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Samsung Odyssey G9 Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v1.2
Review updated Dec 16, 2022 at 02:36 pm
Latest change: Writing modified Aug 30, 2023 at 11:55 am
Samsung Odyssey G9 Picture
7.6
Mixed Usage
7.6
Office
8.3
Gaming
7.2
Media Consumption
7.4
Media Creation
6.8
HDR
This monitor was replaced by the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9/G95NA S49AG95

The Samsung Odyssey G9 is a super ultrawide gaming monitor. It has a large 49-inch screen with a 32:9 aspect ratio and 5120x1440 resolution, which is the equivalent of placing two 27-inch, 1440p monitors next to each other. It also features an aggressive 1000R curved screen to bring the edges within your field of vision. It's designed for gaming with a fast 240Hz refresh rate, native FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) support, and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. It doesn't have Mini LED backlighting like the model that eventually replaced it, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9/G95NA S49AG95, but it still features a VA panel with edge-lit local dimming.

Our Verdict

7.6 Mixed Usage

The Samsung Odyssey G9 is an overall good monitor. It has great gaming performance thanks to its low input lag, fast response time, and high refresh rate. Its large screen provides plenty of space to work comfortably, and it has a high pixel density to render text clearly. Unfortunately, it has narrow viewing angles, which isn't ideal for sharing content or playing co-op games. On the bright side, it can display a wide color gamut and gets bright enough to deliver a decent HDR experience.

Pros
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Decent contrast ratio.
  • Large screen size.
Cons
  • Terrible local dimming.
  • Sub-par viewing angles.
  • Aggressive 1000R curve.
7.6 Office

The Samsung Odyssey G9 is decent for office use. Its 49-inch screen allows you to have multiple windows opened side-by-side, and its high pixel density results in sharp images and text. Unfortunately, it has limited ergonomics and sub-par viewing angles, making it hard to adjust the screen to your optimal viewing position or share work with your coworkers.

Pros
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Large screen size.
Cons
  • Sub-par viewing angles.
  • Aggressive 1000R curve.
8.3 Gaming

The Samsung Odyssey G9 is great for gaming. It has low input lag, a fast response time, and a high refresh rate, resulting in a responsive and smooth gaming experience. It supports FreeSync to reduce screen tearing and is compatible with NVIDIA's G-SYNC. However, there are limitations regarding its 240Hz refresh rate, as it's only achievable with certain graphics cards that support compression. Also, it has bad black uniformity, so it isn't the best option for gaming in the dark.

Pros
  • Good response time.
  • High refresh rate.
  • Decent contrast ratio.
  • Large screen size.
Cons
  • Poor black uniformity.
  • Terrible local dimming.
  • Aggressive 1000R curve.
7.2 Media Consumption

The Samsung Odyssey G9 is good for media consumption. It has a large screen and high resolution to deliver an immersive viewing experience. However, even though it has a decent native contrast, it has terrible local dimming, and it has bad black uniformity, making it less ideal for dark rooms. Additionally, it has sub-par viewing angles, so it isn't the best choice for sharing content.

Pros
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Decent contrast ratio.
  • Large screen size.
  • Outstanding gray uniformity.
Cons
  • Poor black uniformity.
  • Terrible local dimming.
  • Sub-par viewing angles.
  • Aggressive 1000R curve.
7.4 Media Creation

The Samsung Odyssey G9 is good for content creators. It has a large screen and high resolution, allowing you to work with multiple windows opened side-by-side to improve your workflow. It handles reflections well and gets bright enough to overcome glare. It isn't the best option for sharing your work, though, as it has narrow viewing angles. On the upside, it has near-full coverage of the sRGB color space and decent color accuracy before calibration.

Pros
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Decent contrast ratio.
  • Large screen size.
  • Outstanding gray uniformity.
Cons
  • Poor black uniformity.
  • Sub-par viewing angles.
  • Aggressive 1000R curve.
6.8 HDR

The Samsung Odyssey G9 is alright for HDR. It gets bright enough to make highlights pop and displays a wide range of colors in HDR. It has a decent native contrast ratio for deep blacks but has a terrible local dimming feature that causes a lot of blooming around bright objects.

