I just tested Samsung’s 6K gaming monitor — and my eyes still can’t believe it

The new Samsung Odyssey G80HS delivers the most detailed picture quality of any gaming monitor I’ve ever reviewed. The 6K resolution, which is a first for gaming monitors according to Samsung, brings out minute details you normally wouldn’t see. Trust me when I say that words alone cannot properly convey how good this monitor makes games look. It’s a literal sight to behold.

You don’t just get spectacular image quality here; the G80HS also offers professional-grade performance for competitive gaming thanks to its up to 330Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time. Of course, the standard 165Hz refresh rate also makes the cinematic games it's intended for run buttery smooth.

While you’ll need a very powerful gaming rig to take full advantage of this monitor’s features, and the panel is IPS rather than OLED, there’s no denying that the Samsung Odyssey G80HS will make your eyes happy. It’s certainly expensive, but for what it offers, you’re more than getting your money’s worth. This is one of the best gaming monitors out there. Find out more in my full review.

Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) is a 6K gaming monitor.
• Who is it for? It’s for folks who want the sharpest image quality possible from their gaming monitor.
• What does it cost? The Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) retails for $1,599 but is currently $1,299 on Samsung’s website at time of writing.
• What do we like? We like the sharp and detailed image quality, super-fast performance, and utilitarian design.
• What don’t we like? We wish it had an OLED panel and cost a bit less.

Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) review: Specs

Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) review: The ups

The Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) delivers a crisp 6K image and fast gaming performance in a sleek, eye-catching design.

Practical design

The G80HS has a sleek design that straddles the fence between gamer aesthetic and practicality. It’s not a head-turner like some of the larger Odyssey monitors I’ve reviewed, but I consider that a plus since your focus remains on whatever game you’re playing. And if you’re using this monitor at the office, it won’t completely look out of place… unless you enable the RGB lighting on the back.

That lighting surrounds the monitor mount. You can choose from six standard lighting effects, plus CoreSync, which syncs the lighting effect with whatever’s happening on the screen for added immersion. Granted, you can’t fully enjoy the RGB lighting since it’s on the back of the monitor, but the extra pizzazz is always fun.

Setting up this 32-inch monitor isn’t too much trouble as it weighs just shy of 17 pounds when attached to its stand. This also makes it easy to turn around when you want access to its back-side ports. So long as you’ve got it set up on a standard-sized gaming or office desk, it’ll be right at home and not take up much space.

Port-wise, you get the basics, including a DisplayPort, a pair of HDMI ports, three USB-A ports, a USB-C port, and a headphone jack. This monitor lacks speakers, so that headphone jack could be useful if you’re not already using one of the best gaming headsets connected to your PC. You’ll need to turn the monitor around, as it’s nearly impossible to connect and disconnect ports by touch alone.

The shaft has a cutaway you can tuck the cables through, keeping your desk tidy. Raising and lowering the monitor along the shaft requires little effort because it glides smoothly. The same is true for tilting or swiveling the monitor to your desired viewing angle—including a 90-degree rotation for portrait orientation.

Lastly, the wide, flat base not only keeps the Odyssey G80HS in place on your desk but also stays unobtrusive. Since it’s flat, you can easily keep your phone or accessories on it.

Sharp image quality

You might think that 6K resolution is gimmicky or unnecessary, but I assure you, the results are immediately apparent on the G80Hs. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say that this monitor delivers the sharpest image quality I’ve ever experienced. If you’ll excuse the cliché, it’s a sight to behold.

I tried Cyberpunk 2077 and Forza Horizon 6 because both support 6K resolution. As soon as I fired up the games, I could see extra details I hadn’t before, such as the heat rising from a tailpipe in Cyberpunk 2077 or cracked gravel in Forza Horizon 6. Background elements also have finer detail you wouldn’t normally see.

