
When we're sitting in entrance of the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 and enjoying video games – largely Final Fantasy XIV, let's be actual – the sport takes up practically our whole subject of view, making it extraordinarily straightforward to lose ourselves within the second. Distractions principally do not exist except you actually need them to, and after we're grinding in a determined final bid to get our relic weapon earlier than Endwalker drops in November, it is positively a blessing to have the ability to focus so solely on the sport.
Bezels are positively nonetheless seen, particularly alongside the underside, however as a result of the display screen is so huge, it isn't one thing you are going to discover on a day-to-day foundation. Plus, the one logos you may discover on the entrance of the show is the Nvidia G-Sync emblem, which we might relatively not be there. But hey, at the least the monitor has G-Sync.
Just just like the final monitor, there's a bit of joystick/button combo factor barely proper of heart on the underside of the show. You can press in to open the on-screen menu, the place you possibly can change all the same old belongings you'd wish to fiddle with on a monitor. You also can flick it to the perimeters to rapidly swap inputs or flick it up and right down to rapidly change some show settings like brightness and distinction.
Next to the little joystick factor, there are three recessed buttons. You can use these to avoid wasting particular settings for as much as three completely different video games, which is beneficial in case you're always switching between various kinds of video games – like if you end up switching between a aggressive FPS like Paladins to a wealthy and delightful RPG like Cyberpunk 2077.
The again of the monitor seems just about equivalent as final 12 months, with an all-white colorway with some futuristic designs etched in. Also returning is the RGB circle round the place the stand mounts within the again. The cables go into a bit of compartment within the backside of the show, and also you get an enormous plastic panel that you may slide into it to cover the place all of the cables go in.
Unfortunately, that is additionally the place the most important situation on this monitor's design arises. Likely due to how heavy this monitor is – and belief us it's totally heavy, the stand does not actually have any channels you need to use to cover cables. That makes cable administration a bit of bit tougher, which is unquestionably a disgrace with a monitor of this class. Because anybody who's going to fork over the money for a monitor of this caliber might be going to take their desktop look fairly critically – clearly not us, although.
Now, after all, you need to use one other stand with this monitor, because it has a normal VESA-compatible mount. However, the large weight of the monitor will get in the best way once more, and you are going to must ensure you get a stand that may deal with it. Honestly, we might advocate simply mounting it in your wall – and after we spoke to Samsung about this show its representatives advised us the identical factor.
As far as what number of ports are there, although, you get a disappointingly commonplace array. There are two USB Type-A ports, one USB Type-B cable (to allow the USB passthrough), two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort. Samsung contains each an HDMI 2.1 cable and a DisplayPort cable, although if you wish to take full benefit of the 240Hz refresh fee you are going to have to make use of HDMI 2.1, because the refresh fee will probably be restricted to 120Hz over DP.
It's only a bit disappointing that the show inputs are so restricted particularly provided that one of many coolest issues about this monitor is its potential to principally emulate two 27-inch 1440p screens, which might be much more helpful with a wider array of related gadgets. It could be good, for example, to have our PS5, 2 ports for our PC and our Nintendo Switch, so we might simply swap between all of our gadgets. Oh nicely, possibly one thing for subsequent 12 months's mannequin (if there's one).
Performance
It's onerous to overstate simply how a lot this monitor will blow you away the primary time you utilize it. Samsung was someway capable of double the height brightness over the 1,000 nits in final 12 months's mannequin to 2,000 within the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9. That provides it an HDR 2000 ranking, which is the most effective HDR you may discover outdoors of simply enjoying your PC video games on a top-end OLED TV.
That alone could be spectacular, nevertheless it additionally contains Samsung's new Quantum Mini LED tech, which is behind its newest QLED TVs. So, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 has 2,048 native dimming zones, which is an enormous enchancment over the measly 10 dimming zones in final 12 months's mannequin.
In video games like Destiny 2, which is our go-to recreation to check HDR, the monitor is completely beautiful. HDR actually is a luxurious addition, however you may by no means wish to give it up if you get it, and the transfer from the HDR 400 shows we're normally testing – gaming screens actually need to get their stuff collectively – an HDR 2000 show like this actually is in a complete different world of brightness and shade.
Because the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is not simply huge and it isn't only a excessive decision, it is also brighter and extra colourful than something you've got most likely ever seen. And, if you mix that with the excessive refresh fee, it is type of a chunk of gaming heaven that you will positively wish to be a part of. But with that top refresh fee and the excessive decision, you run into one big downside: efficiency.
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 has a 5,120 x 1,440 show, which is just about 4K. Reviewing this show, we're utilizing a gaming PC geared up with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090, and even then there should not many video games the place we're locked at 120 fps on this show, a lot much less 240.
For occasion, in Deathloop, we're normally hovering round 110 fps, with it typically dipping right down to 100 or 90 fps. That's nonetheless a quick body fee, do not get us unsuitable, however we're fairly far off from having the ability to completely saturate this show.
Still, with a monitor that prices as a lot because the Neo G9, you are going to wish to give it some room to develop sooner or later, and it is going to be a very long time earlier than this monitor's efficiency is taken into account commonplace.
Buy it if...
You do not wish to compromise
With a 5,120 x 1,440 decision, a 32:9 side ratio, 240Hz refresh fee and HDR 2,000 the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is principally the gaming monitor to finish all gaming screens. This is what you get when nothing however the most effective is suitable.
You play plenty of MMO and different UI-rich video games
If you play a recreation like Final Fantasy XIV the place extra display screen actual property means more room for buttons and meters, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is nice for that.
You need the most recent tech
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is probably the most top-end gaming monitor that exists proper now, and it isn't simply because it is a huge display screen. With Mini LED and HDR 2,000, this actually is a cutting-edge show.
Don't purchase it if...
You're on any type of finances
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 prices $2,499 (£1,749, AU$2,999). That's it, that is all we have now to say about that.
You have a smaller desk
Even our big 5-foot lengthy desk is barely sufficiently big to comprise this absolute beast of a gaming monitor. If you've gotten any type of scarcity of area, you are most likely higher served by one other show.
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