Skip to main content

Samsung’s new OLED gaming monitor might have a problem

Samsung's Odyssey OLED gaming monitors for CES 2024.
Samsung

Samsung has a slate of new OLED gaming monitors, too. Two weeks after LG revealed the first 480Hz OLED gaming monitor, Samsung is bringing three displays of its own to the conversation, all of which we’ll see on display at CES 2024. Samsung might be entering the fight with LG at a disadvantage, though.

I’m talking about the new Odyssey OLED G8, or the OLED G80SD. Unlike 2023’s Odyssey OLED G8, this one is a 32-inch, 4K display, the first flat 32-inch OLED gaming monitor that Samsung created. The critical spec here is the refresh rate. Samsung says the display can reach 240Hz, which is great, but it’s not on par with what LG boasts.

Recommended Videos

Samsung has championed the 240Hz refresh rate for a couple of years, starting with the 4K Neo G8 in 2021. The new OLED G80SD delivers what gamers have wanted — a 4K OLED gaming display with a high refresh rate — but it definitely takes a backseat to LG’s 480Hz offering we heard about just a couple of weeks ago.

The back of Samsung's Odyssey OLED G8 gaming monitor for 2024.
Samsung

It’s not too far behind, though. LG’s latest offering boasts a 480Hz refresh rate, but only at 1080p. It, too, is a 32-inch, 4K, 240Hz display, but LG offers its new dual refresh rate feature that allows you to bump down to 1080p for a higher refresh rate.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming
Check your inbox!

It doesn’t seem like Samsung’s new gaming monitor will have that option, though it has some other goodies to make up for it. Like last year’s Samsung OLED monitors, this new batch includes the Neo Quantum processor inside, as well as Samsung’s Tizen operating system. That gives you access to a slew of smart TV apps, Samsung Game Hub, and features like Samsung Multi View for picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture modes.

For the OLED G80SD in particular, Samsung says the display is “extremely thin,” clocking in at just 3.9 millimeters. It also comes with a metal height-adjustable stand, Samsung’s CoreLighting+, and a peak brightness of 450 nits.

Samsung's Odyssey OLED G6 gaming monitor.
Samsung

As for the other monitors, the OLED G60SD is Samsung’s take on 1440p. It’s a 27-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and a blistering 360Hz refresh rate. It, too, comes with CoreLighting+ and a metal stand, and of course, it uses an OLED panel. Notably, this is the first time Samsung is releasing a 1440p OLED display. Last year, we saw a crop of them like the LG UltraGear OLED 27, though with a lower refresh rate.

Finally, Samsung is updating its Odyssey OLED G9 with the G95SD. Like last year’s design, this monitor features a 49-inch, 32:9 display with a resolution of 5120 x 1440 and a 240Hz refresh rate. We don’t know too many details about this display yet, but it appears similar to last year’s model, just with an updated design for 2024.

Samsung's Odyssey OLED G9 monitor for 2024.
Samsung

All three of the displays are debuting Samsung’s OLED Glare-Free tech, which “minimizes daylight and ambient light reflection so you can use it at any time of day.” In addition, the displays are certified with DisplayHDR True Black 400 and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro.

That’s about all we know about the displays for now, though. Samsung hasn’t announced pricing or a release date, both of which will be critical factors compared to the LG competition. We expect to see the displays at CES, so it shouldn’t be long before we have more details.

Jacob Roach
Lead Reporter, PC Hardware
Jacob Roach is the lead reporter for PC hardware at Digital Trends. In addition to covering the latest PC components, from…
Samsung reveals details on its glasses-free, 3D gaming monitor
The Samsung Odyssey 3D monitor placed on a desk.

Samsung’s new Odyssey 3D monitor was a hit at CES earlier this year, showcasing a comfortable and immersive 3D gaming experience -- all without the need for special glasses. But details were scarce.

Now, it's being shown off again along with the new game announcements Gamescom to drum up more interest -- and revealing some of the juicy details behind the tech.

Read more
Asus’ 480Hz OLED gaming monitor is cheaper than expected
The Asus 480Hz OLED set up at CES 2024.

Asus is finally sharing more details about its upcoming ROG Swift PG27AQDP, which looks to earn a slot among the best gaming monitors. We first saw this monitor at the beginning of the year, where it stood out as the first OLED monitor ever to reach at 480Hz refresh rate at 1440p. Since originally showing it off, Asus has been quiet about the display -- until now.

The PG27AQDP officially launched at Gamescom, and it's arriving at a shockingly low price of $1,000. That's not cheap for a gaming monitor, or even an OLED monitor, but it's much lower than the competition. The Acer Predator X27U F3, which matches Asus' display in terms of specs and is due out any week now, could cost as much as $1,600, Acer says. It's possible Acer will make a last-minute pricing adjustment in the face of the PG27AQDP.

Read more
New HP Omen gaming desktop is a radical departure
Cooler of the HP Omen 35L.

After a brief stint among the best gaming desktops, HP's Omen brand hasn't stepped up to the plate on the desktop front. The recent Omen 40L was a lukewarm PC, and the company has settled into the same design in slightly different sizes over the past few years. That's changing with the new HP Omen 35L.

It's what the company calls its first customizable desktop ever. Omen desktops have offered upgrade paths for years now, unlike something like the Alienware Aurora R16, but the Omen 35L pushes that idea further. The ground-up design now supports up to four sticks of memory, two M.2 NVMe SSD slots, and a 3.5mm storage bay. It also comes with a standard micro ATX motherboard and ATX power supply, as well as three slots for a GPU, allowing you to completely gut and replace the internals down the line.

Read more