Pros
  • Large screen size.
Cons
  • Terrible local dimming.
  • Aggressive 1000R curve.
  • 7.6 Mixed Usage
  • 7.6 Office
  • 8.3 Gaming
  • 7.2 Media Consumption
  • 7.4 Media Creation
  • 6.8 HDR
  1. Updated Aug 30, 2023: Clarified that the LG 49GR85DC-B is a super ultrawide gaming monitor that supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.
  2. Updated Jan 26, 2023: Added text in the macOS Compatibility box and clarified text throughout as part of Test Bench 1.2.
  3. Updated Jan 26, 2023: Updated to Test Bench 1.2, resulting in changes to the results and scores with the Response Time and Input Lag. Added tests for Console Compatibility and macOS compatibility and made minor changes to other tests, which you can see in our Changelog.
  4. Updated Dec 16, 2022: Updated the text for accuracy and clarity throughout.
  5. Updated Sep 01, 2021: The build quality and ergonomics photos were inversed.
  6. Updated Oct 23, 2020: Review published.
  7. Updated Oct 16, 2020: Early access published.
  8. Updated Oct 15, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
  9. Updated Oct 07, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  10. Updated Aug 22, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
  11. Updated Jul 24, 2020: The product has won our suggestion poll, so we'll buy and test it soon.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the Samsung Odyssey G9 (LC49G95TSSNXZA), and there are no other variants. However, it's part of Samsung's Odyssey monitor lineup, which includes the Samsung Odyssey G5 C27G55T and the Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T. The G9 was replaced by the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9/G95NA S49AG95, which has Mini LED backlighting.

Size North America UK Italy Germany
49" LC49G95TSSNXZA LC49G95TSSUXEN LC49G95TSSUXEN LC49G94TSSUXZG

Our unit was manufactured in June 2020; you can see the label here.

Compared To Other Monitors

The Samsung G9 is a great super ultrawide gaming monitor that fills a need for a niche of gamers that want the large screen for immersive gaming instead of getting a few monitors in a multi-monitor setup. While it offers a great gaming performance, it was later replaced by the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9/G95NA S49AG95 which offers better picture quality with improved local dimming, so if you want an ultrawide monitor, the Neo G9 is the better choice.

You can also check out our recommendations for the best ultrawide gaming monitors, the best 34-49 inch monitors, and the best 240Hz monitors.

LG 49WL95C-W

The LG 49WL95C-W and the Samsung Odyssey G9 are very different despite having the same size, resolution, and aspect ratio. The LG is a productivity monitor with a basic 60Hz refresh rate with no VRR support, while the Samsung is more gaming-focused, with a 240Hz refresh rate. The LG has an IPS panel with wider viewing angles, but it isn't as good for dark rooms as the Samsung because it has a low contrast ratio. The Samsung delivers a much better HDR experience because it has a wider color gamut and gets a lot brighter in HDR.

Samsung C49RG9/CRG9

Overall, the Samsung Odyssey G9 is a bit better than the Samsung C49RG9/CRG9, mainly due to its higher refresh rate and lower input lag. However, the CRG9 has significantly less overshoot when running at its maximum refresh rate even though its response time is slightly slower, and it gets much brighter in SDR.

Dell Alienware AW3423DW

The Dell Alienware AW3423DW is better all-around than the Samsung Odyssey G9. The Dell delivers better picture quality because it uses a QD-OLED panel with deeper blacks, so if you want something for dark room gaming, you can't go wrong with it. The Samsung is a better choice if you want to play high-frame-rate games because it has a higher refresh rate, and the larger screen offers a more immersive experience.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9/G95NC S57CG95

The Samsung Odyssey G9 and the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9/G95NC S57CG95 are both super ultrawide monitors, but there are a few differences. The S57CG95 has a larger 57-inch screen with a 7680x2160 resolution, providing more screen space and sharper text clarity than the original G9, which has a 49-inch screen with a 5120x1440 resolution. The S57CG95 also delivers better picture quality thanks to its Mini LED backlighting and improved local dimming feature. The motion on it looks better due to its faster response time. While the S57CG95 has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, it's important to know that you need a high-end graphics card to take full advantage of its high resolution and refresh rate.

