Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Samsung’s first QD-OLED gaming monitor might be dead on arrival

Samsung’s first QD-OLED gaming monitor is available now. First announced in August 2022, the Odyssey OLED G8 is a 34-inch ultrawide gaming display sporting QD-OLED technology, but it has a problem — we’ve already had this same monitor for nearly a year.

Here’s a quick rundown on the specs. The Odyssey OLED G8 is a 34-inch QD-OLED monitor with a 3,440 x 1,440 resolution, a 21:9 aspect ratio, and a 175Hz refresh rate. It also comes with some nifty features like up to 65 watts of USB power delivery, and it’s earned VESA’s DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification.

The Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 was announced at IFA on Wednesday in Berlin, Germany.

That might sound familiar if you’re up-to-date on the best gaming monitors. The Alienware 34 QD-OLED sports the same specs, and it launched nearly a year ago. The problem for Samsung is Alienware’s monitor is as cheap as $1,000, while Samsung is asking $1,500 for the Odyssey OLED G8.

Samsung isn’t just charging extra for the sake of it, though. The Odyssey OLED G8 comes with some extra goodies, namely the inclusion of Samsung’s Smart TV platform that includes Samsung GameHub, along with USB-C power delivery.

The Odyssey OLED G8 also includes Samsung’s Neo Quantum processor. This is the same processor that helps Samsung dominate the list of the best QLED TVs, providing additional contrast, color, and sharpening processing that isn’t present on Alienware’s version.

What isn’t clear is if Samsung’s monitor is using a different panel. The Alienware 34 QD-OLED uses a Samsung Display screen. We reached out to Samsung to see if the Odyssey OLED G8 uses an updated version, and we’ll update this article when we hear back.

The Neo Quantum processor is sure to give the Odyssey OLED G8 a boost, though, as it does on Samsung’s TVs. Despite the high price tag, the Odyssey OLED G8 looks like an impressive gaming display. Samsung is boasting 0.03ms of response time thanks to the QD-OLED panel, as well as FreeSync Premium Pro certification.

In its announcement, Samsung also highlighted the upcoming Odyssey OLED G9. This 49-inch, 32:9 screen also uses a QD-OLED panel and comes with a speedy 240Hz refresh rate. Samsung says to expect it “later this year.”

Editors' Recommendations

I built a couch gaming PC that puts the PS5 to shame — and you can too
A PC sitting next to a PS5 on a coffee table.

The PlayStation 5 is back in stock, and if you've been eagerly waiting to jump into the next generation of gaming, now seems like the time to strike. I'm here to sway you away from a console, though, because you can build a PC for around the same price that puts the PS5 to shame.

PC building is getting more expensive, but prices on the best graphics cards are dropping. With some clever shopping and bit of elbow grease, a gaming PC can deliver better performance and higher-quality visuals without costing much more than Sony's console. Here's the build you need.
Meet the PS5 killer

Read more
If you think PCs are dying, you haven’t been paying attention
A laptop sits on a desk with a Windows 11 wallpaper.

It's been a grim week for the world of computers. If you aren't up-to-date on financial statements (and I can't blame you for that), let me catch you up to speed. Microsoft started the week by posting a 39% decline in its Windows revenue, followed shortly by Intel recording a 36% drop for its Client Computing Group (consumer products). AMD and Apple are announcing their earnings next week, with dire predictions as the demand for PCs comes to a standstill.

PCs are dying, or that's how the story usually goes for these types of drops. In 2015, a 5% drop was enough for Wired to declare, "no, really, the PC is dying." And in 2009, when PC sales dropped by 8%, John Herrman at Gizmodo wrote: "I just can't go on pretending there's a future for [desktop PCs]." Those single-digit drops were enough to ruffle feathers, so between a 35% and 40% decline? That looks like certain death.

Read more
Don’t wait on next-gen gaming laptops — here’s what you should buy instead
Dell G15 rear 3-quarter view.

In a few short weeks, we should have the first batch of next-gen gaming laptops rolling out. Nvidia promised we'll see machines that were announced at CES in February, and we've already gotten a good taste of the notebooks that will define the list of the best gaming laptops for the next year. But you shouldn't wait to buy one.

AMD, Nvidia, and Intel all have next-gen components to power 2023's gaming laptops, and they're sure to bring a leap in performance. They also look to bring a leap in price, and with last-gen options going for so cheap right now, we're in a situation where you can spend less money and get a more powerful laptop.
Next-gen gaming laptops are much more expensive

Read more