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Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v1.2
Reviewed Aug 04, 2022 at 11:12 am
Latest change: Test bench update Mar 14, 2024 at 11:50 am
Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 Picture
8.5
Mixed Usage
8.4
Office
9.0
Gaming
8.3
Media Consumption
8.3
Media Creation
8.0
HDR

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 is the first 4k, 240Hz monitor available to the consumer market. It features a 1000R curve and is released alongside the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75, which is a similar monitor with a 165Hz refresh rate instead. While there are many similarities between both monitors, the G8 has a few extra advantages like a different screen coating. It comes with a bunch of gaming features like FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) support and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth if you want to play 4k games at high frame rates from a compatible PC or gaming console. It also has Mini LED backlighting that provides greater control over the local dimming zones compared to most monitors.

Our Verdict

8.5 Mixed Usage

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 is excellent overall. It's fantastic for gaming as it has a high 240Hz refresh rate with variable refresh rate support to reduce screen tearing. It has a quick response time and low input lag for a responsive gaming experience, but there are some bugs while gaming. It's great for office use and content creation thanks to its large 32-inch screen and 4k resolution as the text clarity is fantastic, and the reflection handling is remarkable. It's also great for consuming multimedia in SDR or HDR thanks to its high contrast and decent local dimming feature, and it gets bright enough to make highlights pop.

Pros
  • 32-inch, 4k screen.
  • Remarkable reflection handling.
  • Bright enough to fight glare.
  • Deep blacks and decent local dimming.
  • Excellent out-of-the-box accuracy.
Cons
  • Screen coating introduces some haziness.
  • Narrow viewing angles.
  • Limited swivel range.
8.4 Office

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 is impressive for office use. The 4k resolution results in sharp text and the 32-inch screen is big enough to open multiple windows at once. It also has remarkable reflection handling and it gets bright enough to fight glare in most rooms, so visibility isn't a problem. It has great ergonomics if you want to adjust the screen to your liking, but it has narrow viewing angles and a limited swivel range, so it isn't the best for sharing your screen with someone else.

Pros
  • 32-inch, 4k screen.
  • Remarkable reflection handling.
  • Bright enough to fight glare.
  • Excellent out-of-the-box accuracy.
Cons
  • Screen coating introduces some haziness.
  • Narrow viewing angles.
  • Limited swivel range.
9.0 Gaming

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 is fantastic for gaming. It has a high 240Hz refresh rate, and it has variable refresh rate support to reduce screen tearing. It has low input lag for a responsive feel and motion looks smooth thanks to its quick response time. Sadly, there are firmware issues particularly with gaming, such as scanlines and flicker at low frame rates.

Pros
  • 240Hz refresh rate and VRR support.
  • Low input lag.
  • Fast response time at any refresh rate.
  • Deep blacks and decent local dimming.
Cons
  • Scanline issues at 240Hz.
  • Flicker with low frame rates.
8.3 Media Consumption

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 is great for consuming multimedia. The large screen is great for watching content with a friend next to you, but they'll see an inaccurate image from the side due to the narrow viewing angles. It also has a high resolution and high pixel density that results in sharp images. It's great for dark room viewing as it displays deep blacks and the Mini LED local dimming feature helps improve it.

Pros
  • 32-inch, 4k screen.
  • Remarkable reflection handling.
  • Bright enough to fight glare.
  • Deep blacks and decent local dimming.
Cons
  • Screen coating introduces some haziness.
  • Narrow viewing angles.
  • Limited swivel range.
8.3 Media Creation

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 is great for content creators. You can easily multitask thanks to the large screen, and the 4k resolution delivers high pixel density for sharp text and crisp images. However, its curved screen isn't ideal if you prefer a monitor with straight lines. Still, it displays a wide range of colors and has excellent out-of-the-box accuracy if you don't want to get it calibrated. If you use it in bright rooms it has remarkable reflection handling and high peak brightness, and for dark rooms it displays deep blacks with minimal blooming.

Pros
  • 32-inch, 4k screen.
  • Remarkable reflection handling.
  • Bright enough to fight glare.
  • Excellent out-of-the-box accuracy.
Cons
  • Screen coating introduces some haziness.
  • Narrow viewing angles.
  • Limited swivel range.
8.0 HDR

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 is great for HDR. It displays deep blacks as it has a high native contrast ratio, and the Mini LED local dimming feature helps further deepen those blacks with minimal blooming. However, the local dimming also crushes some blacks and over-brightens bright objects, causing a loss of fine details. It displays a wide range of colors in HDR and it also gets bright enough to make highlights pop and colors look vivid for a satisfying enough HDR experience.

