The Samsung Odyssey QD-OLED G8 was announced as the world's first QD-OLED monitor, blending the best of self-lit pixels with the brand's own Quantum Dot technology. Of course, Alienware ended up beating it to market and it's been through some changes since unveiling, formerly known as the Odyssey G8QNB and now the G85SB, but it's finally here and mostly wowing reviewers.
What makes QD-OLED so special is that it's usually far more vibrant than its OLED ccounterpart, giving it a sharper picture quality. Samsung also claims that there's less of a risk when it comes to screen burn-in, but this has yet to stand the test of time. The feature has graced the best TVs for some time, and we're glad to see it finally make its way into the gaming monitor space.
Vying for a spot among the best OLED gaming monitors, the folks over at Rtings praise its gaming capabilities, but note that black colours turn a little purple in brighter rooms. Even with this drawback, it's a powerhouse that you can't go wrong with, but it carries a lofty asking price that might make your eyes water.
Samsung Odyssey QD-OLED G8 release date
The monitor has been in the works for some time, announced at CES 2022 with more details arriving later in the year at IFA . Originally aiming for a global release at the end of 2022, the Samsung Odyssey G8 started shipping in February, 2023.
This delay means it wasn't quite the first QD-OLED monitor, forefeitting the title to the Alienware AW3423DWF, which landed on shelves in October, 2022.
Samsung Odyssey QD-OLED G8 price
At launch, the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 costs $1,499 USD, which is quite a bit below our prior estimates. This makes it a little pricier than the Alienware QD-OLED, which debuted at $1,300 USD and will likely start its discounting sooner than its rival.
For context, this puts it in the same price bracket as the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG48UQ, which ranges from 41.5 inches to 47.5 inches, and the 47.5-inch LG UltraGear UHD OLED. Both monitors are standard OLED rather than QD-OLED, but they boast 4K resolution instead of WQHD, although you might end up craning your neck depending on your viewing distance.
Samsung Odyssey QD-OLED G8 specs
Naturally, the biggest selling point of the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 is its quantum dot-infused display. This is the same kind of tech we're seeing across waves of QD-OLED TVs, like the Sony Bravia XR A95K, and boasts higher pixel brightness than ever before, plus the commonly associated deep blacks and incredible contrast. It also helps lean into an incredibly slim form-factor, ccoming in at just 5.9mm thick.
The screen is sized to 34 inches with a 1800R curve. Not bad for those who want a touch of immersion when gaming, but also want something which can double up for productivity too.
On the topic of gaming, you're getting a 175Hz refresh rate with between 0.1ms to 0.3ms response time, which ticks the boxes for more reflex-based shooters. Some retailers curiously differ on the specs here, but it's near-instantaneous regardless.
Resolution is UWQHD, which is 3440 x 1440. Since PS5 doesn't support ultrawide officially, and the same goes for Xbox Series X, this monitor is more for the PC gamers out there.
Interestingly, it's only VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400, which isn't quite as punchy as some of the other monitors we've seen.
While this is still good, we'll have to see it in person first to get an idea of how it stands up to the likes of some of the best HDMI 2.1 monitors for instance, some of which have far higher Display HDR certifications.