Samsung C49HG90/CHG90

The Samsung Odyssey G9 is a bit better than the Samsung C49HG90/CHG90. The G9 has a higher resolution, a higher refresh rate, and gets a lot brighter in SDR and HDR. However, the CHG90 has a higher contrast ratio to produce deeper blacks.

LG 45GR95QE-B

The Samsung Odyssey G9 and the LG 45GR95QE-B are both ultrawide monitors, but they have quite a few differences. The LG has a 45-inch OLED screen with a 3440x1440 resolution, while the Samsung is considered a super ultrawide monitor with a wider 49-inch screen and 5120x1440 resolution. The LG is better for most uses as it delivers perfect blacks without any blooming, and it also has a near-instantaneous response time for crisp motion. The LG has more accurate colors and displays a wider range of colors in HDR. However, the Samsung gets brighter, so it's better to use in well-lit rooms, and it doesn't risk permanent burn-in like the LG.

Dell U4919DW

The Samsung Odyssey G9 and the Dell U4919DW have the same size, aspect ratio, and resolution; however, they're intended for different uses. The Samsung is a gaming monitor with faster response time, lower input lag, and a much higher refresh rate. On the other hand, the Dell is an office monitor with much wider viewing angles, better reflection handling, and better color accuracy out-of-the-box.

Dell Alienware AW3821DW

The Samsung Odyssey G9 and the Dell AW3821DW are two great gaming monitors, but with different features. The Dell has an IPS panel with wide viewing angles, making it easier to share your screen for co-op gaming. It also has native G-SYNC support and a quicker response time at its max refresh rate. The Samsung has a VA panel with a better contrast ratio, so it can display deeper blacks. It has a higher 240Hz refresh rate and native FreeSync support. Also, it has a much wider 49-inch screen and 5120x1440 resolution, making it a better choice for atmospheric gaming. Choosing one over the other really comes down to personal gaming preferences.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9/G95NA S49AG95

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9/G95NA S49AG95 replaces the Samsung Odyssey G9 and upgrades it in a few ways. The major difference is that the Neo G9 has Mini LED backlighting, so it gets brighter and has much better local dimming. It also has HDMI 2.1 inputs, while the G9 has HDMI 2.0, so you can achieve a higher refresh rate over HDMI on the Neo G9. The G9 has slightly better response times, but it's not really a noticeable difference.

LG 49GR85DC-B

The LG 49GR85DC-B and the Samsung Odyssey G9 are similar 240Hz gaming monitors with a super ultrawide aspect ratio, but the LG has a few advantages. The LG has better motion handling with less inverse ghosting, but the Samsung has less black smearing. The LG also features HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, which the Samsung monitor doesn't have, so you can reach its max refresh rate over HDMI with a high-end graphics card.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 and the Samsung Odyssey G9 are different types of monitors. The Neo G8 is a 4k display with a standard 16:9 aspect ratio, while the G9 is a super ultrawide monitor with a 32:9 aspect ratio, which is the equivalent of placing two standard monitors next to each other. The picture quality is much better on the Neo G8 because it has Mini LED backlighting which the G9 doesn't have, providing better control over its local dimming zones.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75

The Samsung Odyssey G9 is a different monitor than the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75. While the G9 has a super ultrawide screen with a 32:9 aspect ratio, the G7 has a standard 16:9 screen with a higher 4k resolution. The G9 has a higher 240Hz refresh rate, but the motion handling is better on the G7. If you care about picture quality, the G7 is the better choice as it uses Mini LED backlighting to produce deeper blacks than the G9.

Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T

Overall, the Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T is better than the Samsung Odyssey G9. The G7 has a higher contrast ratio, significantly faster response time, and a black frame insertion feature to improve motion clarity. However, the G9 has a bigger screen and gets much brighter.