Pros
  • 32-inch, 4k screen.
  • Deep blacks and decent local dimming.
  • Decent HDR peak brightness.
Cons
  • Crushed black levels at times.
  • 8.5 Mixed Usage
  • 8.4 Office
  • 9.0 Gaming
  • 8.3 Media Consumption
  • 8.3 Media Creation
  • 8.0 HDR
  1. Updated Jan 03, 2024: Updated the firmware to version 1009.0 and looked into the HDR performance, but the update didn't change anything.
  2. Updated Dec 13, 2023: Removed the Real Scene video in Local Dimming because it isn't part of our regular testing, and it wasn't processed properly.
  3. Updated Apr 14, 2023: Confirmed that 1440p works on this monitor with the PS5.
  4. Updated Sep 12, 2022: We bought and tested the Sony INZONE M9, and added relevant comparisons to this review.
  5. Updated Aug 25, 2022: We bought and tested the LG 32GQ950-B, and added a few relevant comparisons in the text.
  6. Updated Aug 04, 2022: Review published.
  7. Updated Aug 02, 2022: Early access published.
  8. Updated Jul 25, 2022: Our testers have started testing this product.
  9. Updated Jul 21, 2022: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  10. Updated Jul 03, 2022: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 32-inch Samsung Odyssey Neo G8, which is the only size available for it. It sits above the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75, and although they aren't variants, you can see the differences between the different Odyssey monitors below.

Size Name Model Resolution Refresh Rate Panel Type Release Year
27"
32"
Odyssey G7 C32G75T LC27G75TQSNXZA
LC32G75TQSNXZA
2560x1440 240Hz VA 2020
28" Odyssey G7 S28AG70 LS28AG700NNXZA 3840x2160 144Hz IPS 2021
32" Odyssey Neo G7 LS32BG752NNXGO 3840x2160 165Hz VA 2022
32" Odyssey Neo G8 LS32BG852NNXGO 3840x2160 240Hz VA 2022

If you come across a different type of panel or your Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update the review.

Our unit was manufactured in June 2022, and you can see the label here. The monitor was initially tested with firmware 1003.0.

Compared To Other Monitors

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 is a fantastic gaming monitor with a bunch of features and the 4k resolution and 240Hz refresh rate make it future-proof once high-frame-rate 4k games are available. It has better local dimming than most monitors and it delivers a satisfying HDR experience. However, there are too many issues for a premium monitor, so if you're willing to sacrifice picture quality for a worry-free gaming experience, you can find a cheaper display like the Gigabyte M32U.

Also see our recommendations for the best gaming monitors, the best 4k monitors, and the best HDR monitors.

Dell Alienware AW3423DW

The Dell Alienware AW3423DW and the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 are both excellent gaming monitors with different types of displays. If you game in the dark, the Dell is the better choice because it delivers perfect black levels without any blooming. However, the Samsung is better for bright room gaming as it gets brighter, and it's also the better choice for console gaming as it has a 4k resolution and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 and the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75 are very similar monitors. They likely use the same panel as the picture quality is the same, but the main difference is that the Neo G8 has a 240Hz refresh rate, while the Neo G7 has a 165Hz refresh rate. Another difference is that the Neo G8 uses a different screen coating with much better reflection handling. However, it introduces some haziness, so if that bothers you, the Neo G7 is the better choice.

Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G85SB S34BG85

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 and the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G85SB S34BG85 are high-end gaming monitors, but they're different in some ways. The Neo G8 uses Mini LED backlighting, making it brighter than the OLED G8. If you enjoy watching movies, the Neo G8 has a higher resolution, which is more suited to 4k content. If you're gaming competitively, it has a higher refresh rate and a much lower input lag, translating to a more responsive gaming experience. For those who also game on new-gen consoles, the Neo G8 has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. On the other hand, if you're gaming in a dark room, the OLED G8 offers a better experience thanks to its QD-OLED panel and higher contrast. The QD-OLED panel also makes for smoother motion handling than the Neo G8.

Gigabyte M32U

The Gigabyte M32U and the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 are both excellent gaming monitors with a few differences. The Samsung is better for dark room gaming as it delivers deeper blacks and has a better local dimming feature. It also has a higher 240Hz refresh rate if you want to use it for high-frame-rate gaming. However, the Gigabyte has wider viewing angles if you want to use it for co-op gaming, and it's more versatile for productivity if you need something for work and play.

Dell Alienware AW3225QF

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 and the Dell Alienware AW3225QF are both 4k, 240Hz gaming monitors. They have a few differences, though, particularly with the picture quality, as the Dell has a QD-OLED panel with better blacks and more vivid colors than the Samsung. The Dell doesn't have the same bugs as the Samsung, like with scanlines or flicker in dark scenes. On the other hand, the Samsung is the better choice for use in well-lit rooms as it gets bright, and it doesn't risk burn-in with constant exposure to the same static elements over time.

Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 is an upgraded version of the Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T. The Neo G8 has a higher 4k resolution and has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth that allows it to achieve the 240Hz refresh rate. The Neo G8 also has better overall picture quality because it has Mini LED backlighting, allowing it to get brighter and deliver a better local dimming feature than the G7.

