Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 review (2023) ultimate gaming monitor

a fantastic curved gaming monitor with great features.

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 from Samsung was made with one goal in mind: to destroy the competition. This 32-inch monster doesn’t spare any costs. It has a space-age design on the outside and the latest display technology, which in this case is a curved 4K VA panel with a mini-LED backlight made up of 1,196 individual dimming zones. There’s even more to be amazed by.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G8: Description

This monitor is ready for the next generation, which means that it works with HDMI 2.1 and supports adaptive sync, 120Hz refresh rates, and ALLM (automatic low-latency mode) on the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S. But the mini-LED backlight is what really makes this product stand out. The Odyssey Neo G8 is a great gaming monitor because its HDR performance is far better than that of even the best and most expensive competitors.

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 is made to stand out, but that’s not all it’s about. I like that the back of Samsung monitor looks like a jet engine and that it has glossy white panels, but I also find it interesting that these unusual design choices are mostly hidden when you look at the monitor head-on. Whether this was done on purpose or not, it means that the Neo G8 fits in well with a typical office, at least until you see the back of it.

Even without those thoughts, the Neo G8 is a nice-looking monitor that gamers will love (especially if you own a PS5, as the aesthetic is similar). Even though it’s not the most useful gaming monitor I’ve ever seen, it’s at least very good at being comfortable to use. The 1000R’s curve is strong enough that the 32-inch screen doesn’t feel like a wall, and I was very happy to find that the stand can be adjusted enough to keep good posture.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • With a high refresh rate of 240Hz, gaming is smooth.
  • Fast response time of 1ms to cut down on motion blur
  • Adjustable stand that works with VESA mounts

Cons

  • No speakers built in
  • No USB-C plug-in
  • Only two HDMI and one DisplayPort ports are available

Samsung Odyssey Neo G8: Specification Table

SpecificationDescription
Display TypeGaming Monitor
Screen Size27 inches
Resolution2560 x 1440
Panel TypeQLED
Refresh Rate240Hz
Response Time1ms (GTG)
Adaptive Sync TechnologyG-Sync Compatible
HDRHDR600
Brightness350 cd/m² (typical)
Contrast Ratio1000:1 (typical)
Viewing Angle178 degrees
Color Gamut125% sRGB, 95% DCI-P3
Inputs1 x DisplayPort, 2 x HDMI, 2 x USB 3.0
VESA Mount CompatibleYes
Dimensions (with stand)24.2 x 18.2 x 9.8 in (614.3 x 462.3 x 249.9 mm)
Weight (with stand)15.4 lbs (7 kg)
Official websiteVisit Website

Design and Features

Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 review

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 is very similar to the Neo G9, which is the big brother of the Samsung Odyssey line. It has the same curved gaming monitor design, with a mix of black and glossy white plastics, an RGB LED lighting system, and Samsung’s signature glowing ring on the back where the stand clips into the screen.

It looks really high-end, that’s for sure. But the quality of the build doesn’t feel very strong. If you lightly push the screen, it will rock back and forth. It’s not as unstable as a cat flap in a tornado, but it’s not as stable as you might think for this price. Adding to the list of bad things, the lack of USB-C connectivity is also a bit of a bummer. It is true that USB-C can only send 100W of power at the moment.

That’s not enough to keep a real gaming laptop charged up. But at this price, it’s reasonable to expect a screen that can be used in a pretty wide range of ways. In this case, not having USB-C is a bit of a pain. Still, there are DisplayPort and HDMI ports. There are two of these that meet the HDMI 2.1 standard and support DSC Display Stream Compression. This lets the 4K resolution of 3,840 by 2,160 pixels work at 240Hz over HDMI at the full 4K resolution.

You don’t need 240Hz for console gaming, but those two HDMI 2.1 ports will do the full 4k @120Hz thing, making this a great choice for a PS5 monitor or an Xbox Series X monitor. When you add the DisplayPort interface, you have a screen that can be used for both PC and console games.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G8: OSD Features

Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 review

The OSD on the G8 looks like it was made for games, with status information at the top of each screen and six submenus. It is controlled by five buttons in the middle of the panel. These buttons are set up as directional/select buttons. It’s odd to see this instead of a joystick, but it’s easy to understand how it works. In the Game menu, you can set the maximum refresh rate to either 120 or 240 Hz.

