While 8K resolutions on TVs didn’t change the game for big screens, Samsung still imagines a future where 4K is seen as old hat. We now have to consider the latest Odyssey G8 gaming monitor with support for 6K resolutions, promising sharper detail and crisper visuals in the paltry few games that support such high pixel counts.
The new Samsung Odyssey G80HS is a 32-inch IPS LCD monitor that pushes the fabled 6K (6,144 x 3,456) resolution at 165Hz. With a flip of a switch, the monitor can drop its pixel count down to 3K (3,072 x 1,728) and 330Hz if you’re hoping for faster gaming scenarios. Higher resolutions will necessitate higher pixel counts, and the new G8 can max out at 224 PPI (pixels per inch). Visual clarity is less about resolution and more about maximizing the pixels on screen, which is where 6K resolution may make more sense for a 32-inch monitor.
Samsung’s Odyssey monitors are gaming-focused first and foremost, so you may be wondering what’s the point of a $1,600 non-OLED monitor like the G80HS. Samsung does promise a relatively wide viewing angle for LCDs at 178 degrees without losing visual quality. It also meets a 1ms pixel-to-pixel response time, meaning the monitor can change images relatively quickly. But, in reality, it’s to see content at an even higher pixel density.
For comparison, 6K is nearly 2.5 times the number of pixels as 4K, often referred to as UHD. The problem with 8K TVs was less the technology and more the dearth of content that could support that scale of resolution. Some titles, like Cyberpunk 2077 and Ghost of Tsushima, should manage to hit 6K resolution. Samsung’s latest monitors still support its own HDR10+ standard but not Dolby Vision for high dynamic range content.
The Odyssey G80HS promises to hit a typical brightness of 350 nits and a peak luminance of 400 nits. It doesn’t exactly seem very bright for an IPS monitor that demands such a premium price.
If you were looking for something more standard, the $1,300 Odyssey G80SH (don’t get confused now) is the 32-inch 4K OLED variant that promises 300 nits typical and 1,000 nits with HDR.
Samsung is also pushing another G80HF (okay, seriously…) 27-inch monitor that tops out at 5K resolution and has an IPS display, though this one only costs $950.
Whether you can hit playable frame rates at that top resolution and still push graphics settings or ray tracing to the max will depend on your PC’s capabilities. There are reasons why 5K or even 6K monitors exist. Those working in creative fields who need ultra-high-end, pixel-perfect screens like Apple’s Studio Display XDR can make use of those higher resolutions, though mostly when editing video or 3D objects that require higher resolutions.
Compared to 4K, 6K is relatively untested in gaming circles. At the very least, you’ll likely avoid a situation like what occurred with the PlayStation 5 that promised it was 8K-capable. Sony eventually removed all mentions of 8K from its console packaging when it became clear few games supported the resolution. Things may be different with 5K and 6K, though we can’t promise you’ll be able to tell the difference between UHD and the new hotness of high-resolution monitors.
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