Samsung 49″ Odyssey G9 (G95C) Review

I had been toying with the idea of switching from my triple monitor setup to a single ultrawide monitor for awhile and when I saw Samsung’s 49-inch Odyssey G9 (G95C) on sale for just $680 (typically around ~$1,000) I knew it was time to finally make the change.

In this post, I’ll review the G95C and go over all of its pros and cons and standout features. I’ll also discuss whether or not my switch was the right decision as well as go over why it may or may not be the right monitor for your needs.

Why I Chose the G95C Over Other Odyssey G9 Options

There are a number of 49-inch Odyssey G9 ultrawide monitors currently available. My decision really came down to either getting the G95C, which has a VA panel, or getting the G91SD or G93SC, both of which have OLED panels.

The biggest determining factor in why I chose the G95C over the G91SD and G93SC is simply due to the fact that the G95C was on sale for ~$680, while the G91SD was priced at ~$980 and the G93SC was priced at ~$880 (also on sale).

But, even if the G91SD and G93SC were priced similarly to the G95C, I still would have opted for the G95C. I use my desktop primarily for work as I do a lot of content creation, graphics design, and video editing. And while OLED panels are better for gaming, they are considered to be the less desirable option for productivity work.

So, the G95C was the perfect option for my needs and it was priced very well.

Pros & Cons

Tech Specs

Unboxing

There is a right way to unbox this monitor and a wrong way. I disregarded the manual’s unboxing instructions and unboxed it the wrong way, but fortunately I didn’t end up breaking anything.

This monitor is incredibly heavy, weighing 23-pounds without the stand and 34.4-pounds with the stand attached. I tried to slide the panel out of the box while the box was on its side so I could get a good shot of the process for our video review. It took a little bit to slowly slide the panel and it’s styrofoam encasing out of the box.

However, Samsung has a much easier way for you to get the panel out of the box…

First, you assembly the stand, then with the box lying right-side up (so the back of the monitor is facing up), you simply attach the monitor stand to the back of the display, and then you lift up.

I repackaged the monitor to test out unboxing it this way and, while the monitor is still fairly heavy, it did come out of the box much easier this way.

I’d recommend that you unbox the monitor on the ground close to the desk where you’re going to place it. That way you can just lift the monitor up and into place.

Gaming on this display…

While the OLED versions of Samsung’s Odyssey G9 lineup would have been better options purely for gaming use-cases, I chose the G95C because OLED panels typically aren’t as good at displaying text, and since I spend a lot of time writing articles for my website, the OLED panel wasn’t the best option for me.

I’ve still found the Odyssey G95C to be excellent for gaming. The display still provides high-end visuals and the 240Hz refresh rate and adaptive sync capabilities provide an incredibly smooth experience.

I’m not an expert on monitors, so I can’t give you a detailed break-down of how this monitor stacks up to other similarly-specced and similarly-priced models. But, I can say that, for me, picture quality was not an issue.

What did stand out to me, though, is how much different gaming feels on an ultrawide display…

To test this monitor, I played a number of games on it and I was most surprised by how many games easily supported 5120 x 1440 resolution and also how much of an advantage playing on a ultrawide display seemed to offer in certain titles.

It almost feels like borderline cheating in games like Fortnite and Rocket League, where you add a ton of extra peripheral vision. But, as I understand, other competitive titles (like Valorant) don’t support playing at ultrawide resolutions, so this isn’t a universal advantage for all competitive titles.

Games like rocket league played great. This is a game that benefited greatly from the extra screen resolution and since it isn’t too demanding of a game, I was able to get a high enough framerate to fully utilize the 240Hz refresh rate this display comes with.

Ultrawide Gaming Isn’t Perfect…

There are some downsides to playing on an ultrawide monitor that are going to vary from game to game. In this section, I’ll go over some potential problems you’ll want to consider before you choose the Odyssey G95C (or any other ultrawide display.)

UI Issues

Since most games are designed to be played at 16:9 aspect ratio, even the games that do support ultrawide formats still have issues where the UI ends up in unintuitive locations.

As just one example, in Fortnite, the guns and building material menu in the bottom right hand corner of the screen makes sense at 16:9 aspect ratio, but on an ultrawide dispaly, it is almost silly how far out of your vision it is.

A lot of games with fixed UIs are going to have issues like this and without modding there’s no way around this. In a game like Fortnite, it’s not a huge deal as most seasoned players won’t need to constantly check the UI, but in other games it could ruin the experience.

Of course, the easy fix to this UI problem would be to just play that game in windowed mode.

You lose the awesomeness of having all of that extra vision, but if awkward UIs are too difficult for you to handle, you at least aren’t forced into using them.

Need A High-End PC to Fully Utilize

The other important factor that you’ll need to consider before you purchase the G95C (or any other ultrawide monitor) is that the higher resolution display is going to create more work for your PC.

Using the G95C as an example, its 5120 x 1440 resolution gives it nearly as many pixels as a 16:9 aspect ratio 4K display.