Gigabyte G34WQC

The Gigabyte G34WQC and the Samsung Odyssey G9 score similarly overall, but there are many differences between them. The Gigabyte has a 21:9 aspect ratio, whereas the Samsung has a 32:9, which is much wider. The Samsung has a higher refresh rate of 240Hz, significantly higher HDR peak brightness, and faster response time, although with more overshoot. The Gigabyte has a higher contrast ratio and a Black Frame Insertion feature.

LG 38GL950G-B

The LG 38GL950G-B is better than the Samsung Odyssey G9 overall; however, they're very different monitors. The LG has an IPS panel with much wider viewing angles, better color accuracy, and significantly faster response time. The Samsung has a VA panel, gets a lot brighter, and has a higher refresh rate. The Samsung has native FreeSync support, while the LG is a G-SYNC monitor.

LG 38GN950-B

The LG 38GN950-B and the Samsung Odyssey G9 are both great ultrawide gaming monitors but also very different. The LG is a 38-inch IPS model with a 21:9 aspect ratio, while the Samsung is a 49-inch VA model with a 32:9 aspect ratio. This means that the Samsung has a wider format and is better suited for dark rooms, but its viewing angles are worse. The Samsung has a higher refresh rate of 240Hz compared to the LG's 160Hz; however, the LG has significantly better response times. The LG has a much wider color gamut, especially its DCI P3 coverage, and it gets brighter in HDR real scenes, though the Samsung can get brighter in some instances.

LG 34GN850-B

The LG 34GN850-B is marginally better than the Samsung Odyssey G9. The LG has an IPS panel with much wider viewing angles, better color accuracy, and significantly faster response time when running at its maximum refresh rate. However, the Samsung has a bigger 32:9 screen, a better contrast ratio, and a higher refresh rate.

Acer Nitro XV340CK Pbmiipphzx

Overall, the Acer Nitro XV340CK Pbmiipphzx is a bit better than the Samsung Odyssey G9. The Acer has an IPS panel with much wider viewing angles, significantly faster response time, and a Black Frame Insertion feature to help reduce motion blur. However, the Samsung has a bigger screen for a more immersive gaming experience, a higher refresh rate, and it gets much brighter in both SDR and HDR.

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Video

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Curved
Yes
Curve Radius
1000R

The Samsung Odyssey G9 is a super ultrawide monitor with a very aggressive curve. It has relatively thin borders, a wide V-shaped stand, and some RGB lighting on the back.

8.0
Design
Build Quality

The build quality is great. The body is made out of decent-quality plastic, and the stand is metal but covered with a plastic shell. This plastic shell and the headphone hook both feel flimsy, but this isn't an issue unless you're constantly playing around with them. There aren't any obvious issues with how it's put together, but it wobbles a lot, which is somewhat expected of a center-mounted super ultrawide monitor.

6.5
Design
Ergonomics
Height Adjustment
4.5" (11.5 cm)
Tilt Range
-15° to 5°
Rotate Portrait/Landscape
No
Swivel Range
-15° to 15°
Wall Mount
VESA 100x100

The ergonomics are alright. Despite its curved screen an super ultrawide display, you can still adjust it in a few different ranges, which is useful, but the tilt and swivel ranges are limited.

The back of the monitor has a gamer-oriented design with white plastic. There's some RGB lighting where the stand connects to the screen, and there's a small plastic hook near the top of the stand to hold your headphones. The stand's white plastic cover is removable, allowing you to hide the cables and route them to the bottom for cable management.

Design
Stand
Base Width
31.5" (80.0 cm)
Base Depth
12.8" (32.4 cm)
Thickness (With Display)
16.3" (41.5 cm)
Weight (With Display)
37.9 lbs (17.2 kg)

The stand's feet are very wide but thin, so there's still a good amount of usable desk space in front. It doesn't support the monitor all that well as there's a lot of wobble, but that's mostly due to its super ultrawide format.

Design
Display
Size
49"
Housing Width
45.3" (115.0 cm)
Housing Height
14.4" (36.5 cm)
Thickness (Without Stand)
11.4" (28.9 cm)
Weight (Without Stand)
32.2 lbs (14.6 kg)
Borders Size (Bezels)
0.4" (1.1 cm)
Design
Controls

There's a single joystick located underneath the display. It allows you to turn the monitor On/Off and navigate the on-screen menu.

