Samsung Odyssey G5 34in 21:9 Curved 34"

The Samsung Odyssey G5 is a 34-inch ultrawide VA monitor with a 165Hz refresh rate that punches above its weight for mixed use. The aggressive 1000R curve and deep contrast make games and movies immersive, while the 21:9 format is a productivity dream. Just know the brightness is limited, colors are average, and Samsung's warranty support has some horror stories. If you can find it under $400, it's a steal for a do-it-all ultrawide.

The Samsung Odyssey G5 is one of those monitors that makes you wonder why you didn't go ultrawide sooner. It's a 34-inch curved VA panel with a 3440 x 1440 resolution and a 165Hz refresh rate, and it's aimed squarely at people who want a single screen that can handle both a workday full of spreadsheets and an evening of gaming. The 1000R curve is aggressive, matching the natural curve of the human eye, which Samsung claims pulls you into the game. In practice, it just makes the edges of the screen feel closer and more usable without turning your head.

This monitor sits in a weirdly perfect spot in the market. It's not trying to be a $1,000+ OLED with perfect blacks and instant response times. It's a VA panel, which means you get deep contrast ratios that make games and movies look punchy, but you also get some of the classic VA smearing in dark scenes. For the price, though, it's hard to complain. Our database puts its feature set in the 98th percentile, meaning it's packed with stuff like PIP/PBP and a full ergonomic stand that most budget ultrawides skip.

Who's this for? If you're a hybrid worker who games on the side and wants a clean desk setup without a dual-monitor arm, this is a strong candidate. The 21:9 aspect ratio gives you the equivalent of two smaller monitors side-by-side without a bezel down the middle. But if you're a competitive esports player who needs the absolute fastest pixel response or a color-critical creative, you'll want to keep scrolling. The color accuracy lands in the 38th percentile, which is fine for gaming and office work but won't cut it for professional photo editing.

The 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms MPRT are the headline numbers here, and they deliver a genuinely smooth gaming experience. In our testing database, the overall performance sits in the 79th percentile, which is well above average. You're not getting the 240Hz or 360Hz of a dedicated esports monitor, but for everything from RPGs to casual shooters, 165Hz is the sweet spot where diminishing returns start to hit hard. FreeSync support keeps things tear-free, and while it's not officially G-Sync Compatible, it generally works fine with Nvidia cards over DisplayPort.

The VA panel is the star and the villain here. You get those lovely deep blacks and a contrast ratio that makes IPS panels look washed out in a dark room. But there's a trade-off. Dark pixel transitions are slower, so you'll see some black smearing in fast-paced scenes. It's not a dealbreaker for most people, and you can mitigate it somewhat by tweaking the overdrive settings, but it's the one thing that reminds you this isn't a $1,000 monitor. The 250-nit brightness is also just adequate. In a bright room with windows behind you, you'll wish you had a bit more headroom, especially since the HDR support is more of a checkbox feature than a real experience at this brightness level.

Pricing on this monitor is all over the map. We're seeing it listed anywhere from $138 to a frankly absurd $91,950 across different vendors, which tells me some sellers are either listing placeholder prices or hoping someone accidentally clicks "buy now." The real street price typically hovers in the $350 to $450 range, and at that level, this monitor is a solid deal. You're getting a 34-inch ultrawide with a high refresh rate and a proper stand for less than many 27-inch 1440p gaming monitors cost a few years ago.

For the best deal, Memory Express consistently has competitive pricing on Samsung monitors, and they're worth checking first. The value proposition here is strong if you can snag it under $400. Above $450, you start bumping into territory where you could get a flat IPS ultrawide with better colors or even a used higher-end model. The feature set is in the 98th percentile, which means you're getting a lot of monitor for the money, but only if you pay the right price.

The most direct competitor is the ASUS TUF Gaming VG34VQL1B, which also uses a 34-inch VA panel but bumps the refresh rate to 165Hz with a brighter backlight and better HDR support. The ASUS typically costs a bit more, but you get a more polished experience with less smearing and better out-of-box color accuracy. If you can stretch your budget by $50 to $100, the ASUS is the better gaming monitor. The Samsung fights back with that aggressive 1000R curve, which the ASUS doesn't match, and a more compact stand footprint.

On the other end, the LG UltraGear 27" Dual Mode is a different beast entirely. It's smaller at 27 inches and uses an IPS panel, so you lose the ultrawide format and the deep VA contrast, but you gain much better motion clarity and the ability to switch to a 1080p 480Hz mode for competitive games. It's a specialist's monitor. The Samsung is a generalist. If you play a mix of cinematic single-player games and do office work, the Samsung's ultrawide format wins. If you grind ranked Valorant or Apex Legends, the LG's speed matters more.

If you're a competitive esports player who lives in games like Valorant, CS2, or Apex Legends, this monitor isn't for you. The VA panel's black smearing will drive you nuts in fast dark scenes, and the 165Hz refresh rate, while good, isn't at the 240Hz+ level that serious competitive players prefer. You'd be better off with a 24 or 27-inch IPS panel with a 240Hz or higher refresh rate, like the LG UltraGear 27" Dual Mode.

Creative professionals should also look elsewhere. The 72% NTSC color coverage and 8-bit panel mean you're not getting the color accuracy needed for photo editing, video grading, or design work. Something like the MSI MAG 274QP QD-OLED or a Dell Ultrasharp would serve you much better, though you'll pay more for the privilege. And if you're setting up in a very bright room with lots of natural light, the 250-nit brightness will feel dim, especially if you're used to a brighter laptop screen or tablet.

For the hybrid worker who games after hours, the Odyssey G5 is an easy recommendation at the right price. The 21:9 format is a productivity cheat code, letting you run two full windows side-by-side without a bezel, and the 165Hz refresh rate means your evening gaming session feels smooth and responsive. The aggressive curve takes a day or two to get used to, but once you do, flat monitors feel oddly distant. Just make sure you're buying from a retailer with a solid return policy, because Samsung's warranty support has a bad reputation if something goes wrong.

If you're a competitive gamer who mainly plays fast shooters, I'd steer you toward a flat IPS panel with a higher refresh rate instead. The VA smearing will bother you in games like CS2 or Overwatch, and the 250-nit brightness won't do you any favors in a bright room. And if you're a creative professional who needs accurate color, this monitor's 72% NTSC coverage simply isn't enough. Look at something like the BenQ MOBIUZ EX271U or a Dell Ultrasharp instead. But for everyone else, the G5 is a lot of monitor for the money and a great entry point into ultrawide gaming.