This 40-Inch Gaming Monitor Is Large on Immersion and Commerce-Offs

There are some displays that drive you to involuntarily pucker your lips and utter a silent “ooh.” That usually occurs lengthy after you match the bottom and arm into the show and switch it on for the primary time. When unboxing the 40-inch 4K Samsung Odyssey G7, I discovered I used to be way more excited by the promise of its fantastic black exterior and RGB ring mild, to not point out its large body and sweeping 1,000R curve. However truly taking a look at it with the lights on shocked me with a way of disappointment. Disappointment turns into acceptance, and acceptance inevitably turns into boredom.

I first laid eyes on the Odyssey G75F (mannequin quantity LS40FG75DENXZA) earlier this yr. It was an odd center youngster between the 27-inch OLED Odyssey G6 with its blistering 360Hz refresh rate and the 27-inch OLED Odyssey G8 with its 4K, 240Hz panel (2025 was filled to the brim with the sort of monitor). The Odyssey G7 affords one thing a lot totally different: a 40-inch curved display screen with a quick 180Hz refresh fee (a rarity for ultrawide displays). The one factor is, it doesn’t include OLED however with a VA panel. In comparison with natural light-emitting diode—a display screen sort that makes use of self-emissive colours to generate higher distinction and deeper blacks—VA is nearer to conventional LCD. The acronym stands for vertical alignment, which pertains to the crystals contained in the liquid crystal show. This kind of show affords higher distinction than different types of LCD. This monitor can also be stable with its 140 ppi (pixels per inch) density, that means it could actually supply a comparatively crisp picture regardless of its dimension.

There are some shoppers preferring LCD expertise to OLED. I’m not right here to debate the deserves of higher-brightness LCDs versus sometimes lower-brightness, extra energy-dependent OLED. Nevertheless, you’re higher off figuring out whether or not the distinction is price it for the value. The Odyssey G7 retails for $1,200. Nevertheless, Samsung routinely reductions it to round $750 (and generally Amazon has it for even much less). Samsung’s Odyssey displays—and its TVs for that matter—are normally costlier than most different manufacturers with the identical expertise. For any worth, there are nonetheless trade-offs aplenty.

Giant and in cost

You’re primarily taking a look at this monitor for its dimension. A 40-inch display screen is nothing to snort at. On our workplace gaming desk we arrange for testing PCs, its wingspan manages to just about devour the desk from port to starboard. Its 1,000R curve is way extra dramatic than different, smaller 1800R curved displays. A 34-inch Philips Evnia QD-OLED and the 32-inch Alienware AW3225QF gained’t really feel almost as immersive because the Odyssey G7. None of those displays attain the dimensions of the totally massive 57-inch Odyssey Neo G9, however what does?

The curve almost captures your eyes in its embrace. For players, it’s a really totally different expertise than when you’re used to flatter shows. The 4K monitor truly reaches a wider 5,120 x 2,160 decision (generally referred to as WUHD) than the standard 4K dimension of three,840 x 2,160 (UHD). The Odyssey G7 sports activities a 21:9 side ratio supported by some, however not all video games. It’s an analogous story for streaming content material as nicely. Some films and reveals in your favored streaming platform might assist the ultrawide side ratio, however others gained’t.

As a lot as selecting your content material could also be complicated, establishing the Odyssey G7 is a simple affair. You stick the flat base into the monitor stand, screw it in, then shove the monitor arm into the awaiting socket. And voila, you’re able to play. The monitor solely comes with two HDMI 2.1 and a single DisplayPort 1.4 enter. There are an extra two USB-A 3.2 ports and a headphone jack. Nonetheless, I’d hardly name that port-rich for the scale of this monitor.

For some odd cause, Samsung doesn’t make managing your cables too straightforward. There’s a single rubber strap throughout the again of the monitor stand that Samsung expects to comprise all of your miscellaneous cables. I might have most popular some extra everlasting loop that would maintain fmore cables with out straining. Should you’re eager to maintain a tidy desk, you’ll have to consider some ingenious cable administration to maintain the snakes of their cage.

Regardless of my hangups with the Odyssey G7’s port choice and cable administration, the monitor itself is a looker. That enjoyable, round mild strip on the monitor’s rear panel may be programmed with a number of preset patterns, however it’s primarily there to supply some background glow to the wall behind it. That little little bit of consideration to element is per Odyssey displays, although I might have nonetheless loved some audio system on the G7. The sound high quality on a monitor seemingly gained’t shiver my backbone with bass, however I take pleasure in audio system being there in a pinch.