Design
In The Box
Power Supply
Internal

  • User guide
  • Power cord
  • USB-A to USB-B upstream cable
  • DisplayPort cable
  • VESA mount adapter
  • VESA screws

Picture Quality
7.3
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
2,231 : 1
Contrast With Local Dimming
2,320 : 1

The Samsung G9 has a VA panel, but its contrast ratio is only decent, so some blacks look gray in dark scenes. The local dimming doesn't seem to do much in SDR, as the contrast remains almost unchanged. Even when you enable it in HDR it causes large dimming zones to turn on, actually reducing the overall contrast with the checkerboard pattern, but blacks are deeper when the dimming zones are off.

1.5
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
Yes
Backlight
Edge

Unfortunately, the local dimming is terrible. It has edge-lit local dimming and doesn't feature Mini LED backlighting like the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9/G95NA S49AG95. You can enable it in SDR, but it doesn't seem to do anything, and it only works properly in HDR. There are only 10 vertical lighting zones, so the entire column lights up if there's a small object anywhere on the screen. When lit, the black level rises significantly and there's distracting blooming, as there's a big difference between the zones that are lit and those that aren't. Zone transition seems to be faster in the middle than at the edges of the screen, so while the center zones react quickly to objects going in and out, the zones at the edges of the screen are almost always on. Overall, it looks better without local dimming in regular HDR content.

8.2
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene
402 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
395 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
399 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
399 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
399 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
399 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
395 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
398 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
399 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
398 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
398 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.001
Minimum Brightness
57 cd/m²

This monitor has great SDR peak brightness. It's very consistent across different content and is bright enough to overcome glare in bright lighting conditions.

These results are from after calibration in the 'Custom' Picture Mode, with Brightness set to max and Local Dimming set to 'Auto'. There's an 'High Brightness' Picture Mode that lets the screen reach 639 cd/m² in the 10% window with Local Dimming and Dynamic Brightness enabled, but the image is less accurate.

8.1
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
VESA DisplayHDR Certification
DisplayHDR 1000
Real Scene
601 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
992 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,060 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
983 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
756 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
954 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
977 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,044 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
971 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
754 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
668 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.024

The HDR peak brightness is great. It varies a lot depending on the scene, but overall, it's bright enough to deliver an impressive HDR experience. It just gets bright enough to meet its VESA HDR1000 certification.

These results are with the Backlight set to max and Local Dimming set to 'Auto'. Dynamic Brightness is enabled automatically when you turn on local dimming.

5.5
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
38°
Color Washout From Right
39°
Color Shift From Left
30°
Color Shift From Right
32°
Brightness Loss From Left
35°
Brightness Loss From Right
36°
Black Level Raise From Left
12°
Black Level Raise From Right
13°
Gamma Shift From Left
12°
Gamma Shift From Right
13°

This monitor has a sub-par horizontal viewing angle. Images look washed out from the sides, which isn't ideal for sharing content or playing co-op games. Due to its wide format, the edges of the screen can look inaccurate if you sit too close; however, the screen's curvature helps mitigate this issue.

5.4
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
28°
Color Washout From Above
28°
Color Shift From Below
43°
Color Shift From Above
40°
Brightness Loss From Below
32°
Brightness Loss From Above
31°
Black Level Raise From Below
12°
Black Level Raise From Above
11°
Gamma Shift From Below
14°
Gamma Shift From Above
12°

The vertical viewing angle is sub-par. This causes the image to look inaccurate if you're standing up and looking down at it.

7.6
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
1.479%
50% DSE
0.191%

The gray uniformity is good. The edges appear slightly brighter than the center, and there's a bit of dirty screen effect in the center. However, it's minimal and not noticeable with most content.

3.5
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
3.277%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
11.967%

The black uniformity is bad. Without local dimming, there's visible backlight bleed throughout. Additionally, due to the screen's curvature, the photo is cropped and doesn't show the corners where the backlight bleed is far worse. With local dimming enabled, the test cross causes an entire vertical lighting zone to light up, which is quite distracting.

