Samsung Odyssey OLED G93SC review: a superfine super-wide monitor

When it comes to the best gaming monitors and the best ultrawide monitors, few models go as hard as the Samsung Odyssey OLED G93SC. Take one look at it and you know we're at the very extravagant end of the market here, with 49-inches of OLED-quality goodness across an epic 32:9 aspect ratio.

What we're looking at here is the G93SC model, which is very similar to the G95SC model we've previously reviewed. The main difference is that this monitor doesn't come with any smart TV software on board, so you need another device to load up your streaming apps.

Otherwise, the two monitors are very similar, and both vying for a spot on our best curved gaming monitors list as well as everything else. Read on to find out if the Samsung Odyssey OLED G93SC is going to be the right gaming monitor for upgrading your setup into something special...

Samsung Odyssey OLED G93SC: price & availability

The Samsung Odyssey OLED G93SC is available to buy right now – the widgets embedded on this page should give you some idea of the best prices you can currently get it for on the web, but at the time of writing we're seeing prices of around £1,400 in the UK, with no official US pricing just yet.

In the UK, you can pick up the monitor from retailers including Currys, Amazon, and Samsung itself. Do make sure which model you're looking at though: the G95SC has the smart hub and a remote control, while the G93SC doesn't. They're both sometimes marketed as the Odyssey G9, and pricing can vary on both models.

Samsung Odyssey OLED G93SC review: design & setup

Well, there are monitors – and then there are monitors. The 49-inch, 32:9 aspect ratio Odyssey OLED G93SC is going to dominate any room you care to put it in, and you'd better make sure you have enough space for it. It measures 1194.7mm across (so almost 1.2 metres or 3 feet and 11 inches)!

Putting the pieces together isn't difficult and doesn't require any tools, but considering the sheer size and weight of this piece of hardware, we'd recommend getting someone to help you.

When it comes to the aesthetics of the monitor, Samsung has done a good job of making it stylish without being overbearing. The silver finish and the colourful, light-up ring around the back certainly add to the visual appeal, and the bezels around the sides of the screen are respectably thin without breaking any records in that department. It's a monitor that looks polished and elegant, even if it is huge.

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In terms of inputs, you're looking at a single DisplayPort 1.4 port, a single HDMI 2.1 port, a single Micro HDMI 2.1 port, and three USB-C 3.0 ports that can act as a hub. These ports aren't particularly easy to get to, and there's only a token effort at cable management (in the form of a loop on the back of the stand), but that's true of most monitors these days.

In terms of design and looks, it's hard to fault – though of course judging aesthetics is a largely subjective exercise. With its 1800R curvature though, it does take up a lot of space front-to-back (284.1mm to be exact, so almost 29cm or 12 inches deep), so do bear that in mind when you're thinking about where to put this giant screen. The on-screen menu is easy to navigate around, via a tiny joystick low down on the back.

Samsung Odyssey OLED G93SC review: features & picture

The Samsung Odyssey OLED G93SC certainly brings some impressive gaming specs along with it: the 49-inch, 5120 x 1440 pixel screen offers a grey-to-grey response time of 0.03ms, a typical brightness of 250 nits, and a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz. Gamers will also be reassured that there's support for Adaptive Sync and FreeSync Premium Pro here too.

In use, the screen absolutely pops in every regard. Colours are vivid and well balanced, blacks are super-deep, and games look gorgeous at full resolution. There's hardly any blur or ghosting to speak of, environments like natural landscapes and dingy interiors are perfectly judged and crisply rendered, and fast action is really well handled. For more general computing, the screen perhaps lacks a certain clarity and finesse you need for your spreadsheets and emails, but it's by no means a bad experience.

Note that some games – especially older ones – won't like the extended aspect ratio. We had troubles running GTA V (launched on PC in 2015) in full-screen mode, though No Man's Sky (launched 2016) and Red Dead Redemption 2 (launched 2019) adapted to the ultrawide display just fine. It's probably a good idea to check that your favourite game can run okay on this before buying.

We like the fact that there are two 5W speakers built in (which pump out more than satisfactory audio for integrated speakers), that there are 10 different colour modes to switch between, and that you can have two of the display inputs showing side-by-side on the display (so you could have a console showing on one side and a Windows PC environment on the other, for example).

Samsung Odyssey OLED G93SC review: verdict

We were very taken with the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 (the G95SC model), and it's therefore no surprise that we're giving this G93SC version full marks too: it's the same, without the built-in streaming apps. It's up to you which you prefer, and with prices constantly fluctuating over time and between country of purchase, it's difficult for us to definitively recommend one of these models over the other.

One of the biggest questions you need to ask yourself is whether or not you want a monitor this wide. It's great having three applications open on screen, but at this size and width, you need to physically move your head to switch between them – it's not like you can keep them all in view at the same time.

If you decide that you do want the 32:9 aspect ratio on offer here, then the picture that you get is a stunning one: fast, fluid, rich, and versatile. As always, you're going to need the budget to afford it, and the price is steep – but it's a price that's fair for an OLED panel that gives you this many pixels across so much space.

Also consider

If you're reading this review, then we're assuming that you're interested in the ultrawide form factor. Another superb monitor that fits that description is the Acer Predator X45, though it settles for a 21:9 aspect ratio rather than 32:9.

You might also want to consider the LG UltraGear 45GR95QE, which again goes for OLED technology and a 21:9 aspect ratio. Like the Samsung monitor, the refresh rate tops out at 240Hz, and it comes with an impressive array of gaming specs as well as offering a quality experience for more general computing.