The brand new god of gaming screens has arrived – however is it really sensible?
The Samsung Odyssey Ark gaming monitor is by far one of the crucial audacious arrivals we’ve had within the WePC testing studio in a while.
The behemoth gaming monitor is being described by Samsung as the proper gaming theatre – perfect for severe gaming, productiveness, and streaming. At its core, the Samsung Ark comes outfitted with an enormous 55-inch UHD 4K show, 165Hz refresh fee, and all of the gaming options you might shake a stick at.
It additionally options quite a few HDMI 2.1 ports too (no DisplayPorts), that means the Ark will assist next-gen console gaming at 120Hz – alongside Quantum HDR 2000 and mini LED backlight expertise (boasting 1,056 native dimming zones).
On the floor, this looks as if the form of weird monitor {that a} youngster would assume up when excessive on pure show euphoria. However that isn’t the case.
This monitor is claimed to have real-world use instances – and we’ve spent the previous few days making an attempt to determine precisely what these are.
On this information, we’ll be reviewing the Samsung Odyssey Ark monitor in full – testing the show for colour accuracy, gaming efficiency, construct high quality, and general performance – placing among the panel’s principal options and shopping for factors to the take a look at.
So, will the Samsung Odyssey Ark ignite our visible senses? Or will or not it’s topped essentially the most pointless monitor of 2022?
Let’s discover out.
Samsung Odyssey Ark specs
Samsung Odyssey Ark gaming monitor
Display dimension
55″ show
Professionals
- 55-inch 1000R curve
- 165Hz refresh fee
- Unbelievable picture high quality
- Spectacular speaker system
- Absolutely helps next-gen consoles
- Quantum HDR 2000 certification
- Mini LED backlight expertise (1,056 zones)
Cons
- Extremely costly
- Heavy design that’s laborious to maneuver
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What’s In The Field
The Samsung Odyssey Ark arrives in an enormous field that showcases among the panel’s principal options and a few advertising materials on the outside.
Inside, the monitor is packaged in a TV-esque orientation – stood up subsequent to the stand. Customers would require one other particular person to assemble this monitor because it weighs 100lbs (41.5KG).
Building of this monitor does require a screwdriver to safe the stand into the rear of the panel. Moreover, the bottom of the stand has 4 screws that should be tightened as effectively.
General, it is a fairly tough monitor to assemble – primarily as a result of its sheer weight.
Alongside the panel and the stand, customers will discover the next objects:
Samsung Odyssey Ark gaming monitor
Display dimension
55″ show
Design And Options
With specs out the way in which, let’s take a more in-depth take a look at the construct high quality, design, and mechanical options the Samsung Odyssey Ark comes outfitted with.
Aesthetic design
The Samsung Ark is by far one of many largest screens we’ve examined – however that’s not what makes this factor so uncommon. It’s the truth that this 55-inch monitor may be rotated right into a portrait orientation, making it look (and really feel) completely gigantic, and, actually a bit intimidating.
The swooping 1000R curve appears to go on eternally – accompanied by super-thin bezels on all 4 sides that assist obtain a classy and premium profile. That very same curve additionally creates the idea for the extremely immersive viewing expertise that makes up the crux of its USP. This makes it bespoke for enjoying Xbox or watching motion pictures (one thing we’ll talk about in additional element shortly).
The bottom of this monitor is totally large and weighs greater than the show itself. It options a big sq. footprint that, regardless of its dimension, does really work with the monitor’s futuristic styling.
The “neck” of the stand can be large, that includes a brushed aluminum end that matches in properly with the remainder of the monitor’s aesthetic theme. In actual fact, the stand itself resembles the monolith from 2001: A Area Odyssey, caught to what seems like an enormous curved fragment of some form of monumental spacecraft. There’s not lots happening by way of particulars, however there’s a complete lot of floor space to um, recognize.
Extra brushed aluminum plastic has been used on the rear of the panel, with two giant LED lighting zones on the highest and backside (relying on what orientation you’re utilizing it in). All lighting may be altered throughout the monitor’s OSD.
Construct High quality
The Samsung Ark weighs in at a formidable 100lbs (41.5KG) – that means construct high quality ought to be of the utmost significance. Fortunately, it looks as if Samsung has prioritized construct supplies and development within the manufacturing technique of this monitor.