6.2
Picture Quality
Color Accuracy (Pre-Calibration)
Picture Mode
sRGB
sRGB Gamut Area xy
113.1%
White Balance dE (Avg.)
5.78
Color Temperature (Avg.)
6,526 K
Gamma (Avg.)
2.51
Color dE (Avg.)
4.92
Contrast Setting
N/A
RGB Settings
Default
Gamma Setting
Default
Brightness Setting
100
Measured Brightness
414 cd/m²
Brightness Locked
No

The color accuracy before calibration is mediocre. Even though it has an sRGB mode to lock the colors to the sRGB color space, some colors are still oversaturated. Also, the white balance is bad, especially with brighter whites and darker grays, and gamma doesn't follow the target curve at all, making most images appear too dark. The sRGB locks a few picture settings, including the Contrast, Color, and Black Level, but other modes have worse accuracy.

9.7
Picture Quality
Color Accuracy (Post-Calibration)
Picture Mode
Custom
sRGB Gamut Area xy
100.3%
White Balance dE (Avg.)
0.63
Color Temperature (Avg.)
6,450 K
Gamma (Avg.)
2.19
Color dE (Avg.)
0.49
Contrast Setting
75
RGB Settings
46-53-48
Gamma Setting
Mode 1
Brightness Setting
6
Measured Brightness
101 cd/m²
ICC Profile
Download

After calibration to the 6500K white point, the monitor has incredible color accuracy. The remaining inaccuracies shouldn't be visible to the naked eye, and the color temperature is almost right on the 6500K target. Gamma is significantly improved, but both dark and bright scenes are now slightly over-brightened. We encountered a bug during testing, causing our calibration settings to reset and return to the default values when changing the picture mode or other settings.

9.3
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB Coverage xy
99.5%
sRGB Picture Mode
Custom
Adobe RGB Coverage xy
81.9%
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Custom

This monitor has an incredible SDR color gamut. It covers nearly the entire sRGB color space used in most content, and it has decent coverage of the Adobe RGB color space used in photo editing.

9.7
Picture Quality
SDR Color Volume
sRGB In ICtCp
98.5%
sRGB Picture Mode
Custom
Adobe RGB In ICtCp
87.9%
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Custom

The SDR color volume is fantastic. It displays bright colors well but has trouble displaying dark colors as its contrast ratio is only decent.

7.5
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI-P3 Coverage xy
87.3%
DCI-P3 Picture Mode
HDR Mode
Rec. 2020 Coverage xy
65.2%
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
HDR Mode

The Samsung G9 has a decent HDR color gamut. It has great coverage of the commonly-used DCI-P3 color space, but its Rec. 2020 coverage is much more limited.

7.8
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
DCI-P3 In ICtCp
79.5%
DCI-P3 Picture Mode
HDR Mode
Rec. 2020 In ICtCp
61.0%
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
HDR Mode

The HDR color volume is decent. It displays most colors fairly well, but has problems with really bright and dark colors.

7.6
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
5.3%
Indirect Reflections
3.5%
Calculated Direct Reflections
1.8%

The Samsung G9 has good reflection handling. Combined with the screen's high brightness, you won't have any visibility issues in bright lighting conditions.

7.5
Picture Quality
Text Clarity
Pixel Type
VA
Subpixel Layout
RGB

The text clarity is good. Window ClearType helps make the letters look more clear (top photo), especially diagonal lines. The photo of the pixels looks blurry due to the screen's anti-reflective coating.

9.8
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

The gradient handling is superb. There's only a little bit of banding in the greens and grays, but it isn't noticeable in regular content.

Motion
9.0
Motion
Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
240 Hz
Max Refresh Rate
240 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over DP
240 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over HDMI
60 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over DP @ 10-bit
240 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over HDMI @ 10-Bit
N/A

You can reach this monitor's max refresh rate with a DisplayPort connection, as there are bandwidth limitations when using HDMI. Your graphics card needs to support compression if you want to send a 240Hz signal over DisplayPort.

