Previously, if you wanted a monitor for competitive gaming, you had to choose between an IPS or VA panel to get something with a super high refresh rate or opt for a slower OLED display with richer colors and better contrast. But today, Samsung is changing that with the Odyssey OLED G6, which is the first 500Hz OLED gaming monitor in the world.
Available for $1,000, the only comes in one size (27 inches) and features a QHD resolution (2,560 x 1440) with a 16:9 aspect ratio and critically, that blisteringly speedy 500Hz refresh rate with a .03ms (GTG) response time. Its QD-OLED panel also has a matte anti-reflective coating and support for both AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-Sync. And after seeing it in person, it really is a very pretty monitor, as it boasts vibrant colors and deep inky blacks while still being able to satisfy even the most demanding competitive gamers.
This is the first OLED monitor to feature a blisteringly fast 500Hz refresh rate.
(Sam Rutherford for Engadget)
That said, the Odyssey OLED G6 is a rather straightforward product. It doesn’t come with any of Samsung’s built-in smart features like an included remote or the company’s Gaming Hub. And with a typical brightness of just 300 nits, while you do get VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 500 certification, it’s not the best monitor to put in a sunny room.
But that’s not exactly a deal-breaker, because from what I’ve seen, this thing is a purpose-built device that’s meant to do one thing really well: display games super fast without sacrificing on image quality. And if for some reason you get tired of playing games, you could do some photo or video editing as the display is Pantone Validated and covers 99 percent of the DCI-P3 spectrum.
Aside from the Odyssey OLED G6, today Samsung is also introducing a couple new additions to the Odyssey G7 line as well. The smaller of the two is the which features more traditional dimensions including a 4K curved 16:9 VA panel with a typical brightness of 350 nits and a 165Hz refresh rate.
The Samsung 40-inch Odyssey G7 features a 1000R curved display and ultra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio using a VA panel with 350 nits of brightness.
(Sam Rutherford for Engadget)
Alternatively, for those who prefer ultra-wide monitors, the 40-inch Odyssey G7 has the same brightness and 1000R curve as its smaller sibling, but with a 21:9 WUHD (5,120 x 2160) resolution and a slightly faster 180Hz refresh rate. Interestingly, despite being the wider of the two, due to its 16:9 aspect ratio, the 37-inch Odyssey G7 looks larger in person. And thanks to their slightly higher brightness, both the 37 and 40-inch Odyssey G7 have VESA Display HDR 600 ratings.
All three monitors are on sale today. The Odyssey OLED G6 costs $1,000 while the 37-inch Odyssey G7 is going for $900 or $1,200 for the larger 40-inch Odyssey G7.
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