We’ll get back to 3D game testing closer to the end of this review, but first, we have to put the Odyssey 3D through our benchmark regimen. We measured color gamut, brightness, and contrast ratio using Calman monitor calibration software and a Klein K-10A colorimeter. We also ran the monitor through a gauntlet of games to measure input lag and judge its real-world performance.
In our first test, we benchmarked the brightness with the monitor’s default gaming profile over an SDR signal. Under these conditions, we saw an average brightness of 328 nits (candelas per square meter). That’s a smidge under the maximum 350 nits of brightness the monitor is rated for. Still, it’s brighter than most OLED monitors we’ve tested recently, including the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8. (We could not measure HDR brightness, due to an issue with our testing equipment.)
(Credit: Portrait Displays)
Moving from brightness to color gamut performance, the monitor spanned 99.6% of the sRGB color gamut, 84.1% of Adobe RGB, and 91% of DCI-P3 (see the chart above) in our tests.
The 3D Odyssey is rated for a peak contrast ratio of 1,000:1. In our testing, we measured a ratio of 1,376:1, which is excellent for an IPS monitor.
Input Lag
To measure the monitor’s input lag, we deployed the Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester. We also played a handful of games from our library to check for any noticeable blemishes, like screen tearing.
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We recorded 9.2 milliseconds (ms) of input lag for the Odyssey 3D at both 4K/60Hz and 1080p/60Hz. Switching to 1440p/60Hz, the input lag ticked up a smidge, to 11.1ms. The Bodnar doesn’t support testing at the monitor’s 165Hz ceiling, but we can see what the input lag would be like at 120Hz. We noted 5ms of input lag at 1080p/120Hz, and 18.4ms of input lag at 1440p/120Hz.
We consider input lag of 16ms or less to be playable, at least for casual play at 60Hz. If you’re a competitive gamer, you’ll want to seek the kind of even lower input lag found in esports monitors like the LG 27GX790A. But overall, our takeaway is that the Odyssey 3D doesn’t really compromise quick response times in the pursuit of glasses-free 3D.
In addition, the monitor supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and is Nvidia G-Sync Compatible. These technologies reduce choppiness, screen lag, and image tearing when paired with any of today’s high-end graphics cards.
Gaming Performance
Our ad hoc game testing is a little different for this monitor than for other gaming monitors, as we spent all of our time playing in 3D. At launch, Samsung confirmed these 3D-compatible titles:
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Disney Epic Mickey Rebrushed
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F.I.S.T. Forged in Shadow Torch
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Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy—Definitive Edition
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Little Nightmares II
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Palworld
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The Smurfs: Dreams
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SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
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Wigmund
Fifty titles are slated for compatibility by the end of the year. Forthcoming ones include Darksiders Genesis, Like a Dragon: Ishin!, Octopath Traveler, and Psychonauts 2.
Admittedly, this is a strange mix of titles, but they all have one thing in common: They were all developed using Unreal Engine 4. Samsung has confirmed that the monitor will support only Unreal Engine-developed games. The company has not confirmed if that support will extend to games developed in Unreal Engine 5, though.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
To ensure I got the most out of my testing, I needed enough computing power to run games at 4K with 3D on. So I did my testing on the most muscular desktop we had in our lab: the Alienware Area-51 (2025). It has an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080, and 64GB of RAM.
Samsung provided testing codes for Palworld and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake. As mentioned earlier in the review, I was initially worried I wouldn’t be able to remap the shortcuts on the Reality Hub overlay, but with that concern out of the way, I could focus on exploring Palworld’s opening hour in full 3D—and it looked good. The 3D effect is impossible to capture on video or in photographs, though, so you’ll have to take my word for it.
I felt the same way about SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake. Both games have colorful visuals that look great in 3D. Text boxes were easy to read, and I was overall impressed with the 3D effect. After a minute or two to adjust, my eyes felt no strain. I could even move slightly from side to side without disrupting the 3D effect.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
I wasn’t able to play The First Berserker: Khazan again for this review, but I was blown away by how good the 3D looked in this game during earlier hands-on time I had with this panel at Samsung’s own facility when they demoed it for me. I was impressed by the depth of field and that there seemed to be no visual compromises to make it happen.
Overall, the games I tested in 3D worked well and didn’t make my eyes ache after a few moments of play, but that doesn’t entirely make up for the fact that there are so few games co-developed with Samsung for maximum compatibility. For now, you’d be buying this panel mostly for the future promise.
Media Playback Performance
The Odyssey 3D also uses artificial intelligence to transform compatible 2D video content into 3D. I tried the tech out on a few movie and game trailers, as well as a few music videos.
Again, I was impressed by how well it worked, even though it was not as impressive as playing games in 3D. The effect also comes with a few caveats: You can’t use HDR; you must be watching in full screen; and you cannot use the effect on content with digital rights management (DRM) enabled.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The lack of DRM support is especially limiting. For example, I tried using the 3D effect on a free Hollywood movie available on YouTube, and I was greeted by a black screen. If Samsung offered a library of movies that could utilize the effect like the co-developed games can, it might be a different story. As for now, the 2D-to-3D conversion is a fun party trick—and that’s it.
Speaking of caveats, to use the 3D video conversion, you’ll need an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU or higher, or an equivalent AMD GPU. In addition, Samsung recommends an Intel Core i7 or higher—or an AMD Ryzen 7 1700X or higher—and 32GB of DDR5-5600 RAM.