Motion
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
FreeSync
Yes
G-SYNC
Compatible (NVIDIA Certified)
VRR Maximum
240 Hz
VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
VRR Supported Connectors
DisplayPort
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes

The monitor's variable refresh rate support only works over a DisplayPort connection and not at all over HDMI. There are also some minor issues of flickering with low frame rates in dark scenes with VRR enabled, which is typical of Samsung monitors like the Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T. Samsung has added a VRR Control setting to reduce the flicker through a firmware update. However, this also increases the input lag.

7.6
Motion
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Adaptive Sync
Rise / Fall Time
1.1 ms
Total Response Time
7.9 ms
Overshoot Error
36.0%
Worst 3 Rise / Fall Time
1.5 ms
Worst 3 Total Response Time
13.2 ms
Worst 3 Overshoot Error
132.5%

Overdrive SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
Adaptive SyncChartTablePhoto
StandardChartTablePhoto
FasterChartTablePhoto
FastestChartTablePhoto

The Samsung Odyssey G9 has a good response time when running at its max refresh rate, resulting in only a short blur trail behind fast-moving objects. Enabling VRR locks you out of any of the overdrive settings, resulting in a ton of overshoot though. If you disable VRR, either 'Standard' or 'Faster' are good options as they have less overshoot.

8.0
Motion
Response Time @ 120Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Adaptive Sync
Rise / Fall Time
1.6 ms
Total Response Time
10.3 ms
Overshoot Error
18.3%
Worst 3 Rise / Fall Time
2.5 ms
Worst 3 Total Response Time
17.0 ms
Worst 3 Overshoot Error
69.0%

Overdrive SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
Adaptive SyncChartTablePhoto
StandardChartTablePhoto
FasterChartTablePhoto
FastestChartTablePhoto

The response time at 120Hz is great and there's actually less overshoot than at its max refresh rate. If you disable VRR and want to send a fix refresh rate, you need to also change the Refresh Rate in the on-screen display to 120Hz. In that case, the 'Standard' overdrive setting performs best because it has a quicker response time and less overshoot than 'Faster' and 'Fastest'.

7.0
Motion
Response Time @ 60Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Adaptive Sync
Rise / Fall Time
2.0 ms
Total Response Time
18.2 ms
Overshoot Error
13.8%
Worst 3 Rise / Fall Time
3.4 ms
Worst 3 Total Response Time
33.7 ms
Worst 3 Overshoot Error
35.7%

Overdrive SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
Adaptive SyncChartTablePhoto
StandardChartTablePhoto
FasterChartTablePhoto
FastestChartTablePhoto

The response time at 60Hz is decent, but there's more motion blur than with faster frame rates. If you disable VRR and set the OSD to 60Hz, the monitor seems to still work at 120Hz, so the 'Standard', 'Faster', and 'Fastest' results are all nearly the same as at 120Hz. Only if you send a 60Hz signal with VRR enabled does the screen refresh at a true 60Hz cycle.

Motion
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
No
Maximum Frequency
N/A
Minimum Frequency
N/A
Longest Pulse Width Brightness
N/A
Shortest Pulse Width Brightness
N/A
Pulse Width Control
No BFI
Pulse Phase Control
No BFI
Pulse Amplitude Control
No BFI
VRR At The Same Time
No BFI

The Samsung Odyssey G9 doesn't have an optional backlight strobing feature.

10
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-Free
Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
>1000 Hz

The Samsung G9 uses pulse width modulation (PWM) to dim the backlight. It's flicker-free with the backlight set to anything above '0', and it flickers at over 2000Hz with the backlight at '0', which isn't noticeable.

Like other Samsung monitors, there are scanline issues that only affect certain content, and it isn't something you'll see during most usage. However, you can see an example of it here and it what it should normally look like here.

Inputs
9.0
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution @ Max Hz
2.8 ms
Native Resolution @ 120Hz
4.8 ms
Native Resolution @ 60Hz
20.2 ms
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
N/A

The Samsung Odyssey G9 has low input lag for a responsive feel, especially with high-frame-rate signals. However, if you have VRR disabled, you need to make sure the refresh rate in the on-screen display (OSD) matches the frame rate of the source; otherwise, the input lag increases. You can see the results with the different combination of settings, including enabling Adaptive Sync in the OSD below. The only exception is if you set the OSD to 240Hz and send a 60 fps fixed signal, you'll get lower input lag than if you were to set the OSD to 60Hz.

