Samsung Odyssey 3D G90XF hands-on review: this monitor turns 4K games into holograms
Gaming on this monitor is like peering through a virtual reality window
✅ Pros
🤩 Immersive, natural-looking glasses-free 3D
🧊 3D objects on this screen look like holograms in 4K
👀 Eye-tracking ensures a perfect 3D image
🖥️ Solid 27-inch 4K 165Hz gaming monitor even without 3D
🕹️ AMD Freesync, Nvidia G-Sync-compatible, and VRR support for all platforms
🌈 RGB lighting extends the color of the display to your desk for extra immersion
▶️ AI can convert YouTube videos and other footage into 3D
❌ Cons
💪 3D requires serious graphics power
🎮 3D is not supported at all by consoles
🥀 IPS panel limits color and pure blacks
🪞 Very reflective glossy finish
🤑 $2,000!
The Samsung Odyssey 3D G90XF delivers such natural-looking, high-resolution 3D that it has to be seen. The picture on the screen almost projects out like a hologram. This isn’t your dad’s Nintendo 3DS; this $1,999 monitor’s 3D tech is more sophisticated, thanks to a pair of subtly hidden eye-tracking cameras that help perfect the 3D effect. The 4K resolution of this monitor also makes 3D objects more detailed than I’ve seen on any other 3D display, to the point that videogame characters look like real-life objects. I can even tilt slightly to the sides to see more details on the side of the characters.
Samsung is working with game studios to make games designed for 3D, like The First Berserker: Khazan and Lies of P: Overture. You can also add a 3D effect to popular games like Palworld, Stray, and Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. And if you want even more 3D content, you can use Samsung’s AI to convert videos like movies and YouTube videos into 3D. I’ve only just dabbled with the Samsung Odyssey 3D G90XF, and I’ve come away very impressed and excited about it. I can’t wait to get more testing time with it and wait for our full review coming next week.
🎮 Glasses-free 3D gaming. The 3D effect of the Samsung Odyssey 3D is magical. It’s so subtle and high-resolution, it’s as if I’m looking at a hologram. The First Berserker: Khazan looked spectacular. Between the game’s comic-style graphics and the prominent 3D effect, the game looked almost like a pop-out motion comic. Since this game was designed to work with the Odyssey 3D, I could just jump. So far, Samsung has worked with two studios to make games, including this one and Lies of P: Overture, specifically for 3D.
🕹️Which games support 3D? You can play plenty of other games on the Samsung Odyssey 3D even if they haven’t been designed for the monitor. I was able to demo a few, including Palworld and Little Nightmares II. Palworld had more realistically looking characters thanks to the depth effect, making their curves actually round. I could also better judge how far-away objects were with the actual depth effect stacked on top of the blurred depth of field.
Little Nightmares II also looked amazing with an actual 3D effect that made my character stand out more, while there was actual depth between the foreground and background. For any supported games, you can call up an overlay with a keyboard shortcut to adjust the 3D pop-out effect and depth.
Gaming on this monitor is like peering through a virtual reality window
⚙️ Behind the tech. Now, the Odyssey 3D’s underlying tech is somewhat similar to a Nintendo 3DS. It uses a panel of lenticular lenses to deliver two different images to your left and right eyes. There are also two eye-tracking cameras that help ensure you get the optimal 3D experience even as you move your head around. As I shifted left to right, I was also able to see the depth and more details of the characters as if they were real-life objects.
📋 Prerequisites for 3D. Unfortunately, the Samsung Odyssey 3D requires serious graphics power to work, and you’ll need at least an Nvidia RTX 3080 or higher GPU to enjoy it – my demo was powered by the Nvidia RTX 5080 gaming PC. The Samsung Odyssey 3D also requires a PC to run its Reality Hub app, which means you won’t be playing PS5 Pro or Switch 2 games in 3D. Under the hood, the graphics card and Samsung’s Reality Hub split the 4K picture into two smaller 1,920 x 2,160 images and slightly offsets them to create the 3D effect.
👾 Solid 2D gaming chops. Even without any of the 3D hoo-ha, the Samsung Odyssey 3D is a solid gaming monitor for more pedestrian 2D gaming. The 27-inch screen size and 4K resolution deliver the perfect PPI for sharp desktop PC gaming. Its 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time also make it a responsive display for competitive games like Marvel Rivals.
☄️ Sync however you please. The Samsung Odyssey 3D supports AMD FreeSync Premium and VRR, and it’s Nvidia G-Sync-compatible, so you’ll be able to get a smooth gaming experience no matter what you connect to it. While you can’t get the 3D effect with consoles, the inclusion of VRR with its solid 4K specs makes this an all-around great gaming display.
🎞️ 3D videos. Beyond 3D games, Samsung’s Reality Hub can convert videos into 3D. Essentially, this feature has AI analyze and convert videos to add depth to objects. I was able to use this feature on a random Avengers: Endgame trailer I found on YouTube, and the effect was enough to remind me of watching the movie at a 3D IMAX theater. Samsung says not every video or video player can convert to 3D. You also can’t play any DRM-protected content, and you can’t watch content in HDR and 3D simultaneously, so you’ll have to pick one or the other.
🔊 Stereo sound. The Samsung Odyssey 3D features built-in dual speakers designed for directional sound to complement the 3D visuals. The speakers only produce stereo sound, but they produce a decent amount of separation that gives you that extra level of immersion for 3rd- and 1st-person games.
🖥️ Looks like a normal gaming monitor. For all the technological do-dads the Samsung Odyssey 3D stacks on top of a traditional gaming monitor, it surprisingly looks like any old computer screen. That’s a feat compared to other 3D monitors that look like they have modules bolted on. Even the top bezel, which stores the eye-tracking camera, is only a tiny bit thicker than the ones on the sides. The only thing that really makes this display stand out is its integrated lighting and the fact that it’s a little thick.
🌈 Immersive lighting. The Samsung Odyssey 3D also features an integrated RGB lightbar that illuminates the area just beneath the screen. It seems much smarter to add RGB to the front of your setup instead of sticking it on the display’s back, so you can’t see it like with every other gaming monitor. What’s more, Samsung has designed Edge Lighting to synchronize with colors on the screen to extend the screen in a similar fashion to Govee or any lights that sync up to displays.
🤑 $2,000! The Samsung Odyssey 3D commands a king’s ransom of $1,999 to purchase. That makes it one of the most expensive monitors in the last five years. If you’re just looking for a 4K gaming monitor, there are much cheaper options, including Samsung’s own Odyssey OLED G8 (G81SF) for $1,299 or the much cheaper $899 Alienware AW2725Q, and both are 4K QD-OLED 240Hz displays.
💳 Buy now bonus. Act quick if you’re going to buy the Samsung Odyssey 3D. You’ll get a $300 Samsung Gift Card if you purchase this monitor before or by April 27. Amazon is also offering a $300 gift card for first week orders made until April 27 as well. Lastly, Best Buy is also offering a bonus $300 gift card, plus one free month of Discord Nitro, and a three month subscription to Webroot Antivirus & Allstate Identity Protection also.
Kevin Lee is The Shortcut’s Creative Director. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam.