The popularity of ultra-wide gaming and professional monitors has reached fever pitch, and now after releasing the Samsung CHG90 gaming monitor, the company has once again released the ultimate super-duper, ultra-wide gaming monitor to rule them all. The Samsung Odyssey G9 (model LC49G95TSSNXZA) is a sprawling, 49-inch gaming monitor with a not-so-common 32:9 aspect ratio that will embrace you in its curved display.
The 49-inch diagonal, curvature dominates any desk, and it’s paired with the aforementioned 32:9 aspect ratio, 5120 x 1440 resolution, a 240Hz refresh rate, and the 1000R curve that you find on the 32-inch Samsung Odyssey G7. Overall, it’s a vast amount of technology, and certainly one of the best monitors you can buy.
Samsung Odyssey G9 Specs
- Screen Size : 49 inch
- LED Backlight: Yes
- Widescreen: Yes
- Recommended Resolution: 5120 x 1440
- Refresh Rate: 240 Hz (Max.)
- Viewing Angle : 178° (H) / 178° (V)
- Brightness: 420 cd/m2 (Typ.), 1000 cd/m2 (Peak)
- Contrast Ratio: 2500:1
- Aspect Ratio: 32:9
- Response Time: 1 ms (GTG)
- Vertical Refresh Rate 60 – 240Hz
Design
With the Odyssey G9, Samsung mixes glossy white plastic with rear-mounted RGB LEDs propped on a stylish stand. It has 120mm of height adjustment, which we feel is great for a super-wide panel that’s as wide as two QHD panels, and it gets tilt and swivel options too. Build quality is rock-solid, and for connectivity, you have two DisplayPort connectors, an HDMI port, and a pair of USB 3.0 ports.
Like the smaller Odyssey G7, though, the Odyssey G9 gets a few physical disappointments. There’s no USB Type-C or Thunderbolt, and the rear-placed lighting is a little underwhelming – not very adjustable and impossible to see from the front.
The Samsung LC49G95TSSNXZA panel weighs 16.9 pounds (which is necessarily hefty), measures 16.39 x 45.18 x 21.15 inches, and the headphone holder is flimsy and a bit difficult to reach. Again, setting up this behemoth is a mixed bag: the OSD is excellent but a proliferation of screws means that the G9 is simply awkward to build.
Image Quality
When it comes to performance, the Samsung G9 is a top-tier screen for pro-gaming. It rocks a generous 5120 x 1440 resolution that delivers a density level of 109ppi, which is simply good for gaming. Only 4K screens will be sharper. The only real concern will be the number of pixels produced by this panel – the LC49G95TSSNXZA uses almost as many as a 4K screen, meaning you’ll need a powerful graphics card.
Also, you’ll need a powerful GPU to take advantage of the 240Hz refresh rate, although that’s a much welcome addition here. It works (will definitely work with upcoming) AMD and Nvidia graphics cards and delivers butter-smooth performance in the fastest games thanks to the latest syncing technology.
It does however exhibit some ghosting and modest halo effects, but it’s way better than most of its contemporaries and most people just won’t notice. Similarly, there’s some tiny bit of backlight bleed, but it’s barely noticeable.
Performance
Elsewhere, the Samsung uses DisplayHDR 1000, which is yet again another area where this screen outpaces its rivals, and the underlying panel is a 10-bit VA display with a 1ms response time.
Out of the box, the Odyssey G9 has brightness and black points of 354 and 0.18 nits that translate to a contrast ratio of 1967:1. That right there is far better than any IPS display around, and it only means games have a bigger punch, vibrancy, and depth. Pair that contrast with a reasonable Delta E of 2.74 and color temperature of 6435K, and you have colors that are good enough for gaming.
When gaming, the G9 maintains impressive results with the brightness reduced to a more conventional level, but color uniformity is excellent –and a backlight strength deviation of just 11% on an ultra-wide 49-inch screen is tremendous. With a 99.9% render of the sRGB color gamut and 97% of the DCI-P3 space paired with impressive HDR performance that peaks around 1000 nits of backlight strength, this is one monitor you’re going to rely on for all your gaming and professional needs.
In fact, it’s better than most gaming screens in every aspect and you rarely find a display as wide as the Odyssey G9 that’s so bright, although the addition of ten local dimming zones is a bit lackluster, meaning the HDR lacks nuance when compared to the best TVs available.
All in all, the Odyssey G9 is great for productivity, especially if you work in large horizontal timelines, and it can easily replace a multi-monitor setup and makes your imagination real as you work on multiple windows. Its 1000R curve improves immersion and viewing angles are much better when compared to conventional 1800R monitor designs too.
Bottom Line
The Samsung Odyssey G9 is one of the most functionally distinct and visually impressive monitors we’ve reviewed. A combination of great color quality and superb contrast easily makes it the best ultra-wide gaming monitor on the market. And, it combines all these solid fundamentals with great uniformity, fast-paced syncing, a huge resolution, and that unique, yet immersive 1000R curve – with good HDR, too.
But its lighting is uninspiring and there are some minor motion issues that only the keenest gamers may notice. You’ll also need a powerful GPU to run and enjoy this screen, and many games may not readily benefit much from this unique form factor.
All said, there are plenty of situations where a 32:9 screen works extremely well, though, and the Samsung Odyssey G9 LC49G95TSSNXZA is the best option on the market. You’ll spend a fortune, but the 240Hz speed and software tricks will wow you so much you won’t care.
Recommended Configuration
SAMSUNG 49-inch Odyssey G9 - QHD, 240hz, 1000R Curved Gaming Monitor, 1ms, NVIDIA G-SYNC & FreeSync, QLED (LC49G95TSSNXZA)
1 used from $1,099.99
The Review
Samsung Odyssey G9 LC49G95TSSNXZA
The Samsung Odyssey G9 LC49G95TSSNXZA is a gaming monitor that almost has it all – superb image quality, is feature packed with the latest immersive 1000R curve and all the technology you’d need for modern high-end gaming
PROS
- Immersive widescreen design
- Excellent 240Hz AMD FreeSync
- Superb image quality in SDR and HDR modes
CONS
- Ultra-wide design may not be for everyone
Review Breakdown
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EDITORS RATING
