Samsung Electronics has unveiled a host of new monitors for professionals and gamers, boasting advanced display technologies such as QD-OLED and Mini-LED backlights.
The company’s 2023 monitor lineup includes a 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9, which is essentially just a larger version of the 34-inch Odyssey G8 QD-OLED monitor that was launched last year. The main promise of this display is its much improved HDR, superior contracts and deeper blacks compared to traditional LCD-based displays. That’s because QD-OLED delivers pixel-level luminance and colour control to achieve much greater picture accuracy.
The Samsung Odyssey G9 is a curved monitor aimed at video games enthusiasts. It boasts a 5120x1440 resolution with a 32:9 aspect ratio, and is also the company’s first 240Hz-rated QD-OLED display, which means gamers should enjoy a much smoother experience with flowing graphics, especially compared to LCD displays. As well as the high refresh rate, QD-OLED is also capable of much faster response times, with Samsung claiming just 0.1ms in the case of the Odyssey G9.
If size and brightness are more important factors than deep blacks, accurate colours and a rapid response, then Samsung’s mammoth 57-inch Odyssey Neo G9 might be more to your tastes. The Odyssey Neo G9 is a traditional LCD display with a 240Hz refresh rate that’s been enhanced with Mini-LED backlights. Samsung says it features “dual UHD” 7680,2160 resolution with a 32:9 aspect ratio, something that has previously been termed as “8K Ultrawide”.
Another potential reason to think about buying the Odyssey Neo G9 is that it will be the first monitor in the world to support DisplayPort 2.1, meaning it can be hooked up to other devices with much longer cables than previously possible.
Samsung said both the Odyssey G9 and the Odyssey Neo G9 will support apps such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube through its Tizen TV OS platform, so they can also double as TVs when not being used for gaming or work. The monitors can also access the Samsung Gaming Hub, which allows users to stream Xbox and GeForce Now cloud-hosted games.
Graphics designers and photographers may be more interested in a new monitor that’s been made with them specifically in mind. The 27-inch ViewFinity S9 monitor is an LCD display that boasts superior 5K resolution at 5120x2880, with coverage of 99% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. According to Samsung, the monitor can be calibrated via a Samsung smartphone using the Samsung Smart Calibration app. It also comes with a 4K camera, and USB-C and Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Last but not least, Samsung unveiled an upgraded version of its “Smart Monitor”, the Samsung M8, which comes with Tizen OS built-in and can therefore access the Xbox and GeFore Now video game streaming apps. It’s a 27-inch monitor that sports 4K resolution, and is smaller than the existing 32-inch Smart Monitor that debuted last year. The Samsung M8 comes in a choice of four colours: Daylight Blue, Spring Green, Sunset Pink or Warm White, and features a built-in HD camera.
Samsung said that pricing and availability of the four new monitors will be announced later, but in the meantime we can expect to see them exhibited at CES 2023 later this week.