Not to mention, its higher refresh rate will require even more powerful components in order to achieve a high enough average framerate to really take advantage of the faster display.

If your PC can only push 50 frames per second in Fortnite you’d waste a lot of money on a monitor like this since you really wouldn’t be able to take full advantage of it.

Working/creating on this display…

When it comes to productivity and creative work, the G95C really shines. The biggest advantage here is obvious: you just get an insane amount of screen real estate on a single panel.

Whether I’m editing videos, writing, or juggling multiple browser tabs, the sheer width makes my day-to-day work feel less cramped.

For video editing, this monitor has been a game changer.

Being able to see so much more of the timeline at once makes scrubbing through footage far more efficient.

That said, not everything is perfect…

Recording Your Screen/Gameplay Isn’t As Simple

Recording your screen or gameplay on an ultrawide like this can be a little tricky if you also create content.

Since the native resolution of the monitor is 32:9, trying to turn that into a standard 16:9 video means you either have to crop out a huge chunk of the sides…

…or you’ll have size-down the ultra wide video to fit in a 16:9 aspect ratio (so you’ll have thick black bars above and below).

The other option is to force the game into a 16:9 aspect ratio when you go to record your desktop or gameplay.

Neither option feels ideal.

It’s not a dealbreaker, but if you stream or make YouTube videos, you’ll want to keep that in mind.

Scaling Issues w/ Multi-Browser Windows

Multitasking with browser windows and apps is generally great, but it does have its quirks.

Some websites don’t scale well when you shrink them down into narrow panes, so you’ll run into the occasional layout issue.

Use Microsoft’s PowerToys Fancy Zones to Fix This…

Windows does offer some snapping functionality out of the box, but I’ve found Microsoft’s PowerToys Fancy Zones to be essential.

It lets you build custom grids so you can set up the exact workflow you want—three browsers side-by-side, or a big editor in the middle with reference windows flanking it.

Curved Monitor Takes Time Getting Used To…

One other adjustment: apps or documents placed dead-center on the curve can look slightly off at first.

It’s a little weird if you’re used to flat monitors. The good news is, you adapt quickly, and after a few days the curvature just feels natural.

Additional Features Worth Noting

Beyond the core specs, the G95C comes with a handful of extra features that make the overall experience a bit nicer:

• EyeCare – Samsung’s built-in Eye Saver mode reduces blue light and flicker. It’s a small thing, but if you’re working long hours, it helps cut down on eye strain.
• Picture-by-Picture (PBP) – Lets you split the screen into two inputs side-by-side, effectively turning the monitor into two separate displays. Great if you’re running both a work PC and a gaming PC at the same time.
• RGB Lighting on the Back – The Infinity Core lighting adds a subtle glow behind the monitor. It’s not essential, but it looks slick in darker setups and gives the desk some personality.
• HDR Support – The G95C supports DisplayHDR 1000, which means brighter highlights and better contrast in games and movies that can take advantage of it.
• Ergonomic Stand – The stand is adjustable for height, tilt, and swivel, so you can dial in the position that feels comfortable for your desk setup. It’s a nice touch considering how large and heavy the panel is.

Taken together, these extras don’t radically change the experience, but they round it out in meaningful ways. And when you combine them with the core strengths of the G95C—its massive screen real estate, smooth performance, and immersive design—it becomes easier to answer the big question: is it worth the investment?

Worth it? Overall Opinion

100% this monitor has been worth it for ME. It allowed me to declutter my desktop without losing too much of the real estate I actually utilized on my triple monitor setup.

The screen has been great, both for working and gaming.

Hopping into competitive titles like Rocket League and Fortnite felt like I was borderline cheating with all the additional information you get with the added screen on your peripherals. I suspect for any esports title that has native support for 5120 x 1440 displays, you’ll gain a competitive advantage with an ultrawide monitor like the G95C.

Playing visually-rich titles was great as well.

Cyberpunk felt even more immersive in ultrawide.

Bottom line is that games that support the ultrawide aspect ratio, it’s a huge boost to your experience.

Games that don’t support it? It’s as simple as playing at traditional 16:9 aspect ratio and playing with black bars on the side.

The only real downside to playing on an ultrawide monitor is if you’re a content creator.

If you play games at the native 32:9 aspect ratio and then you try to scale them down into a 16:9 aspect video, they’re not going to look right. So, you can’t have the best of both worlds, both playing at 32:9 and outputting to 16:9 (except for in titles where cropping out the sides of the game doesn’t change the captured video enough to negatively impact the viewing experience of that video.)

Also, if gaming is your main priority, I’d recommend getting the OLED version of this monitor (G91SD) as it will give you an even better viewing experience.

As I need a monitor for both work and gaming, I opted for the VA panel (G95C).

Overall, this monitor has been an amazing upgrade for me, especially at its ~$680 pricetag. I would have paid $1,000 for this monitor, but got lucky with timing and was able to snag it at its discounted price.

Get the Samsung Odyssey G95C here.