Among makers of gaming monitors, there has been long-running “specsmanship” over size and refresh rates, with many of the top-performing QD-OLED variants using Samsung’s latest panel technology. Last week at CES, Samsung seems to have gone in a different direction with most of its Odyssey Gaming line of monitors, putting the focus on higher resolutions along with higher refresh rates and the addition of 3-D. That said, Samsung also introduced the fifth generation of its QD-OLED technology — technology that is already being used in new monitors from its competitors/customers ASUS and MSI. The new generation seems to solve many of the text sharpness and brightness issues that had previously affected QD-OLED panels.
(Note that Samsung is an advisory client of my firm, Moor Insights & Strategy.)
Samsung Odyssey 3D (G90XH) Brings 6K Glasses-Free 3-D To Gaming Monitors
The Odyssey 3D, also known as the G90XH, is among the highest-end monitors that Samsung announced at the show. It has a 32-inch IPS panel with 6K resolution at 165 hertz and can be boosted to 330 hertz at 3K resolution using dual mode (about which I’ll say more below). Samsung touts this model as the world’s first 6K glasses-free 3-D gaming monitor. This product, which leverages real-time eye tracking to achieve glasses-free 3-D, also has built-in 2-D to 3-D conversion. It is the successor to the 27-inch G90XF model, which also delivered 3-D at 165 hertz but was limited to 4K.
While this still needs verification from Samsung, I suspect that the glasses-free 3-D in the G90XH is a continuation of the company’s partnership with Leia, which is a world leader (likely the leader) in glasses-free 3-D display tech. The predecessor monitor launched last year at an eye watering $2,100; even though this new model is larger and has higher resolution, I don’t see it launching for a higher price. We’ll know more once it reaches the market, but Samsung has not yet disclosed pricing or a launch date.
The Odyssey G8 Series Aims For Different Types Of Users
The Odyssey G8 is Samsung’s flagship line of monitors that isn’t considered “niche” but still delivers very high-end features. There are three different Odyssey G8 models catering to different types of users, and all of them ship with FreeSync Premium Pro, G-Sync Compatible and HDR10+ Gaming certifications. The G80HS is the company’s 32-inch 6K 165-hertz IPS monitor, likely built on similar panel tech as the Odyssey 3D — but without the 3-D capabilities. The G8HF is built around a 27-inch 5K 180-hertz IPS panel, which is impressive when you realize that we only started seeing 27-inch 4K 240-hertz OLED monitors last year; the new panel further increases pixel density and sharpness. This monitor, like all the others in this year’s Samsung lineup except the G80SH, can double the refresh rate by halving the resolution in what Samsung calls dual mode.
Finally in the G8 family is the 32-inch G80SH, which does not seem to feature the new fifth-generation QD-OLED technology. This monitor’s panel helps deliver the same 4K 240-hertz refresh rate and resolution as last year’s corresponding 27-inch model, but with the addition of VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 500 and HDR10+ Gaming certifications in a larger form factor. This model also uses Samsung’s glare-free coating, which I wrote about in my assessment of Samsung’s 27-inch 4K QD-OLED monitor. This panel seems very similar to the 4K QD-OLED in the Alienware 32-inch launched in 2024.
Looking at the Odyssey G8 series as a whole, it seems that Samsung is rounding out its OLED offerings. The 27- and 34-inch models are already in-market, and the 32-inch panel has already been used by many of Samsung’s competitors and customers (for example Alienware). I think we will probably see Samsung launch a 32-inch fifth-generation OLED monitor as well, but again it might lag its customers/competitors like it did with the G80SH.
The Samsung Odyssey G6 (G60H) Hits 1040 Hertz (Not Sure Why)
The Odyssey G6 is a more mainstream monitor for Samsung’s lineup, but it also gets to claim a world first. While the 27-inch G60H has a standard resolution of 1440P and an eye-popping 600-hertz refresh rate, there is once again a dual mode that, in 1080P, allows for a 1040-hertz refresh rate. To be perfectly honest, I don’t think most people will be able to perceive a 600-hertz refresh rate to begin with, or even to get games to run at that rate — at any resolution. With that in mind, the 1040-hertz refresh rate seems even more unnecessary, especially when you consider that some game engines don’t even support frame rates above 500 FPS. At my age (and I’m not 40 yet), I’m unsure if I will ever be able to perceive these differences in reflex rate, since you would probably need to be a teenager to do so with the naked eye.
I’ll save my more detailed opinions of these new monitors until after I have had a chance to try them out on my own test bench and workstation. Samsung hasn’t yet talked about availability or pricing for any of them, but I will be sure to share those details in later articles or via social media updates when they become available. For now, I’ll summarize by saying that it’s quite clear that Samsung Display continues to innovate and push the envelope for gamers, and that QD-OLED and 3-D are still very much alive at the company, along with the new dual mode high-refresh-rate technology.
Moor Insights & Strategy provides or has provided paid services to technology companies, like all tech industry research and analyst firms. These services include research, analysis, advising, consulting, benchmarking, acquisition matchmaking and video and speaking sponsorships. Of the companies mentioned in this article, Moor Insights & Strategy currently has (or has had) a paid business relationship with Alienware (Dell) and Samsung.
