(Credit: Rene Ramos)
If you're still not sold on the splendor of high-resolution PC gaming, maybe Samsung can change your mind. The company launched a bunch of new and updated computer monitors this week, including an eye-popping 6K gaming display. I got some hands-on time with these new panels at Samsung's New Jersey offices, and I'm impressed. Whether you're looking to maximize your productivity with the biggest screen you can find, or you're eyeing a high-refresh gaming monitor to showcase the power of your GPU, Samsung’s got you covered. Here’s what I saw.
Meet the 'World's First' 6K Gaming Monitor
By far the most exciting monitor I tried out is the Odyssey G8 (G80HS). This 32-inch display is the world’s first 6K (6,144-by-3,456-pixel) gaming monitor, the company says. (I'm taking that "world's first" with a huge grain of salt, because Samsung actually announced the G80HS alongside the 32-inch Odyssey 3D (G90XH), which it called the world’s first 6K display with glasses-free 3D, late last year. The G90XH is not part of Tuesday's launch, and likely won't be available in the US in the near future.)
The 6K resolution isn't the only marquee feature, as the G80HS also offers dual-mode capability, which adjusts the resolution and refresh rate to fit your needs. By default, you’ll enjoy a full 6K resolution at 165Hz, but you can drop the resolution down to 3K (3,072 by 1,728 pixels) at 330Hz.
(Credit: Rene Ramos)The G80HS has a pixel density of 224ppi (pixels per inch). The higher the density, the more detailed the image. A number like 224ppi is often seen in high-end TVs or content-creation monitors, but very rarely in gaming displays.
It doesn’t take long to appreciate the improved screen resolution. Running around in Cyberpunk 2077 is a real showcase of the monitor’s capabilities—so long as you have a beefy computer set up, that is. The monitor includes DisplayPort 2.1, which is necessary to maintain higher resolutions and refresh rates without the compression demanded by DisplayPort 1.4. Without it, you're missing out on the full capabilities of the monitor.
Supporting Odyssey Cast: Smaller, But Just as Stunning
If you’re looking for something smaller, you might be interested in the G8’s little cousin, the 27-inch Odyssey G8 (G80HF), a 5K gaming monitor with a density of 218ppi. Despite the smaller size, the G80HF offers pretty much everything its bigger cousin does, including dual-mode capability (5K at 180Hz or QHD at 330Hz). The few minutes I spent with Final Fantasy VII Remake were satisfying, and additional features like HDR 10+ support will ensure your games remain bright and vibrant no matter the situation.
Both the G80HS and the G80HF use IPS panels, so while they don’t have the incredible high contrast ratio of OLED monitors, the 6K and 5K resolutions more than make up for it. But if you prefer OLED, Samsung also has an Odyssey for you—two, in fact.
The first is the 32-inch Odyssey OLED G8 (G80SH). While this monitor appears similar to the dazzling 6K one, it uses a QD-OLED panel with a 4K resolution target and a much lower density of 140ppi. It’s still an impressive monitor, of course, with a 240Hz refresh rate, a USB-C port with 98 watts of power delivery, and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 support.
The G80SH does not have the dual-mode option, but the 32-inch Odyssey OLED G7 (G73SH) does. The final Odyssey Samsung launched Tuesday, the monitor is available in 4K at 165Hz or FHD at 330Hz, and supports VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400. These two OLED Odysseys still provide top-notch gaming visuals, though they're more iterative in their updates. It only took a few minutes of running around Ghost of Tsushima and Horizon: Zero Dawn to remind me that these monitors deliver a striking picture quality.
Viewfinity and More: Screens for Every Occasion
With the march of Odyssey monitors out of the way, Samsung also debuted two new non-Odyssey monitors. The first is the Viewfinity S8 (S85TH), a 40-inch 5K2K (5,120-by-2,160-pixel) monitor. It's for multitaskers and go-getters who want to maximize productivity. A wide 1000R curve keeps all your information in sight without making you feel overwhelmed, while the 144Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium make it more than capable for a few games between meetings as well.
The main draw is the S85TH's port hub: It includes USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, and DisplayPort ports, as well as a built-in LAN port and a built-in KVM. With all this at the ready, the Viewfinity S8 (S85TH) seems like a potent battle station, especially if you currently have two or more smaller monitors and want to replace them with a single large screen.
Rounding out Tuesday's launch is a new Movingstyle monitor—the Movingstyle Essential. While its usefulness is lost on me and my matchbox New York City apartment, the Movingstyle Essential is meant to be rolled from room to room, making it an extremely potent monitor for those with space in their houses. For example, Samsung deployed the Movingstyle Essential in a faux kitchen in one example I saw, with the idea being you can watch your shows on a big screen while you prepare dinner.
Let's not sugarcoat it: The Movingstyle Essential is a monitor on a stick. But it’s a nice monitor on a stick. The 4K UHD monitor is available now as a 32-inch model, while the 43-inch variant is brand new. But no matter the size, the Movingstyle Essential comes with Samsung TV Apps and TV Plus preinstalled. Another big difference between the Movingstyle Essential and the Movingstyle M7 (which is currently in PC Labs for review) is the lack of an internal battery. That means the Essential must be tethered to a power outlet at all times. Still, it's a pretty mobile monitor, with a height-adjustable stand and a lengthy power cable.
Samsung has not announced the pricing or release date of these monitors yet, but notes that you can sign up to be notified when they're available and receive $50 off if you decide to buy one.