The Odyssey G7 is licensed VESA DisplayHDR 600, although it solely claims a 90% shade vary with a 3,000:1 distinction ratio. The one situation you’ll run into with compatibility is Samsung’s screens don’t assist Dolby Imaginative and prescient. They as a substitute use Samsung’s personal HDR10+ gaming normal. Some noteworthy video games like Purple Lifeless Redemption 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 will use HDR10+. Every little thing else will persist with the bog-standard HDR10.

I hope you don’t thoughts glare

The VA panel Samsung selected for the Odyssey G7 isn’t the prettiest you may get, neither is it the brightest. Its said typical brightness sits at round 350 nits. With the daylight beaming in from a close-by window, the image high quality on Samsung’s monitor took a success. In a darkish, dank gamer basement with the blinds closed and the one mild being mushy RGB, the Odyssey G7 will hit its stride. In different environments, the monitor might look a bit low cost regardless of its dimension.

I stored staring on the display screen, questioning if what I used to be taking a look at is the sort of high quality I actually need from an enormous, costly monitor. Like most LCD shows, the Odyssey G7 has a 1ms response time, dictating how briskly a display screen can change a pixel from one shade to a different. OLED usually has a sooner response time, although it is going to be a bit extra dim relying on the standard of the show. The G7’s panel affords the worst of each worlds.

What truly issues is what the content material finally appears to be like like, and in that regard it’s a a lot better expertise. In peak circumstances, the black ranges keep away from the issues on different displays that make darkish tones look grey. A recreation like Hole Knight: Silksong helps the 21:9 side ratio and appears very good as soon as you possibly can see a lot of your environment. The distinction might not be as sturdy as some may need, however it definitely doesn’t look dangerous both.

Relying in your recreation, chances are you’ll have to do some changes to make it playable. A title like Complete Conflict: Warhammer III helps the WUHD decision, however it requires you to manually scale the UI and textual content dimension so it’s manageable. Cyberpunk 2077 appears to be like further immersive on this 40-inch dimension. You simply want to verify your PC is beefy sufficient to play video games at this dimension. Additionally, you could do not forget that consoles just like the PlayStation 5 don’t naturally assist ultrawide side ratios. They merely stretch a 4K picture to suit the display screen.

The large situation with the display screen is the truth that it’s vulnerable to glare. It’s not a lot reflective, as any ambient mild tends to diffuse over the floor and mar any of these clear visuals you had been hoping for. With the shades drawn down and the lights turned low, video games lastly appeared their finest.

Extra methods to multitask

Positive, having a 40-inch show will naturally allow you to shove as many apps on it directly. That’s the advantage of a big display screen, though I discover the issue with extra is how shortly it could refill. I generally tend to depart plenty of tabs open, and even once I push these to the background, I out of the blue discover I’m nonetheless in want of one other display screen, whether or not it’s a laptop computer show or one other monitor I can stack vertically subsequent to my gadget.

The Odyssey G7 does permit swivel and tilt to a stunning diploma. You’ll be able to push the monitor up from -5 to twenty levels and swing it round one other 20 levels to the left and proper. No, sorry, you’re not going to twist this show vertically except you create a artistic mount to your wall. The display screen is comparatively versatile, and that’s essential since you actually need to sit within the middle of any curved show to maximise the impact.

Should you’re on the lookout for much more multitasking, the Samsung Odyssey G7 additionally permits for a picture-in-picture mode that can permits enter from two separate units. I attempted this out with a PlayStation 5 and PC directly. You’ll be able to both have every picture squished aspect by aspect, although I a lot most popular the choice to stay one display screen within the nook and depart the remainder to the opposite related gadget. If, for some cause, you need to have your PC’s Discord chat up on the identical display screen as your recreation, that is an possibility. I might nonetheless a lot relatively hold a laptop computer or pill helpful close by, however I don’t thoughts having choices.

What’s left is a monitor that can definitely work nicely for some players and creators preferring to stay at midnight. In the precise surroundings, the image high quality is nice sufficient that I wasn’t all the time pining for one thing extra. However as quickly as a bit mild hit the display screen, I might sense a sense of annoyance twitching behind my eye. I’ve been spoiled by the variety of OLED shows from this yr, because the display screen expertise has turn out to be way more prevalent—and cheaper—lately. It is a monitor for individuals who want the display screen form and the display screen sort. Should you can nab the Odyssey G7 for a less expensive worth—perhaps half what a 45-inch LG 5K2K Ultragear would value you—you then’ll have a good time being completely consumed by your monitor.