Dell Alienware AW3423DWF

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 and the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF are both high-end gaming monitors that are different in a few areas. The Samsung is a 4k monitor with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, making it an ideal choice for console gaming, and it also has a higher refresh rate, while the Dell has an ultrawide screen if you like to play atmospheric games. In terms of picture quality, the Samsung monitor uses Mini LED backlighting that lets it get much brighter, and the Dell is better for dark rooms thanks to its near-infinite contrast ratio.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9/G95NA S49AG95

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 and the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9/G95NA S49AG95 are both excellent 240Hz monitors with different resolutions and aspect ratios. While the Neo G9 has an ultrawide screen with a 5120x1440 resolution, the Neo G8 has a standard 16:9 aspect ratio and 4k resolution. The HDR performance is better overall on the Neo G9 as it gets brighter and has better local dimming, so if that's important to you, go with the Neo G9.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9/G95NC S57CG95

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9/G95NC S57CG95 and the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 are different types of monitors. The Neo G9 has a super ultrawide 57-inch screen with a 7680x2160 resolution, and it's the equivalent of placing two Neo G8s side-by-side. They each have Mini LED backlighting, and while the Neo G9 gets brighter, the Neo G8 has better local dimming with less blooming. They perform similarly otherwise and have many of the same features, but the Neo G9 has a KVM switch, making it the better choice for productivity, as the Neo G8 doesn't have this feature.

Samsung Odyssey G7 S28AG70

The Samsung Odyssey G7 S28AG70 and the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 are different types of 4k gaming monitors. They have different panel types with strengths and weaknesses, as the Neo G8 delivers deeper blacks while the G7 has wider viewing angles. The Neo G8 also has a higher 240Hz refresh rate and delivers a better HDR experience as it gets brighter.

LG 32GQ950-B

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 is a bit better than the LG 32GQ950-B. The Samsung has a higher refresh rate, delivering a smoother gaming experience and a sharper image, but there's a bit more black smear behind fast-moving objects. The Samsung looks way better in a dark room, as it has a significantly better local dimming feature, better contrast, and better black uniformity.

INNOCN 27M2V

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 and the INNOCN 27M2V are excellent gaming monitors with Mini LED backlighting. They're different in a few ways as the Samsung has a higher 240Hz refresh rate, and while it has a higher native contrast, there's less blooming on the INNOCN with local dimming on. The Samsung has lower input lag with 60 fps signals, which is great if you play games at a low frame rate. However, the INNOCN gets much brighter in HDR, especially with real content, and it has wider viewing angles.

Gigabyte M32UC

The Gigabyte M32UC and the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 are both excellent 4k gaming monitors with a few differences. The Samsung is more future-proof because it has a higher 240Hz refresh rate than 160Hz on the Gigabyte. The Samsung monitor also uses Mini LED backlighting to deliver deeper blacks and brighter highlights. Motion also looks better on the Samsung, but the Gigabyte doesn't have flicker issues at low frame rates like on the Samsung.

LG 27GP950-B

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 and the LG 27GP950-B are both excellent 4k gaming monitors with different screen types. The Samsung is better for dark room gaming as it delivers deeper blacks and its Mini LED local dimming feature is better. It also has a higher 240Hz refresh rate which makes it future-proof. On the other hand, the LG is better for co-op gaming as it has wider viewing angles, and its overall motion handling is a bit better as it doesn't have overshoot.

Sony INZONE M9

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 is much better than the Sony INZONE M9. The Samsung has much more versatile stand, so it's easier to place it in an ideal viewing position without having to buy a separate VESA mount. The Samsung model also has much better contrast and a better Mini LED local dimming feature, delivering brighter highlights in HDR and less blooming around bright objects.

Samsung Odyssey G9

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.

Cooler Master Tempest GP27U

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 and the Cooler Master Tempest GP27U are both excellent 4k gaming monitors. The main difference is that the Samsung monitor has a much higher 240Hz refresh rate, making it future-proof for 4k gaming at a high frame rate. They each have Mini LED local dimming that performs decently, and while the Cooler Master has lower native contrast, it still displays deep blacks like on the Samsung. The Cooler Master also has better motion handling and doesn't have the same bugs the Samsung has, like flicker with low frame rates, and it has a few extra features like a USB-C port and a KVM switch.

Samsung Odyssey Ark S55BG970

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 and the Samsung Odyssey Ark S55BG970 are both 4k monitors with Mini LED backlighting, but there are a few differences. The Neo G8 has a smaller screen and higher pixel density, resulting in better image and text clarity than the Ark. The Neo G8 is also better for gaming as it has a higher refresh rate, better motion handling, and with a DisplayPort input, you can take full advantage of it even if your graphics card doesn't support HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. Conversely, the Ark gets much brighter in HDR and has a built-in smart system, so it's the better choice for relaxing and watching your favorite shows.

ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQR

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 and the ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQR are different types of 4k gaming monitors. The Samsung is higher-end with a faster 240Hz refresh rate, and it delivers better picture quality thanks to its Mini LED backlighting that helps it display deeper blacks. The Samsung also lets small highlights get brighter in HDR, so they pop more. The Samsung has a curved screen, while the ASUS has a flat screen with wider viewing angles, so it's the better choice for sharing your screen with others.

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Test Results

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

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has a gamer-oriented design that's similar to the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75, but the main difference is that the back is white instead of black. The white plastic on the back is glossy and the black bezels are matte. The aggressive 1000R curve helps bring the edges within your field of vision, but some people might not like it. If you prefer a flat screen with a better viewing angle, check out the LG 32GQ950-B instead. There's also a ring of lighting on the back.

Design
Accelerated Longevity Test
Uniformity Pictures N/A
7.5
Design
Build Quality

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has good build quality, but it isn't as good as what you would expect from a premium monitor. It's well-made with good-quality plastic and there aren't any issues with how it's put together. However, there's a considerable amount of wobble, especially when you try using the controls. With the screen at its highest setting, there's all kinds of wobble when you try to change any setting, and it's worse than the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75, but it isn't as bad at a lower height.

8.2
Design
Ergonomics
Height Adjustment
4.7" (12.0 cm)
Tilt Range
-12.5° to 7.5°
Rotate Portrait/Landscape
Yes, Both Ways
Swivel Range
-15° to 15°
Wall Mount
VESA 100x100

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has great ergonomics. You can adjust it how you like, but as the swivel range is narrow it isn't ideal if you need to share your screen with someone else. The stand has a clip for cable management to route your cables to the inputs.

Design
Stand
Base Width
22.4" (56.8 cm)
Base Depth
12.4" (31.5 cm)
Thickness (With Display)
11.9" (30.3 cm)
Weight (With Display)
19.6 lbs (8.9 kg)

The wide-set feet take up a good amount of space, so you need a deep desk to place it on, but there's space between the feet to put a keyboard and mouse. Sadly, the screen wobbles easily on the stand, especially at its max height.

Design
Display
Size
32"
Housing Width
28.1" (71.4 cm)
Housing Height
17.1" (43.5 cm)
Thickness (Without Stand)
6.4" (16.3 cm)
Weight (Without Stand)
15.4 lbs (7.0 kg)
Borders Size (Bezels)
0.4" (0.9 cm)
Design
Controls

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8's directional pad is different from the joystick found on past Samsung monitors, and it doesn't feel good. The buttons are mushy, difficult to use, and if you press them too hard the screen wobbles.

Design
In The Box
Power Supply
External Brick

  • Power supply and cable
  • DisplayPort cable
  • USB-B to USB-A cable
  • VESA-mount adapter
  • User guides

Picture Quality
8.5
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
3,593 : 1
Contrast With Local Dimming
22,042 : 1

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has an excellent contrast ratio. Combined with its Mini LED local dimming feature, it displays deep blacks next to bright highlights, resulting in fantastic dark room performance.

7.0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
Yes
Backlight
Full-Array

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has decent local dimming, and it's very similar to the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75. It features Mini LED backlighting with a 46x26 array for 1,196 zones. The Mini LED backlighting provides better control over the local dimming zones compared to traditional edge-lit monitors. Setting Local Dimming to 'High' deepens blacks, but there's black crush that causes a loss of fine details in dark scenes. It also makes small highlights pop against a dark background, as long as they're big enough to turn on a dimming zone, otherwise, they look crushed. Setting it to 'Low' results in less black crush because it raises the black levels more, but highlights aren't as bright, so there's a trade-off when deciding which setting you prefer the most.

The uniformity with Local Dimming on 'High' is great as there's minimal blooming around bright objects. There's a bit of blooming with subtitles and with the mouse on a dark background, but it isn't an issue with most content or games. Unfortunately, the blooming is worse when viewing from an angle and you don't need to be far off-center for you to notice it, so you need to sit in front of the monitor for the best performance. Highlights also transition between zones well and the algorithm keeps up with fast-moving objects.

Overall it's a good implementation of local dimming, but the off-angle issues take away from its overall performance. It doesn't look any different with VRR enabled or not, but there's flicker in dark scenes with VRR enabled and a low frame rate (see Variable Refresh Rate section for more).

