GoKawiilThe Samsung Odyssey G80HS is the first 6K gaming monitor, which immediately raises an obvious question: who exactly needs a 6K gaming monitor? It's a crazy resolution for gaming and far too demanding to make much sense with today's GPUs at native resolution. But the G80HS has a few tricks designed to make that seemingly excessive spec more practical.
Its 6K mode is primarily aimed at high-DPI productivity. You get a large 32-inch IPS LCD panel with no risk of burn-in and a 165Hz refresh rate that keeps desktop use feeling smooth and responsive. None of the sluggish 60Hz experience that has plagued high-DPI monitors for far too long.
Then, for gaming, Samsung offers a 3K dual mode that drops the resolution to something much more manageable for today's GPUs while doubling the refresh rate to 330Hz. Variable refresh rates are supported, Samsung claims fast response times, and the overall package is meant to deliver a genuine high-end gaming experience.
What's the catch? The Odyssey G80HS costs $1,600, which is very expensive.
That's about double the price of a 32-inch 4K 240Hz OLED monitor. It also has, uh... questionable HDR performance, which we'll get into later. No spoilers just yet.
But while it is expensive for a gaming monitor, it's not crazy for a high-DPI productivity display. Asus, for example, sells the 32-inch 6K ProArt PA32QCV for $1,300, but that model is limited to 60Hz. For me, and probably plenty of others considering a display like this, that's a non-starter.
The 6K Resolution
The Odyssey G80HS's biggest selling point is its 6144 x 3456 resolution. This is an exceptionally sharp monitor capable of producing excellent levels of detail. At a 32-inch panel size, that resolution results in a pixel density of 220 PPI, nearly 60% higher than a standard 4K screen. Up against the 32-inch 4K LCDs and OLEDs that I use daily, I felt the improvement from 6K was immediately noticeable.
This 32-inch 6K panel has a similar pixel density to a 27-inch 5K panel, with both forming part of a new wave of high-DPI, gaming-class displays. These screens make more sense when viewed around a target pixel density rather than a specific resolution. The 32-inch model is larger and provides more screen real estate than a 27-inch display, so pushing the resolution from 5K to 6K maintains that same high-density experience while giving you more pixels to work with.
The biggest benefits of 6K come from desktop productivity. Text quality is outstanding, with noticeably sharper edges than on 4K screens, while high-resolution photos can be displayed with greater detail.
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