It’s been over five months since Samsung announced the Odyssey OLED G8 (G85SB) just before IFA 2022 in Berlin. This is Samsung’s first OLED gaming monitor, and the company initially said that it would launch globally in Q4 2022. Samsung once again talked up the Odyssey OLED G8 last month at CES. but still hadn’t launched it (or provided pricing).

That changes today, as the monitor is now available, priced at $1,499. The Odyssey OLED G8 uses a 34-inch QD-OLED panel (3440 x 1440 resolution) with a low 0.03 ms response time and a 175 Hz refresh rate with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support. Samsung also throws in a 1800R curvature to (slightly) wrap the screen around your periphery. 

The quantum dot panel is already in use in monitors like Alienware’s AW3423DWF, and we expect to see similar competitors emerge in the coming months. Samsung alleges that quantum dots, when used with OLED panels, lessen the chances of burn-in common with larger OLED panels. However, those claims will need to be tested with long-term, real-world testing.

Regardless, the QD-OLED panel should deliver inky blacks (1,000,000:1 contrast ratio) and vibrant colors to amp up the immersion factor in your favorite games. And for all the RGB-loving fanatics out there, Samsung has you covered with CoreSync and Core Lighting+ via a brilliant glowing orb on the back of the panel that is customizable to your liking.

Samsung employs its Tizen Smart TV platform with the Odyssey OLED G8, which features streaming TV apps (like Netflix and Hulu) along with the Samsung Gaming Hub. The Gaming Hub gives you direct access to game streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now via integrated Wi-Fi. In addition, the Odyssey OLED G8 is loaded with HDMI 2.1, Mini DisplayPort 1.3 and USB-C ports, plus a pair of 5W speakers. 

The Odyssey OLED G8 is available today directly from Samsung.com for $1,499 (opens in new tab). According to the website, the monitor will ship by February 23. We also found the monitor for sale on MicroCenter’s website for the same price.