8.4
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene
379 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
908 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,263 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
1,030 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
603 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
340 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
901 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,239 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
1,014 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
602 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
339 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.070
Minimum Brightness
15 cd/m²

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has impressive peak brightness in SDR. It's enough to fight glare in a well-lit room, but it has an aggressive Automatic Brightness Limiter with Local Dimming set to 'High'. This means that there's a variation of brightness with different content, like when you minimize and maximize windows on the desktop, and there's also some blooming around small bright objects on a dark background, like the mouse cursor. Setting the local dimming to 'Low' results in a higher real scene brightness of 401 cd/m², but highlights aren't as bright. Setting it to 'Auto' has the same real scene brightness as 'High'.

The measurements are from after calibration in the 'Custom' Picture Mode with the Brightness at its max and the Local Dimming on 'High'.

If you find the aggressive ABL too distracting to use on the desktop, it's better to disable the local dimming as there isn't any variation in brightness and it's still bright enough to fight glare:

  • Real Scene: 380 cd/m²
  • Peak 2% Window: 341 cd/m²
  • Peak 10% Window: 342 cd/m²
  • Peak 25% Window: 342 cd/m²
  • Peak 50% Window: 343 cd/m²
  • Peak 100% Window: 342 cd/m²
  • Sustained 2% Window: 341 cd/m²
  • Sustained 10% Window: 341 cd/m²
  • Sustained 25% Window: 342 cd/m²
  • Sustained 50% Window: 342 cd/m²
  • Sustained 100% Window: 341 cd/m²

7.2
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
VESA DisplayHDR Certification
No Certification
Real Scene
422 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
824 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,124 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
948 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
560 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
318 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
819 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,109 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
936 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
559 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
317 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.068

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has decent HDR peak brightness. It's very similar to the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75, and with most real content, it's not as bright in HDR as the Sony INZONE M9. It's brightest with small highlights as they pop against a dark background, but it gets dimmer with larger areas due to its ABL. Samsung advertises Quantum HDR 2000, but this isn't a real VESA certification, and it doesn't hit 2000 nits. Unfortunately, the EOTF doesn't follow the target PQ curve well, as it crushes blacks and over-brightens brighter details. There's also a sharp cut-off at the peak brightness, causing a loss of fine details in bright scenes.

The real scene brightness is low, considering it gets bright with small highlights, so content with bright objects all over the screen doesn't get the brightest. Setting Local Dimming to 'Low' actually makes real scenes brighter because it raises the overall black level, but small highlights don't pop as much.

Overall, native HDR content looks great, but HDR looks washed out on desktop if you leave Windows HDR enabled.

These results are in the 'Custom' Picture Mode with the Brightness at its max and Local Dimming set to 'High'. The EOTF is also similar with Local Dimming set to 'Auto', as you can see here. The EOTF on 'Low' follows a similar pattern, but it isn't as aggressive with crushing blacks. With local dimming disabled, the EOTF is terrible, and all scenes are too dark.

In December 2023, Samsung released a firmware update, version 1009.0, and while it wasn't clear what the update would fix, some users reported that it improved the HDR performance. That said, we looked into it and didn't notice any changes in HDR, and it also has the same scanline issues from before the update.

5.9
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
31°
Color Washout From Right
30°
Color Shift From Left
57°
Color Shift From Right
60°
Brightness Loss From Left
35°
Brightness Loss From Right
33°
Black Level Raise From Left
15°
Black Level Raise From Right
15°
Gamma Shift From Left
13°
Gamma Shift From Right
16°

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has a narrow horizontal viewing angle. The curvature helps bring the edges of the screen more within your field of vision if you sit at the center, but the image looks inaccurate as you move off to the sides. You also notice more blooming from the sides.

5.6
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
30°
Color Washout From Above
29°
Color Shift From Below
57°
Color Shift From Above
55°
Brightness Loss From Below
32°
Brightness Loss From Above
31°
Black Level Raise From Below
11°
Black Level Raise From Above
11°
Gamma Shift From Below
12°
Gamma Shift From Above
12°

The vertical viewing angle on the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 is disappointing. The image looks washed out if you need to share your screen with someone standing above you.

7.9
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
1.912%
50% DSE
0.169%

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has good gray uniformity. There's a bit of vignetting towards the edges and dirty screen effect in the center which could get distracting with large areas of uniform color, like when browsing the web.

7.8
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
1.061%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
0.345%

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has good black uniformity. The screen looks blue without the local dimming feature enabled as there's backlight bleed, but the Mini LED local dimming feature helps further deepen any blacks and there's minimal blooming around bright objects.

8.8
Picture Quality
Color Accuracy (Pre-Calibration)
Picture Mode
sRGB
sRGB Gamut Area xy
100.5%
White Balance dE (Avg.)
2.46
Color Temperature (Avg.)
6,152 K
Gamma (Avg.)
2.17
Color dE (Avg.)
2.32
Contrast Setting
N/A
RGB Settings
Default
Gamma Setting
Mode 1
Brightness Setting
100
Measured Brightness
336 cd/m²
Brightness Locked
No

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has excellent out-of-the-box accuracy in SDR. The sRGB mode limits primaries to the sRGB color space well, so they don't look over-saturated, and the white balance is much better than on the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75. The sRGB mode locks you out of a few settings like Contrast, Color, Black Level, and Screen Adjust, but you can still adjust the brightness to your liking. Other picture modes that have these settings unlocked are less accurate.