Upon unboxing, we are able to confidently say that this monitor feels completely rock strong. The stand by itself weighs virtually 50lbs of pure steel, that means that maneuvering the panel round may be virtually unimaginable. That mentioned, the stand must be this sturdy simply to keep up some stage of stability.
The show itself clips into the again of the stand by way of a toolless design, with two screws obtainable for securing it in place. As soon as secured, the monitor does expertise somewhat little bit of wobble however nothing that’s too offputting.
Having mentioned that, any wobble in any respect while you’re sitting in entrance of this monitor can really feel extremely intimidating – particularly when it’s within the portrait orientation.
All fittings and fixtures on the rear of the panel additionally really feel extremely well-finished, with the Samsung “One Join” field additionally offering a stage of luxurious that you simply don’t usually get with generic energy bricks.
Finally, it seems like Samsung has taken the mandatory steps in the course of the manufacturing course of to make sure this monitor is steady throughout utilization.
Panel Coating
Like many trendy screens, the Samsung Odyssey Ark options an anti-glare matte coating that helps to mitigate and soak up pure mild to scale back reflective artifacts.
The coating does a tremendous job at absorbing mild reflections, nonetheless, as a result of its large curved nature, there are nonetheless blooms of reflectivity throughout utilization.
Moreover, with the Samsung Ark providing panorama and portrait modes, it should probably decide up a tonne of fingerprints throughout utilization.
Tips on how to clear a monitor
Bezels
Regardless of its large dimension, the Ark nonetheless comes with extremely small bezels that assist so as to add to the immersion when gaming, or throughout normal content material consumption.
The highest and aspect bezels measure in at an extremely respectable 9mm whereas the underside bezel contains a bigger 12mm bezel (nonetheless a lot smaller than a lot of at the moment’s gaming screens).
Stand
The monolithic function that Samsung has known as a stand is each sturdy and versatile.
One of many principal options of this panel is its means to make the most of each panorama and portrait modes – with computerized mode modifications enabling between rotations.
Except for full 90-degree pivot performance, the stand additionally options tilt and peak adjustment too.
Under are the total changes obtainable with this explicit panel:
Panorama mode:
- Ahead Tilt – 10 levels
- Backward Tilt – 10 levels
- Left Swivel – Unavailable
- Proper Swivel – Unavailable
- Pivot – 90 levels
- Peak – 270mm
Portrait mode:
- Ahead Tilt – 13 levels
- Backward Tilt – 10 levels
- Left Swivel – Unavailable
- Proper Swivel – Unavailable
- Pivot – 90 levels
- Peak – 30mm
Samsung Odyssey Ark gaming monitor
Display dimension
55″ show
Inputs
Not like smaller gaming screens, the Samsung Ark makes use of an enter dock that isn’t bodily hooked up to the monitor itself.
The dock has been coine d the “One Join” and acts as the primary enter supply and the ability brick – connecting to the ability and your distinctive units.
The enter dock options 4 x HDMI 2.1 ports (one in all which helps eARC), a 3.5mm EX-Hyperlink headphone jack, Ethernet port, and optical enter – that means you’ll have the ability to hook up 4 units concurrently, alongside a soundbar too.
The Samsung Ark additionally gives sufficient bandwidth to assist 4K gameplay at 165Hz – by way of any of the obtainable HDMI 2.1 ports obtainable.
Sadly, no DisplayPort cable is obtainable on the Ark.
OSD
Customers can management the OSD with the distant or the futurstic-looking Ark dial that’s distinctive to this panel.
Regardless of this show being classed as a gaming monitor, the OSD definitely seems extra like one thing you’d see on a TV. That mentioned, it nonetheless options all of the related image and colour enhancements you’d count on from a gaming show.
Alongside this, customers can even fine-tune the audible expertise of this monitor – with {custom} presets obtainable for a extra rounded sound.
A complete recreation menu (known as the Recreation Bar) has additionally been added to this show, permitting you to customise the pixel response time, VRR, facet ratio, and different settings of the Samsung Ark’s gaming efficiency.
Moreover, Microsoft’s Xbox Recreation Cross is constructed into the show itself, that means you’ll have the ability to entry your whole Xbox library by means of the Samsung Ark.
