Few gaming displays can match the Samsung Odyssey G9.
The huge 49-inch display has a 5,120 x 1,440 resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, and an HDR 1000 rating. But 2021 is a new year, and the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 takes everything the Odyssey G9 did and amps it up a notch.
With improved lighting, HDR 2000 support, and Mini-LED technology, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is one of the most modern gaming monitors we’ve seen.
But not only will you need one of the greatest gaming PCs – with at least an RTX 3080 – but the Neo G9 is more pricey than last year.
But if you can afford it, it’s well worth it.
It has the greatest colour and black levels we’ve ever seen in a gaming monitor.
It’s a true luxury to play games on this machine, which helps justify the astronomical price.
Affordability
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is currently available for $2,499 (£1,749).
By far the most costly gaming display available, but it offers features that other gaming monitors simply cannot equal.
To our knowledge, this is the only gaming monitor with HDR 2000, which means it outperforms even the Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ in terms of HDR quality.
So while the price has risen significantly from last year’s $1,479 (£1,289, AU$2,799) model, it makes reasonable given the amount of new hardware included.
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 takes the king of ultrawide gaming monitors to a new level that is suitable for gamers that desire the greatest experience money can buy.
“If you experience sticker shock staring at the price tag, it’s probably not for you,” they say. We’d never pay for it, but we’ve had a lot of fun with it and are sad to see it go.
Consider the Odyssey G7 Design for something more modest.
SAMSUNG ODYSSEY NEO G9 Even though it’s a 49-inch ultrawide monitor, it doesn’t hit you until you pull it out of the box and set it up on your desk.
We have a 61-inch desk, and it takes up nearly the whole length of it, leaving only enough room for our PC on the side.
But its enormous size works in its favour when you want a truly immersive gaming experience.
When we sit in front of the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 and play games – usually Final Fantasy XIV, let’s face it – we easily lose ourselves in the moment.
It’s a blessing to be able to focus so completely on the game when we’re farming for our relic weapon before Endwalker drops in November.
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The bottom bezel is still visible, but the screen is so huge that you won’t notice it.
The only logo on the front of the display is the Nvidia G-Sync logo, which we like to avoid. But the monitor has G-Sync.
Like the prior monitor, there’s a little joystick/button combo thingy on the bottom right.
Pressing it brings up the on-screen menu, where you can adjust the monitor’s settings.
You can also use it to quickly change inputs or display settings like brightness and contrast.
Three recessed buttons flank the joystick.
If you’re regularly jumping between games, say a competitive FPS like Paladins and a deep and elegant RPG like Cyberpunk 2077, these can preserve particular settings for up to three distinct games.
Utility Of The Monitor?
The monitor’s back is all-white this year, with futuristic motifs engraved in.
The RGB circle around the back stand mount is also returning.
The cords go into a compartment in the display’s bottom, and a big plastic screen slides into it to cover them.
Sadly, that’s also where the monitor’s main flaw lies.
Due to the monitor’s weight – and it is heavy – the stand lacks cable management channels.
That makes cable management more difficult, which is a shame for a monitor of this calibre.
Because anyone who spends that much money on a monitor undoubtedly takes their desktop design very seriously – but not us.
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Of course, this monitor features a VESA-compatible mount, so you can use another stand.
However, the monitor’s large weight gets in the way, so you’ll need a stand that can manage it.
Honestly, we’d recommend just installing it to the wall – and Samsung agreed when we contacted them about it.
However, the port count is disappointingly conventional.
What About The Ports?
There are two USB Type-A ports, two HDMI 2.1 connections, and one DisplayPort.
Samsung offers both an HDMI 2.1 and a DisplayPort cable, but to fully utilise the 240Hz refresh rate, you’ll need to use HDMI 2.1, as DP is limited to 120Hz.
One of the interesting features of this panel is its capacity to replicate two 27-inch 1440p monitors, which would be even handier with a wider selection of linked devices.
It would be good to have a PS5, a PC, and a Nintendo Switch port so we could quickly switch between them.
Maybe for next year’s model (if there is one).
Performance
It’s difficult to exaggerate how amazing this monitor is the first time you use it.
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9’s peak brightness has doubled from 1,000 nits to 2,000 nits.
It now has HDR 2000, which is the finest HDR outside of playing PC games on a high-end OLED TV.
That’s stunning on its own, but it also contains Samsung’s revolutionary Quantum Mini LED tech, used in its QLED TVs.
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 offers 2,048 local dimming zones, compared to just 10 in the previous year’s model.
The monitor is fantastic in games like Destiny 2, which we use to test HDR.
Compared to the HDR 400 displays we generally evaluate — gaming monitors need to get their act together – an HDR 2000 display like this is a whole other world of brightness and colour.
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And it’s not just enormous and high quality; it’s also brighter and more colourful than anything you’ve ever seen.
Combined with the fast refresh rate, it’s a gaming utopia you’ll want to be a part of.
But with such high refresh rates and resolutions comes one major issue: performance.
With a 5,120 x 1,440 display, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is almost 4K.
We tested this display on a gaming PC with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090, and even then, we’re rarely trapped at 120 fps on this display, let alone 240.
In Deathloop, we’re normally around 110 fps, with occasional dips to 100 or 90 fps.
That’s still a fast frame rate, but we’re still a long way from fully saturating this panel.
With a price tag like the Neo G9, you’ll want to give it room to grow, and its performance won’t be standard for a long time.
What You Cannot Compromise?
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 has a 5,120 x 1,440 resolution, a 32:9 aspect ratio, 240Hz refresh rate, and HDR 2,000.
This is what happens when only the best will do.
You like MMOs and other UI-heavy games.
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is ideal for games like Final Fantasy XIV where greater screen space means more buttons and metres.
What do you want?
A huge screen isn’t enough to make the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 the best gaming monitor currently available.
This monitor is cutting edge with Mini LED and HDR 2,000.
Buy it if!
You’re on a budget
S$2,499 (£1,749, AU$2,999) Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 That’s all we have to say about the subject.
Your workstation is smaller
Even our 5-foot long desk can’t hold this beast of a gaming display.
If you’re short on space, you’d be better off with another display.