You can switch between 6K and 3K resolution. While the latter delivers half the resolution of the former, you’re still getting a crisp image. Each resolution has a different refresh rate, which I’ll cover in the next section. Suffice it to say that if you’re already used to playing PC games on a 1440p monitor, you’ll be more than happy with 3K resolution.

The Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) delivered strong results in our lab tests. In its Original display setting, it produced slightly oversaturated hues in the sRGB color gamut and a perfect 100% in the more demanding DCI-P3 color space. Color reproduction isn’t as vivid as those of competitors like the Asus ROG Swift OLED and Alienware AW3426DW; its hues are more naturalistic and closer to real life.

HDR brightness is strong at 380 nits across 100% of the screen in Game Standard HDR mode. While Asus and Alienware’s monitors can get very bright on OLED panels, they can’t match the Odyssey G80HS’s vibrancy. Sure, it’s not an OLED monitor, but it can get much brighter because of that.

It has nine core display modes, including dedicated modes for genres like FPS, RTS, and Sports. The differences between the modes are minimal since they’re tuned for their respective genres, and there isn’t a radically different viewing experience between them.

Insane performance

Since this is a dual-mode monitor, you get two refresh rates: 165Hz at 6K resolution and 330Hz at 3 K resolution. The former is for cinematic games like Cyberpunk 2077 where you want the best possible image, while the latter is tailor-made for fast-paced competitive games like Call of Duty where higher refresh rates are crucial. Both have a low 1ms response time.

To test the Odyssey G80HS, I connected it to the HP Omen Max 45L, a monstrous gaming PC packing an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU, an Nvidia RTX 5080 (18GB), 64GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD. You’ll need a similarly powerful PC to take advantage of Samsung’s monitor’s insane performance.

Whether it was at 165Hz or 330Hz, Cyberpunk 2077 ran buttery smooth. Sure, I wasn’t quite able to hit 165 frames per second to match the lower refresh rate, but the extra headroom let me enjoy the 65-70 fps I did get.

Doom: The Dark Ages is where I got to truly test what this monitor could do. With DLSS at 6x and Ultra Performance enabled, the game ran at a blistering 400 frames per second, even higher than the monitor’s top 330Hz refresh rate. Though I’m not a competitive gamer, I could still feel the difference in this twitchy game. Yes, there are gaming monitors with higher refresh rates, but Samsung’s is still no slouch.

Simple UI

You can bring up the menu by pressing the OSD joystick on the back. Reaching the OSD isn’t too difficult, as it's fairly low along the bottom of the monitor. The stick itself is relatively small but easy to move up and down or left and right.

The UI is about as no-frills as it gets. The blue lines on a black background are easy on the eyes and make everything easy to read. Navigating the menu with the joystick is seamless thanks to the responsive joystick and interface. While there are plenty of modes and settings to sift through, the layout makes it simple to find whatever you’re looking for.

Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) review: The downs

While the Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) certainly delivers on its promises, it has one potential drawback.

Pricey

Given that this is a 6K dual-mode gaming monitor, it’s no surprise it costs a pretty penny. Even at its current discounted price of $1,299, you’re still putting down a fair bit of cash. And that’s before factoring in the cost of the high-end gaming PC required to get the most out of this monitor.

If you just want an affordable gaming monitor with the basics, the $799 Alienware AW3426DW is the best bet. That said, you won’t get the rich picture quality of the Odyssey G80HS. If you want the very best image for gaming, Samsung’s monitor will be worth your money. But if you just want a high-end monitor at a lower price, other options are out there.

Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) review: Verdict

Price aside, there’s no denying that the Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) is an exceptional gaming monitor thanks to its superb 6K resolution. Trust me when I say that this is arguably the best viewing experience you can have on a non-OLED gaming monitor. And if that wasn’t enough, the dual-mode lets you switch to a higher refresh rate for competitive gaming.

If you’re willing to spend big for a superlative gaming experience, you owe it to yourself to check out the Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS). You won’t be disappointed.

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