Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED (2023) gaming monitor review

If you are looking to level-up your gaming monitor in a big way the Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED is the ultimate choice. The 49-inch monitor has been designed with video game content in mind with a host of features like 240Hz refresh rate, lightning fast 0.03ms response time, and a stunning colour gamut. Along with all these hardware features it also packs a multimedia hub that helps to organize your digital life, whether work or play, and it has an onboard OS that cleanly manages your entertainment applications. In this review I’ll be putting the Odyssey G9 OLED through its paces and exploring all its features to figure out if the monitor is the right fit for you.

Unboxing the Odyssey G9 OLED monitor

The unboxing and set-up process with the G9 OLED is nice and streamlined, especially considering its large size. Moving the large monitor out of the box is the only real challenge. Thankfully, the package is designed in such a way that you can mount the stand arm to the panel then lift it out of the box in one motion. I highly recommend using a two-person team for setting up to make it that much easier. This will also reduce the amount of stress on the panel when moving it.

In the box, you’ll find the monitor, one HDMI cable, power cord, remote, display cable, VESA wall mounting bracket, and instruction manual. The monitor has a thin profile, but overall, the build quality is quite sturdy. There is also a customizable LED light ring at the rear of the monitor. If you are looking to bring the G9 into a flashy, LED-lit setup it will fit right in.

Once the hardware is ready and powered up, the monitor’s software needs updating, and then you are ready for action. In terms of set-up process, you’ll also need to create a Samsung account if you don’t have one already to manage some of the G9’s storage and media features.  

Odyssey G9 OLED monitor design

Out of the box the G9 is a sharp looking monitor—it looks like something plucked out of a sci-fi film with its sleek, modern styling. The display’s curve radius of 1800R also adds to the “wow” factor of the hardware. The dramatic curvature of the screen matches that of the human eye, which helps to ease eye strain.

The futuristic design stands out from other monitors. The light chassis contrasts with the black bezels and screen, creating a sleek look. Although the design is striking, it’s still tasteful and can fit into many different settings. The stand is sturdy and adjustable, allowing you to heighten and tilt the monitor to your preference. It also has a cable management system that keeps the wires neat and tidy.

The G9 also has an “eye-saver” mode that reduces blue light emission and a flicker-free technology that prevents eye fatigue. Even after dozens of hours of use I felt the monitor was easy on my eyes. 

Odyssey remote control

The G9 OLED comes with a sleek multimedia remote control that lets you navigate through the hub’s menus and settings with ease. It is also outfitted with a microphone so you can use voice commands to search for content or adjust the volume. The remote has a minimalist design with 12 buttons and a circular pad to help with navigation. There are preset buttons at the bottom of your remote. In Canada, the buttons that offer single press access to services are Samsung TV Plus, Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+. 

Odyssey G9 OLED specs and connectivity

On the back of the monitor, you’ll find two HDMI ports: one is a standard 2.1 port and the other is a micro HDMI port, along with a DisplayPort 1.4 and 3 USB ports. There is also a customizable LED light ring at the rear of the monitor. 

The screen itself has a stunningly large 32:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 5120 x 1440 pixels in an OLED panel. All of this adds up to more horizontal space than two 27-inch QHD monitors side by side. The G9 also has a very small bezel, which is a great touch. This offers an even more seamless view of your on-screen content. Overall, this makes the G9 ideal for multitasking, gaming, and more immersive viewing.  

Odyssey G9 OLED multimedia streaming and sound

I’ve had the opportunity to review quite a few smart TVs loaded with features, but this is the first monitor that packs in as many multimedia perks. The main hub is a “Swiss army knife” of content options offering onboard access to TV, movie, and gaming services. It’s a gaming hub and a media hub allowing you to connect to services like Disney+, Netflix, and more.

Another similarity that the G9 shares with high-end smart TVs is its great on-board sound. The monitor has two built-in speakers that deliver 10W of power each. They produce clear and balanced sound that can fill up a small room. They also support Dolby Atmos, which adds a spatial dimension to the audio and creates a more immersive experience.

Odyssey G9 gaming performance

When it comes to gaming the Odyssey G9 OLED boasts a rich feature set that will help level up any gaming setup. The monitor has a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03 millisecond response time, allowing it to deliver smooth and responsive gameplay even in fast-paced sequences. Along with this, the G9 supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-SYNC, which means it can sync with your graphics card to reduce screen tearing and stuttering. If you are looking to build the ultimate PC gaming setup, the Odyssey G9 will be your crown jewel.

I tested plenty of games on the G9, using the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC platforms. Games like Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 4 look stunning and I was blown away by the visual quality and performance. It’s important to note if you are a console gamer, the hardware doesn’t take full advantage of the ultra-wide view. You can still play from consoles like the PS5, Switch, and Xbox on the G9, but the picture will be surrounded by black bars to compensate for the 16:9 aspect ratio. It still looks incredible, it just doesn’t occupy the full screen.

OLED display panel

The colours on-screen look incredibly vibrant and realistic, thanks to the Neo Quantum Processor Pro technology. The contrast was also impressive, with deep blacks and bright whites. The curved screen really enhances the immersion of what you are playing. I was totally pulled into the experience whether it was an FPS, sports, or strategy game. When playing games like Starfield, the monitor especially shines while you are in your ship’s cockpit. It really feels like you are captaining a spacecraft with a large field of view into the stars.

OLED G9 supercharged with the Neo Quantum Processor Pro

One of the key features of the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 is the Neo Quantum Processor Pro. This powerful chip enhances the performance using calculations in tandem with the backlight dimming technology to deliver more precise control over the brightness levels of different zones of the screen. This results in a punchier, deeper contrast ratio, where the bright areas are more luminous and the dark areas are more detailed. The onboard processor also analyzes and optimizes every frame of information, using a deep learning algorithm that can upscale low-resolution images and adjust brightness and contrast accordingly. This ensures that the colours, shades and details are always vivid and realistic, regardless of the source.

Overall with my testing no matter what I connected to the monitor from different sources like gaming consoles and PC everything looked incredible. I also found that cycling between these different hardware sources I had to make little to no adjustments, the Odyssey OLED G9 automatically detects and adjusts to the type of content being displayed. This is all thanks to the powerful Neo Quantum Processor Pro.

Samsung Gaming Hub

Along with the excellent performance out of the panel, the monitor also has a gaming hub built in. This supports gaming streaming services like Xbox Game Pass, Amazon Luna, and NVIDIA GeForce Now. In my experience I connected my Xbox wireless controller and was able to boot up the hub and I was off to the races. I was literally playing Forza Horizon 4 in minutes once I had the monitor setup. This feature does require an Xbox Game Pass subscription and a controller, but outside of that the experience is seamless out of the box.

Final thoughts on the Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED monitor

The Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED is a stunning monitor that offers an incredible gaming and overall viewing experience. It has a huge curved screen that delivers superb image quality, performance, and immersion. Its onboard multimedia hub was a welcome surprise, offering access to various content and streaming services in a well thought out user interface. The package comes with a sleek remote control and a great sound system that allows it to easily double as a TV set. Whether gaming, watching a movie, or working, the G9 shines in all these areas. The drawbacks of the monitor are its price point, heavy weight, and large size: it may not fit everyone’s budget, desk, or room. It also requires a powerful graphics card to run games at its full potential. However, if you can afford it and have the space for it, the Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED is a monitor that will take your gaming and entertainment to the next level.

For more computer monitor solutions be sure to visit Best Buy Canada in-store and online.