Before 240 Hz shows up in the Windows or Nvidia Control Panel, you have to turn it on. When Adaptive-Sync is on, the Response Time option is grayed out, but I saw a slight ghosting that told me overdrive was on. Ultrawide Game View changes the aspect ratio to 21:9 with black bars on top and bottom, but you have to turn off AS to use it. There are a lot of options for video processing, but you’ll be fine if you leave the settings as they are and just turn on 240 Hz. This menu also lets you choose from six places to aim.

Infinity Core Lighting can be turned on from the front or back. There are five effects, like static, and you can choose the color. With the CoreSync app, the color and effect can change based on what’s on the screen. One of the seven picture modes is sRGB, which can be used. All the others use the whole wide gamut for both SDR and HDR content.

Custom has controls for calibration, such as a custom color temperature and three gamma presets. Contrast Enhancer is another layer of dynamic contrast. If you don’t want the picture to be very bright, you should turn it off. In my tests, I found that local dimming is always on in some way. With the G8, you’ll never run out of dynamic range.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G8: Controls and Menu

The on-screen display (OSD) on Samsung’s monitors is one of my favorites because it is so easy to use. Instead of the usual four-way joystick, the Neo G8 has four direction buttons and a nub in the middle. The monitor is easy to control because Samsung put the buttons right in the middle of the screen, not off to the right like on monitors like the Gigabyte M32U. You don’t have to look far to change your settings quickly.

The main thing I like about Samsung’s OSD is how quickly you can change the picture settings. If you click up, you can change the brightness, contrast, and saturation without using the whole menu. The full menu is still easy to use, and it lets you do things like turn off local dimming and switch between the different picture modes.

Price and availability

Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 review

At the time of writing, you can buy a Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 for about £1,300 in the UK and $1,500 in the US (check the widgets embedded on this page for the best prices currently available on the web). You can buy the monitor at stores like Currys, John Lewis, and Amazon if you live in the UK.

Final Words

As you may have guessed by now, we really like what the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has to offer. If you want to talk about the best curved monitors on the market right now, this model has to come up at some point. Not only does it have a great list of specs and some interesting features (especially for gamers), but it also works well in the real world.

First, you have to decide if you like the way the monitor looks. That huge piece of white plastic won’t be to everyone’s taste (check out the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 if you want a black backing). We like how Samsung put this piece of hardware together, and there are a lot of ways to adjust it. However, because it’s so flexible, it’s not the most solid or stable (if you put something on your desk too hard, it will shake).

FAQs

Is Odyssey Neo G8 ultrawide?

Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 34″ 2K WQHD 3440 x 1440) 175Hz Ultrawide Curved Screen Gaming Monitor with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, HDR, HDMI DisplayPort, Eclipse Lighting, and Eye Saver Mode. 3.9 stars out of 5.

What is the difference between Odyssey G8 and Odyssey Neo G8?

The Neo G8 has a backlight made of Mini LEDs, which makes it brighter than the OLED G8. If you like to watch movies, the Neo G8’s higher resolution makes it better for 4k content. If you play games competitively, it has a faster refresh rate and a much lower input lag, which makes it easier to play.

Michael Smith
Michael Smith
Michael Smith, a tech-savvy content editor at Bollyinside. With a knack for simplifying complex tech concepts, Michael specializes in crafting user-friendly "How-to" articles and valuable tips. His focus spans Windows, Mac, hardware, and support. Beyond work, he's an avid explorer of diverse tech fields, constantly staying ahead of the curve.

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The Odyssey Neo G8 has a 32-inch VA panel with a 1000R curve, HDR, Adaptive-Sync, a 1,196-zone dimming Mini LED backlight, and a 2,000 nits peak in HDR mode. This monitor has all the features that make it a good candidate for one of the Best 4K Gaming Monitors.Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 review (2023) ultimate gaming monitor