Adaptive Sync - Off

Frame RateOSD - 240HzOSD - 120HzOSD - 60Hz
240 fps2.8 ms--
120 fps12.4 ms4.8 ms-
60 fps20.2 ms27.2 ms27 ms

Adaptive Sync - On NVIDIA VRR - Off

Frame RateOSD - 240HzOSD - 120Hz
240 fps2.9 ms-
120 fps11.7 ms4.8 ms
60 fps21.6 ms28.2 ms

Additionally, enabling VRR Control causes the input lag to increase, from 2.8 ms to 10.7 ms with a 240Hz refresh rate.

8.8
Inputs
Resolution And Size
Native Resolution
5120 x 1440
Aspect Ratio
32:9
Megapixels
7.4 MP
Pixel Density
109 PPI
Measured Screen Diagonal
48.8"
Screen Area
623 in²

The Samsung Odyssey G9 has a massive screen that's equivalent to two 27-inch, 16:9 screens placed side-by-side, delivering an immersive gaming experience, and providing plenty of space for multitasking. Note that not all games support a 32:9 aspect ratio, so you might get some black bars on the side, or the image might be stretched out to fill up the whole screen. If you find the 32:9 aspect ratio too big, then check out the Samsung Odyssey G5 C34G55T, which has a 21:9 aspect ratio.

6.0
Inputs
PS5 Compatibility
4k @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
No
1080p @ 60Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
No

The Samsung Odyssey G9 has limited compatibility with the PS5 as it doesn't support 120Hz games at all, and VRR doesn't work. Also, because the PS5 doesn't support ultrawide gaming, you'll see black bars on the sides.

6.7
Inputs
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
4k @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
No

Once again, the compatibility with the Xbox Series X is limited, but you can at least get a 1080p @ 120Hz signal by enabling the HDMI override. It accepts a 4k signal and downscales it, resulting in a sharper image than a native 1440p signal.

Inputs
Inputs Photos
Inputs
Video And Audio Ports
DisplayPort
2 (DP 1.4)
Mini DisplayPort
No
HDMI
1 (HDMI 2.0)
HDMI 2.1 Rated Speed
No HDMI 2.1
DVI
No
VGA
No
Daisy Chaining
No
3.5mm Audio Out
1
HDR10
Yes
3.5mm Audio In
No
3.5mm Microphone In
No

Without HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, this monitor can't take advantage of high-end HDMI 2.1 graphics cards. If you want a super ultrawide gaming monitor that does, then check out the LG 49GR85DC-B.

Inputs
USB
USB-A Ports
2
USB-A Rated Speed
5Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 1)
USB-B Upstream Port
Yes
USB-C Ports
0
USB-C Upstream
No USB-C Ports
USB-C Rated Speed
No USB-C Ports
USB-C Power Delivery
No USB-C Ports
USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode
No USB-C Ports
Thunderbolt
No
Inputs
macOS Compatibility

The Samsung Odyssey G9 works well with macOS, but there are some limitations. It doesn't work with 240Hz signals unless you have your macOS updated to version 13.2, as you can see here, but the VRR works well regardless. The VRR always turns off when you close the lid, and the laptop going to sleep also sometimes disables HDR, so if that happens, you have to go back into the display settings to enable it again.

Features
Features
Additional Features
Speakers
No
RGB Illumination
Controllable
Multiple Input Display
PIP + PBP
KVM Switch
No

The Samsung G9 has a few additional features, including:

  • Crosshair: Adds a virtual crosshair on the screen for shooter games.
  • Black Stabilizer: Makes objects more visible in dark scenes.
  • Frame Rate Counter: Adds an overlay displaying current frame rate.
  • RGB Lighting: RGB lighting on the back of the monitor. You can set it to 52 different colors.
  • Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture: Lets you display images from two input sources simultaneously.

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)