Samsung has been making a big push into gaming in recent times, with the launch of its Gaming Hub on compatible smart TVs, and a swathe of interesting monitors.

The one that caught our eye at IFA most (apart from the Odyssey Ark - which we also saw at Gamescom), was the Odyssey OLED G8 - a 34-inch curved display with an exceptional Quantum Dot-enabled panel and the ability to be your sole games machine. You don't even need a PC or console.

That's because, like most of Samsung's connected monitors, it too sports Gaming Hub and therefore offers access to cloud gaming platforms, such as Xbox Game Pass, Nvidia GeForce Now, and Stadia. And so, all you need to do is connect a keyboard, mouse and/or game controller (wirelessly or wired) and away you go.

Truthfully, its more likely to be paired with gaming PC, not least to get the most from its OLED-powered picture performance. But we played a game on it without any external source and came away suitably impressed.

Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 photo 2
Pocket-lint

Our quick take

From our initial look at the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 monitor, it may not have the bells and whistles of the LG OLED Flex, for example, but it delivers significant punch when it comes to colour presentation and contrast.

Its 175Hz refresh rate will also come in handy to those with gaming PCs that are capable of such high frame rates.

We're not entirely sure why anyone would buy such a premium gaming monitor to just play Game Pass, GeForce Now or Stadia titles streamed over the cloud, but that's a nice addition and, hey, you can never have too many games.

We can't wait to get one in the office for a more significant play. For now though, we can confirm that the mammoth Odyssey Ark isn't the only exciting new product coming from the Korean tech firm.

 

Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 initial

FORAGAINST
  • Stunning picture performance
  • Sexy build
  • Can be used to play cloud games without a PC or console
  • Could end up pricy for the screen size

Pixel perfect

The Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 monitor sports a 21:9 aspect ratio with a QHD (3440 x 1440) resolution. It also has an extreme 1800R curvature, so wraps around you significantly.

It is VESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black Certified and we could tell - the black levels were superb, even in the weird lighting of an IFA trade show booth. We'd have liked to have seen some non-game content running on it too, but the one playable title that was on offer was smooth and crisp.

Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 photo 3
Pocket-lint

Also impressive was the thickness of the monitor. As OLED doesn't require a backlight, the display itself is just 3.9mm. It's attached to a tiltable stand, of course, which adds extra girth, but none more so than many other monitors - and certainly less than most.

Finally, if you do want to hook up a console or PC, there are several inputs available: Micro HDMI (2.1), Mini DP, and USB-C ports for good measure.

To recap

Although we didn't get a load of time with the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 at IFA, we dabbled with it enough to know this will be a seriously good piece of kit. We don't yet know the price though, so that could be a factor. We'll find out soon for sure, as it's due for release in the fourth quarter of this year.