Samsung’s Odyssey Ark Gaming Monitor is out now with specs, pricing and pre-orders open. The gigantic 55-inch curved gaming monitor captured the imagination of many at CES 2022, so it’s good to finally see it slated for retail. Rightly described as a “personal game theater,” the monitor is available for pre-order for $3,499 and will ship in September. There are many things to digest when it comes to specs, so I’ve summarized the main points below.
|
Samsung Odyssey Arc |
|
|---|---|
|
screen physics |
55-inch diagonal, 3840 x 2160 pixels, matte display |
|
curve |
1000R curvature |
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screen tech |
Quantum Matrix Mini LED with local dimming |
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HDR |
HDR10+, Quantum HDR 2000 |
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contrast ratio |
1,000,000:1 |
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refresh rate |
Up to 165Hz with FreeSync Premium Pro |
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reaction time |
1ms (GTG) |
|
port |
HDMI 2.1 (4EA), HDMI-CEC, RJ45 (1EA) |
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sound |
60W array with 4 speakers and 2 woofers with Dolby Atmos |
|
stand |
Height adjustable stand (HAS) with tilt and pivot, 200×200, 300×300, 400×400 VESA mounting options |
Headline specs are pretty impressive, but they’re conspicuously missing at least two metrics: maximum luminance and color gamut measurements.
Like many modern gaming monitors, the Samsung Odyssey Ark offers far more than the specs you would normally find in a table like the one above. For starters, the Quantum Mini LED screen is packed with 14-bit processing and sophisticated lighting control technology, claimed to offer 16,384 black levels.
An unusual feature of the curved gaming monitor is its suggested use in “cockpit mode” and the included stand that facilitates flanks of this towering display. Whether it’s really appealing and useful in some games is probably a matter of personal opinion.
With a tight 1000R curve, this 55-inch screen will probably feel very immersive in normal landscape mode. However, Samsung believes it elevates this feeling to “personal game theater” with the addition of Sound Dome Tech featuring AI Sound Booster and Dolby Atmos.
Samsung also offers a decidedly different way to interact with the monitor OSD on this new display. The Odyssey Ark comes bundled with a solar-powered (and USB-C rechargeable) Ark Dial. Think of it as a remote control for all the OSD adjustments you need, with the convenience of placing it anywhere on your desk and quick and intuitive dial and button control.
Arc dials are very useful because they have the following features: Multi View (up to 4 inputs on one screen), Quick Settings, Flex Move Screen (scales screen area used between 55-27 inches for ambient fill) and Game Bar (FPS, VRR, HDR stats toggle , photo mode) and more.
Finally, this large monitor is equipped with a Samsung Gaming Hub. This allows the user to connect directly to game streaming services such as Xbox, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Google Stadia, Utomik, Amazon Luna, without needing his PC.
of Samsung Odyssey Ark Gaming Monitor (opens in new tab) It’s available for pre-order now for $3,499. Customers will begin receiving monitors in September.
If you’re considering buying a 4K gaming monitor and none of the above is to your liking, check out our guide to the best 4K gaming monitors for PC 2022: 144Hz, curved surfaces and more.
