
Product test
Samsung Odyssey 3D tested: The third dimension remains a gimmick
by Samuel Buchmann

The line-up from the South Koreans includes 3D functions, high resolutions and up to 1040 hertz. QD OLED is also slightly brighter.
Samsung is presenting five new gaming monitors ahead of the CES electronics trade fair: a 32-inch Odyssey 3D (G90XH), a 27-inch Odyssey G6 (G60H) with a high refresh rate, two high-resolution Odyssey G8 (G80HS and G80HF) and a fresh Odyssey OLED G8 (G80SH).
The G90XH is designed to take 3D gaming to a new level. It has a screen diagonal of 32 inches and a 6K resolution (6,144 × 3,456 pixels). The IPS panel has a frame rate of 165 hertz. You can optionally switch to 3K at 330 hertz.

The many pixels are particularly useful for displaying 3D content because the horizontal resolution is halved. This is because the Odyssey 3D works with lenticular lenses that can simultaneously display different images for the left and right eye - without the need for 3D glasses. I have already tested the concept on the 27-inch predecessor G90XF. It works, but hasn't convinced me yet.
Do you think your eyes are particularly good and you can see 1000 frames per second? Samsung is thinking of you: The G60HS has a frame rate of 1040 hertz - but only in 1080p. In the native resolution of 1440p, the 27-inch gaming monitor still manages a very fast 600 hertz.

As this is once again an IPS panel, the picture is unlikely to be any clearer than the Odyssey OLED G6 (G60SF), at least in 1440p. This is because OLED panels have shorter pixel response times. The G60HS supports AMD FreeSync Premium and is Nvidia G-Sync compatible. Samsung has not yet announced any further specifications.
If you can do without the 3D feature, the same IPS panel without lenticular lenses is available in the Odyssey G8 G80HS. It also offers a 6K resolution and a frame rate of 165 Hertz (or 330 Hz in 3K). The monitor could be a good option for fans of high pixel density. It has 220 pixels per inch (ppi) - roughly the same as Apple's Pro Display XDR (218 ppi).

The little brother G80HF also offers a pixel density of 217 ppi. It has a diagonal of 27 inches and a 5K resolution. It has a frame rate of 180 hertz, or 360 hertz in 1440p. Both monitors come with HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.1, although the latter is only likely to be UHBR10 or UHBR13.5.
32-inch 4K OLEDs are nothing new. This year, however, Samsung is achieving higher brightness with its QD OLED panels. According to the manufacturer, the G80SH achieves 300 nits (presumably full screen). As with the previous models, the frame rate is 240 hertz. New features include a fully-fledged DisplayPort 2.1 with UHBR20 and USB-C with 98 watt power supply.

My fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.
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