We’ve all been talked at before. All sorts of colorful information is pointed directly at us, sometimes with the energy of a hairdryer. That’s sort of how gaming monitors have been.
With their incredible pixel density, high refresh rate, brilliant color, and eye-squinting brightness, these big rectangles are a one-way communication cannon.
After experiencing Samsung’s new Odyssey 3D monitor, I realized it gaming monitors don't have to be this way. What's on your monitor can feel more like an immersive, visual conversation — and not a blaring, optical broadcast.
See also: Get $300 in Samsung credit when you pre-order any of these Samsung Odyssey 4K gaming monitors
The 27” Samsung Odyssey 3D monitor offers three-dimensional experiences that floored me when I went hands-on with it earlier this month. The images from video games or 2D movies floated off the screen and into my world — no 3D glasses required.
Two stereo cameras with lenticular lenses are embedded in the top bezel of the monitor to do the eye tracking, and the images pop off your screen. That’s the short version.
The slightly longer version is that the cameras that were tracking my eyes sent those images into an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU, which was connected to a Maingear gaming rig with 32GB of RAM and an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor.
And those 3D visuals only come to life if you have the Samsung Reality Hub app running.
In sum, this powerful experience is still at the high end for gaming monitors. While the minimum GPU required to operate the Odyssey 3D monitor is the now affordable Nvidia RTX 3080, which was launched in September of 2020, nothing about this brilliant bit of future tech says "budget." (But that's never been the point with brilliant bits of future tech.)
The result of the Odyssey 3D monitor, though, is stunning. The 3D monitor concept isn’t new, nor is Samsung the first to bring this technology to market. But in isolation, the way the screen can suck you in will have you in awe.
If you grew up going to 3D movies — whether it was seeing Michael Jackson in Captain EO at Epcot or watching a swarm of bees fly off the screen in Jackass 3D — there are two main differences I noticed in experiencing the Odyssey 3D monitor:
1. You aren’t wearing glasses. Particularly if you already wear glasses like me, this is tremendous.
2. You are in control. You can rewind to move your avatar in a game, and even to dial down the 3D or crank it up. 3D can be a bit unnerving. Being able twiddle the knobs helps.
It’s not for everybody, but it’s a unique piece that’s cutting edge for people who want future technology.”
As for performance, a Samsung rep tells Laptop Mag that the Odyssey 3D won't set records.
“It will never be the fastest monitor in our lineup. It’s not for everybody, but it’s a unique piece that’s cutting edge for people who want future technology.”
At launch, Samsung says the Odyssey 3D monitor supports the games listed below — many of which are slow-burning, deeply immersive, and artful.
If you try to play Cyberpunk 2077 on the Odyssey 3D and expect similar performance as you might get on the also-new, souped-up, 240Hz Samsung 27" Odyssey OLED G8, don't say we didn't warn you.
- KHAZAN: The First Berserker
- Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
- Lies of P
- Psychonauts 2
- Little Nightmares II
- Palworld
- F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch
- SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
- Like a Dargon: Ishin
- Only UP
- Darksiders Genesis
- Octopath Traveler
Samsung’s not alone in the 3D monitor market. Lenovo also offers a 27-inch 3D monitor — its ThinkVision display — that also uses cameras for eye-tracking, but a 3D engine embedded in the monitor makes it a bit more versatile for different computers.
That also means that 3D gaming on the ThinkVision — marketed to professionals and designers — may be difficult, if not impossible.
For example, the ThinkVision display has a 60Hz max refresh rate, while the Odyssey 3D monitor maxes out at 165Hz.
The talk isn't cheap
While this monitor offers an immersive experience that feels like a visual conversation, it turns out this kind of talk isn't cheap.
While there are a slew of discounts and add-ons that bring down the final cost significantly, the preorder price as of Wednesday, April 16, is $1,999.
What else did Samsung release?
In addition to the Odyssey 3D monitor, Samsung also released two other monitors.
There is the 27” Odyssey OLED G81SF gaming monitor, an update to the previous generation with an OLED screen and a 240Hz refresh rate. Samsung claims it's the "industry's first" 4K OLED gaming monitor.
The monitor features 166 PPI (pixels per inch) across its 27-inch size. Pair that PPI with a 4K UHD display, and you have specs that result in an incredible gaming experience.
The glare-reduction technology is also quite noticeable with the matte appearance we've come to expect. But in my viewing, this didn't seem to reduce to vivid colors of Cyberpunk 2077, and the OLED screen made it easy to spot the finest differences between black and very black in the dark corners of the game.
It starts at $1,299, and Samsung is offering a $300 credit as of this writing.
Samsung also released the 49" Odyssey G91F, a curved ultra-wide monitor that offers a split-screen feature for side-by-side gaming. It's a lower-priced option than the other 49" Odyssey monitors — it starts at $999, and you get a $300 Samsung credit.
When you compare this new 49" monitor to its higher-end sibling, the Odyssey OLED G9 Gaming Monitor G93SC, it's easy to understand the price difference. This new 49" monster doesn't have an OLED panel, and its 144Hz refresh rate isn't close to the 240Hz refresh rate. That said, an ultra-wide Samsung monitor for $999 — whether you're a gamer or not — is nothing to be sniffed at.
More from Laptop Mag
- The best gaming monitors in 2024
- Best monitor deals in April 2025: Cheap, 4K, gaming, and more
- Score! Get $300 in Samsung credit when you pre-order any of these Samsung Odyssey 4K gaming monitors
- Samsung’s 3D monitor transforms how you see games and videos without using glasses
- Alienware 27 4K QD-OLED (AW2725Q) gaming monitor review: 4K gaming has never looked better
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