The color temperature is slightly on the warm side, but it's still close to the 6500K target. Unfortunately, gamma doesn't follow the sRGB target at all as dark scenes are too dark and other scenes are over-brightened.

9.4
Picture Quality
Color Accuracy (Post-Calibration)
Picture Mode
Custom
sRGB Gamut Area xy
96.8%
White Balance dE (Avg.)
0.70
Color Temperature (Avg.)
6,547 K
Gamma (Avg.)
2.21
Color dE (Avg.)
1.00
Contrast Setting
80
RGB Settings
47-49-50
Gamma Setting
Mode 2
Brightness Setting
25
Measured Brightness
103 cd/m²
ICC Profile
Download

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has incredible accuracy after calibration to the D65 white point. Any remaining inaccuracies aren't visible to the naked eye, and while gamma is better, it still isn't perfect.

9.2
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB Coverage xy
97.7%
sRGB Picture Mode
Custom
Adobe RGB Coverage xy
85.1%
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Custom

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has a fantastic SDR color gamut. It has near-perfect coverage of the sRGB color space used in most web content, and it has good Adobe RGB coverage, but it under-saturates greens and over-saturates reds.

9.7
Picture Quality
SDR Color Volume
sRGB In ICtCp
98.6%
sRGB Picture Mode
Custom
Adobe RGB In ICtCp
90.0%
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Custom

The SDR color volume is remarkable. The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 doesn't have any issues displaying bright and dark colors.

8.0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI-P3 Coverage xy
89.8%
DCI-P3 Picture Mode
Custom
Rec. 2020 Coverage xy
67.9%
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
Custom

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has a great HDR color gamut, and it essentially performs the same as the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75. It has great coverage of the DCI-P3 color space used in most content, but it has more limited coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 color space. Tone mapping is good in DCI-P3, preserving fine details, but it's worse in Rec. 2020, meaning some colors are inaccurate. Overall, native HDR content looks great, but HDR looks washed out in the desktop if you leave Windows HDR enabled.

Unlike past Samsung monitors, there aren't dedicated HDR picture modes like 'HDR Dynamic' or 'HDR Game', and instead the HDR picture modes are the same as in SDR, but they perform differently. You can also change picture settings like Contrast, Sharpness, and Color.

8.3
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
DCI-P3 In ICtCp
84.7%
DCI-P3 Picture Mode
Custom
Rec. 2020 In ICtCp
66.7%
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
Custom

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has a great HDR color volume. It displays dark colors well and bright colors as bright as pure white, but it's limited by its incomplete color gamut in both spaces.

9.1
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
3.5%
Indirect Reflections
2.3%
Calculated Direct Reflections
0.2%

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has remarkable reflection handling. It uses a slightly different screen coating that the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75, which helps it reduce the amount of direct reflections. Even reflections from strong light sources aren't distracting and combined with the high peak brightness, you won't have issues using this in a bright room.

9.0
Picture Quality
Text Clarity
Pixel Type
VA
Subpixel Layout
RGB

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 has fantastic text clarity. The high 4k resolution makes images look sharp, and even though Windows ClearType (top photo) helps improve the text clarity, you likely won't need it. Although it shares the same 32-inch, 4k screen as the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75, text clarity is slightly worse on this because it has a different screen coating that introduces more haziness, but it's only noticeable if you place both monitors side-by-side and you really look for it.

9.6
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has fantastic gradient handling. You won't notice any banding with different shades of the same color.

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
240 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over DP @ 10-bit
240 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over HDMI @ 10-Bit
240 Hz

The monitor supports a 4k signal up to 240Hz as long as your graphics card supports Display Stream Compression (DSC) to compress the extra bandwidth. However, there are a few issues with the monitor at 240Hz. Firstly, there are scanlines that are most noticeable with solid colors, especially blue, but you can also see them throughout the desktop, like on icons. This scanline issue is only a problem with 240Hz, and not lower signals.

There are also pixel inversion issues with certain test patterns, as you can see in this video. There's a chance you see this in some games that have a similar pattern, but not every game or content has this problem.

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

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has native FreeSync support, and even though NVIDIA doesn't certify it, G-SYNC compatibility still works on it. Both FreeSync and G-SYNC compatibility work over a DisplayPort connection, but only FreeSync works over HDMI as G-SYNC didn't work with an RTX 3070 PC, and the refresh rate was capped at 120Hz on that PC. The monitor supports Low Framerate Compensation for the VRR to continue working at low frame rates.

Like other Samsung monitors, there are flicker issues with VRR enabled when the frame rate of your game drops, particularly in dark scenes with the Local Dimming on 'High'. It's hard to see with most content, but it's noticeable and distracting when it appears. Samsung added a VRR Control setting to effectively eliminate the flicker with low-frame-rate content, but it also increases the input lag.

8.7
Motion
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Adaptive Sync
Rise / Fall Time
1.7 ms
Total Response Time
6.6 ms
Overshoot Error
12.4%
Worst 3 Rise / Fall Time
2.5 ms
Worst 3 Total Response Time
12.4 ms
Worst 3 Overshoot Error
51.1%

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

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has an excellent response time at its max refresh rate of 240Hz. There's minimal blur trail behind fast-moving objects, but there's significant overshoot with dark transitions that leads to inverse ghosting. Enabling VRR locks you out of any overdrive setting, and the response time is quick with it, and if you don't use VRR the best overdrive setting is 'Standard' because it performs similarly. 'Faster' and 'Extreme' have too much overshoot.

Like with the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75, there are reports that enabling local dimming worsens the response times. While the local dimming may cause some extra blur trail with fast-moving objects, the overall motion handling looks the same with local dimming on and off. Below you can see motion photos with the local dimming at different refresh rates:

Refresh RateLocal DimmingMotion Blur Photo
240HzOffReference Photo
240 HzHighPhoto
120HzHighPhoto
60HzHighPhoto

8.6
Motion
Response Time @ 120Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Adaptive Sync
Rise / Fall Time
2.4 ms
Total Response Time
8.2 ms
Overshoot Error
7.0%
Worst 3 Rise / Fall Time
3.7 ms
Worst 3 Total Response Time
13.9 ms
Worst 3 Overshoot Error
42.1%

Overdrive SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
Adaptive Sync
(Fixed Rate)
ChartTablePhoto
Adaptive Sync
(With VRR)
ChartTablePhoto
StandardChartTablePhoto
FasterChartTablePhoto
ExtremeChartTablePhoto

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has an excellent response time at 120Hz. Like with the max refresh rate, enabling VRR produces the best result, but the motion performs differently when sent a fixed frame rate signal with VRR enabled than when sent a lower frame rate signal that forces VRR to work. With a fixed-rate signal, the response time is similar to the 'Standard' overdrive setting without any overshoot, but as soon as the monitor needs to lower the refresh rate, there's more overshoot. It performs closer to 'Faster', but with a quicker response time. This phenomenon doesn't occur at 240Hz, and despite this at 120Hz, it isn't a noticeable difference while gaming and motion looks smooth regardless.

8.6
Motion
Response Time @ 60Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Adaptive Sync
Rise / Fall Time
2.5 ms
Total Response Time
8.6 ms
Overshoot Error
6.2%
Worst 3 Rise / Fall Time
3.9 ms
Worst 3 Total Response Time
17.3 ms
Worst 3 Overshoot Error
33.1%

Overdrive SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
Adaptive Sync
(Fixed Rate)
ChartTablePhoto
Adaptive Sync
(With VRR)
ChartTablePhoto
StandardChartTablePhoto
FasterChartTablePhoto
ExtremeChartTablePhoto

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has an equally quick response time at 60Hz as the higher refresh rates. Once again, enabling VRR results in the best response time, and like at 120Hz, the response time is different when sent a fixed rate and when VRR is actively working. However, the difference between them isn't very noticeable.

Motion
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
Yes
Maximum Frequency
240 Hz
Minimum Frequency
60 Hz
Longest Pulse Width Brightness
183 cd/m²
Shortest Pulse Width Brightness
183 cd/m²
Pulse Width Control
No
Pulse Phase Control
No
Pulse Amplitude Control
No
VRR At The Same Time
No

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has an optional backlight strobing feature, commonly known as black frame insertion, but sadly it isn't that useful. The timing is quite off because the pulse phase isn't matched up to the refresh rate, so the timing is constantly shifting. With the refresh rate at its max of 240Hz, it takes 1.5 seconds for the timing to match up with the refresh rate, but it takes 2.5 seconds at 120Hz, and 10 seconds at 60Hz, meaning the timing is very off with lower refresh rates. This creates noticeable image duplications when it's off. You can see examples below of what it looks like at its best and its worst with 240Hz, 120Hz, and 60Hz signals.

240Hz120Hz60Hz
BestBestBest
WorstWorstWorst

However, there are issues when trying to get the BFI to work at 60Hz. If you set the refresh rate of the monitor to 60Hz from your PC and then enable the BFI, it actually flickers at 120Hz, creating noticeable image duplication and you can see what it looks like at its best and at its worst. However, if you first have the monitor at a higher refresh rate and then enable BFI and set the refresh rate to 60Hz, it properly flickers at 60Hz. Essentially, you need to change it to 60Hz once the BFI feature is enabled.