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Let’s not neglect the multi-view performance both. Samsung has added this function to permit customers to separate the show into 4 separate sources.
Whereas this sounds nice on the floor, the choices are restricted for this function – with only one HDMI enter obtainable at a time. Meaning you won’t be able to separate your display screen into three or 4 segments and use two HDMI inputs on the similar time.
Proper now, the Multi-View function appears somewhat pointless – particularly while you consider Window’s personal snapping software.
Samsung Ark Dial
The Ark comes with a distant management – the identical used on Samsung TVs – and a cool trying dial for OSD navigation.
The Dial might be most individuals’s favoured possibility for navigating the assorted menus, providing a hyper-futuristic really feel to this already distinctive trying panel.
Use the dial to scroll by means of menus with ease. It additionally options directional buttons contained in the dial to assist you to flick by means of menus in a extra generic method.
Samsung Ark Audible efficiency
The most effective options – in my eyes – that the Samsung Ark comes outfitted with is its sound system. That’s proper, I did name it a sound system and for good cause.
The Ark options 4 principal audio system (positioned on every of the corners) alongside two highly effective subwoofers discovered within the centre of the panel. All six audio system work collectively to create an extremely highly effective audible expertise which gives wonderful treble and bass.
Infact, the Ark is by far the loudest panel we’ve examined – providing up loads of bass and depth within the mids. Moreover, the improved sound dome expertise intelligently tailors the sound to your setting or viewing materials – creating the proper sound whether or not you’re gaming or watching a film.
Coloration Accuracy & Image High quality
We like to check each monitor we evaluation for colour replica to see how it might carry out in color-sensitive conditions. In line with Samsung’s web site, the Ark is rated for a large colour gamut (95% DCI-P3) which suggests each accuracy and HDR efficiency ought to be comparatively first rate.
Like all the time, we began off the colour accuracy testing part of this evaluation by loading up our colorimeter and operating a take a look at proper out of the field.
Under are the outcomes.
Out of the field, the Samsung Ark is ready to a “graphic” colour preset – meant for graphic designer or a extra practical colour expertise.
As you’ll be able to see from the outcomes above, the Samsung Ark featured a 7110K white level and low 0.03 cd/m2 black depth – pretty typical for VA panels. Extra spectacular, nonetheless, was the 1.2 common delta proper out of the field – a rating you seldom come throughout from out of the field settings. Brightness was additionally set to a snug viewing stage, coming in at 102 cd/m2. Gamma learn 2.22.
We shortly moved onto the Leisure mode and, as anticipated, the Ark turned a lot much less correct. The leisure mode is custom-designed for motion pictures and TV exhibits, that means colours have been enhanced to come out of the display screen. You’ll be able to clearly see this when viewing the typical deltaE rating of the preset, which sat at a 4.25 common throughout a smaller spectrum of colours. Brightness was additionally elevated exponentially, now sitting at 671cd/m2.
Lastly, we examined the Recreation mode to see how correct it was. As you’ll be able to think about, just like the leisure mode, gaming mode wasn’t practically as correct as we’d like. That being mentioned, when enabled, video games do look improbable and wealthy – simply not as correct as you may like.
We wasted no time and thru the Ark by means of a like calibration to see how correct it may turn into. At this stage, it’s value concerning the truth that the Ark has a built-in calibrator that means that you can alter the colour to your actual wants.
For finest outcomes, we left the sRGB values at 8/-2/1
Utilizing the calibration software resulted in a big uplift in general colour accuracy. As you’ll be able to see from the outcomes above, white steadiness was far more practical now, scoring 6579K. Black depth did improve barely, however nothing overly problematic. Most spectacular, nonetheless, was the 0.4 common deltaE which we now recorded – making the Ark a superbly possible possibility for enhancing video and pictures throughout the sRGB spectrum.
Panel Uniformity
Panel uniformity is a take a look at we run to verify how uniform the luminance and colours are throughout everything of the display screen. Throughout this take a look at, the middle sq. is used because the reference area. Each different sq. is then examined to see how far it differentiates from the reference.
In a perfect world, we would like each sq. to be inexperienced, that means it hasn’t damaged the differential threshold – one thing we are able to set at the beginning of the take a look at.
Word: outcomes will differ from panel to panel.
