The Odyssey G8 from Samsung may be the best 32-inch gaming monitor this year.

The Odyssey G8 from Samsung may be the best 32-inch gaming monitor this year.

After being officially announced at CES 2024, all of Samsung’s new 2024 gaming monitors are available for pre-order today. Though the massive 49-inch Odyssey G9 (G95SD) garnered most of the attention when initial details were revealed in January, I recently had the chance to see its smaller siblings (as well as one of Samsung’s new Smart Monitors) in person, which are just as impressive thanks to their lower prices and more practical screen sizes.

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Like the Alienware AW3225QF and HP Omen Transcend 32, the 2024 Odyssey G8 OLED (G80SD) and Odyssey G6 OLED (G60SD) are based on Samsung’s third-generation QD-OLED technology. That means you get richer colors and deeper blacks, along with support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and increased brightness compared to traditional OLED displays. But from there, the two monitors diverge slightly, with the 32-inch G8 being the more all-rounder thanks to its 4K resolution and 240Hz refresh rate. Meanwhile, the smaller G6 is more suited to competitive gaming with its 2,560 x 1,440 resolution and 360Hz refresh rate.

My favorite of the two is the G8, as it has a flat display (not curved like the Alienware) with an anti-reflective matte coating, and an extremely sleek design that lets you appreciate its super-thin 0.15-inch panel. Meanwhile, Samsung has equipped both the G8 and G6 with a dynamic cooling system that better reduces temperatures and can also pre-regulate brightness when needed. And, for the first time, Samsung is offering a three-year warranty in case of monitor burn-in.

I also appreciate that even though it’s a relatively large monitor, the G8 supports height adjustment and the ability to rotate into portrait mode. For convenience, it has built-in stereo speakers and a solar remote (similar to the one on Samsung’s flagship TVs), allowing you to easily connect it to traditional PCs as well as gaming consoles. And if that’s not enough, the G8 also has Samsung’s Gaming Hub, which allows you to access streaming services like NVIDIA GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming without connecting to another device.

Alternatively, for more hardcore gamers, the G6 has almost all of the same technology (including the remote and matte coating) packed into an even more practical 27-inch display. You still get Samsung’s CoreLighting+ module on the back to provide some ambient RGB color and an equally sleek metal design. Samsung has redesigned the feet of the G8 and G6 to give those with unusual gaming setups more flexibility and room to place their mouse and keyboard.

Finally, while it’s neither an OLED nor a gaming display, Samsung’s M80D Smart Monitor 4K is a great take on office productivity. It has a magnetic mount for a detachable webcam, so you can easily place it without needing a tripod or quickly remove it at the end of a video call. You can also pair it with other Samsung devices over Wi-Fi, allowing you to easily move images or files from one to the other. Like the G8 and G6, it supports Samsung’s Gaming Hub and the ability to stream shows from apps like Netflix natively onto the monitor.

Alternatively, for more hardcore gamers, the G6 packs almost all of the same tech (including the remote and matte coating) into an even more practical 27-inch display. You still get Samsung’s CoreLighting+ module on the back to provide some ambient RGB colour and an equally sleek metal design. Samsung has redesigned the feet of the G8 and G6 to give those with unusual gaming setups more flexibility and room to place their mouse and keyboard.

Finally, while it’s neither an OLED nor a gaming display, Samsung’s M80D Smart Monitor 4K is a great take on office productivity. It has a magnetic mount for a detachable webcam, allowing you to easily attach it without the need for a tripod or quickly remove it at the end of a video call. You can also pair it with other Samsung devices via Wi-Fi, allowing you to easily move images or files from one to the other. Just like the G8 and G6, it supports Samsung’s Gaming Hub and the ability to stream shows from apps like Netflix to the monitor.

The G9 remains Samsung’s true flagship of gaming monitors, but the company has now created great options in smaller sizes, too.

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