The BFI features also lock the brightness setting, but if you set the brightness before enabling the BFI, it stays on that brightness. You can't use the local dimming or VRR features with the BFI either.

The photo and graph above is at 240Hz. You can see the graphs at 120Hz and at 60Hz.

10
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-Free
Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has a flicker-free backlight, which helps reduce eye strain, as long as you have the local dimming enabled. This performs differently from the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75, which flickers at low brightness levels. As mentioned in the Variable Refresh Rate section, there's a flicker when you enable VRR and local dimming in dark scenes, but it isn't a measurable flicker. You can see the flicker graph with local dimming here, which has a 1000Hz+ flicker that isn't noticeable, so something else is causing the flicker in dark scenes.

Inputs
9.1
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution @ Max Hz
2.8 ms
Native Resolution @ 120Hz
5.1 ms
Native Resolution @ 60Hz
9.0 ms
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
3.1 ms

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has low input lag for a responsive feel when gaming. Unlike past Samsung monitors, the input lag doesn't increase when the frame rate of your source drops below the set refresh rate of the monitor, and the local dimming doesn't significantly impact the input lag either. Unfortunately, the VRR Control setting increases the input lag. Below are input lag measurements with the VRR on and off using different settings:

VRR OffStandardLocal Dimming HighBFI OnAV Mode
240 fps2.8 ms3.3 ms3.1 ms2.8 ms
120 fps4.8 ms5.3 ms6.5 msN/A
60 fps8.9 ms9.1 ms11.8 msN/A

VRR OnStandardOSD @ 120HzLocal Dimming HighVRR Control On
240 fps2.8 msN/A3.3 ms8.8 ms
120 fps4.9 ms4.8 ms5.5 ms12.6 ms
60 fps9 ms9 ms9.3 ms22.8 ms

9.0
Inputs
Resolution And Size
Native Resolution
3840 x 2160
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Megapixels
8.3 MP
Pixel Density
139 PPI
Measured Screen Diagonal
31.5"
Screen Area
426 in²
10
Inputs
PS5 Compatibility
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
Yes

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 works perfectly with the PS5 thanks to its HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, allowing you to play 4k games up to 120 fps. For VRR to work, you need to set the monitor's refresh rate to 120Hz, otherwise, it doesn't work. The 'PC' or 'AV' modes both perform the same, and neither have an impact on text clarity. The 'AV' modes lock you out of the regular Picture Modes available, including sRGB, while you can still use those modes in the 'PC' mode.

10
Inputs
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
Yes

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 works well with the Xbox Series X, but there's an aggressive flicker with 1440p @ 60Hz signals. Otherwise, it works fine.

Inputs
Inputs Photos
Inputs
Video And Audio Ports
DisplayPort
1 (DP 1.4)
Mini DisplayPort
No
HDMI
2 (HDMI 2.1)
HDMI 2.1 Rated Speed
40Gbps (FRL 10x4)
DVI
No
VGA
No
Daisy Chaining
No
3.5mm Audio Out
1
HDR10
Yes
3.5mm Audio In
No
3.5mm Microphone In
No

Both of the HDMI ports on the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 support HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.

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

You need to connect the USB-B to USB-A cable to your computer for the USB ports to work, meaning you can connect your peripherals like a mouse and keyboard.

Inputs
macOS Compatibility

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 works well with recent MacBooks. Because the refresh rate doesn't drop below 68Hz, there isn't any flicker at low frame rates that you would get with the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75. VRR works in games and on the desktop, and while HDR looks a bit washed out on the desktop, it looks good for games and videos. Windows return to their original position after waking up from sleep, but not when you close the lid to your laptop.

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

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has a few extra features to improve your gaming experience, like:

  • Black Equalizer: Adjusts the gamma so that you can see opponents better in dark areas of games.
  • Contrast Enhancer: Optimizes the contrast according to the content.
  • Dynamic Brightness: Brightens the screen on a scene-by-scene basis. Automatically enabled with Local Dimming on.
  • Eco Light Sensor: Changes the brightness of the screen according to the ambient environment.
  • Eye Care: Removes blue light to help with eye strain in the Eye Saver Mode. Includes the Adaptive Picture mode to change the brightness according to your environment, and Min. Brightness lets you set the minimum brightness.
  • Infinity Core Lighting: Controls the lighting on the stand, and can sync with the on-screen colors.
  • Local Dimming: Mini LED local dimming feature with 1,196 zones to further improve the contrast and picture quality in dark scenes.
  • Low Input Lag: Provides the lowest input lag possible.
  • Screen Size: You can change the aspect ratio according to your content.
  • Ultrawide Game View: Displays an ultrawide 21:9 image, with black bars at the top and bottom.
  • Virtual Aim Point: Displays a crosshair that your system won't detect.
  • VRR control: Helps eliminate flicker with low-frame-rate signals.

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)