There was a small variance within the backside left-hand nook of the monitor, nonetheless, that’s to be anticipated from a VA curved panel.
Viewing Angles
Like most VA panels, the Samsung Odyssey Ark displayed fairly poor viewing angles general. The viewing expertise of the Ark was distinctive when going through it straight on, nonetheless, viewing it from over 40 levels did lead to some fairly aggressive colour shift.
Coloration Gamut
DISCLAIMER: The take a look at outcomes beneath are primarily based on preliminary findings and, on the floor, appear a lot decrease than what is anticipated from the expertise used on this panel.
We’ll proceed to do colour checks on the monitor till we’re glad with the outcomes. We’re additionally reaching out to Samsung to see whether or not the beneath outcomes are anticipated.
As a part of the calibration course of, the DisplayCal will give an correct measurement of the colour gamut the monitor can present. Under are the outcomes of the colour gamut take a look at:
As you’ll be able to see from the graph above, the Samsung Odyssey Ark didn’t fairly stay as much as its 95% DCI-P3 colour gamut. As an alternative, it produced a reasonably lackluister 73.4% – far lower than different screens using the identical Mini LED Quantum backlight expertise.
We recorded a 94.3% sRGB gamut protection which, once more, is way lower than you may count on from this expertise.
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Above we’ve included the bodily graphs for every colour area, showcasing the precise protection we recorded within the DCI-P3 and sRGB colour spectrums.
Most And Minimal Brightness
We ended the colour accuracy and film high quality testing by checking the utmost brightness, minimal brightness, and 120 candelas stage on this panel. The outcomes are beneath:
| Brightness | Candelas |
|---|---|
| 100 Brightness | 680.32cd/m2 |
| 0 Brightness | 75.26cd/m2 |
| 4 Brightness | 120 cd/m² |
Due to the expertise used throughout the Samsung Ark, we have been capable of report virtually 700 nits of peak brightness when in regular SDR mode.
This is likely one of the highest peak brightness outcomes we’ve seen, producing an extremely vibrant picture.
Samsung Odyssey Ark gaming efficiency
With colour accuracy and panel uniformity out of the way in which, it’s time to place the Samsung Odyssey Ark by means of quite a few completely different gaming and response time checks to see the way it stacks up in gaming eventualities. Like all the time, we’ll be testing the monitor throughout a wide range of video games to get a better understanding of how this monitor performs general.
For this portion of the testing, we enabled VRR and set the refresh fee to its max 165Hz.
On this event, we didn’t hearth up CS:GO – not but anyway – however as an alternative enabled the monitor’s HDR to play some immersive-based single-player titles. Shadow of the Tomb Raider was the primary recreation we performed and boy did the Ark impress.
The 1000R curve was arguably an important facet of the panel, making a tonne of immersion to the viewing expertise. Higher but, sticking with Samsung’s really useful 80cm viewing distance, I by no means felt like I used to be a curved picture. As an alternative, it felt like I used to be viewing an enhanced model of the digital world that stored wrapping across the periphery of my imaginative and prescient – a very distinctive viewing expertise.
General, the HDR efficiency of the show was good, nonetheless, evaluating it to different high-performance HDR panels didn’t actually lead to an enormous distinction. This was somewhat disappointing when you think about the Samsung Ark is rated for 2000 nits of peak brightness in HDR.
That’s to not say the Ark didn’t produce a stunningly vivid visible – as a result of it did – it simply wasn’t as dazzling as I believed it could be. Having mentioned that, it nonetheless provided up a way more practical and life-like colour expertise when in comparison with different gaming screens that don’t function high-end HDR.
Enjoying SOTTR was a really gratifying and distinctive expertise on the Samsung Ark. Its large display screen dimension paired with a 1000R curve and wonderful colours actually did present an distinctive viewing expertise.
We wasted no time and loaded up CS:GO to get a style of simply how responsive this 165Hz 1ms VA panel was. Enjoying CS:GO did produce a clean, fluid gaming expertise. Image readability and picture sharpness of fast-moving photographs have been fairly spectacular contemplating its large dimension. Moreover, with the Ark being a VA panel, you’d count on it to function some visible artifacts corresponding to ghosting and smearing – however that wasn’t the case.
Higher but, the Samsung Odyssey Ark options a picture resizing software (Flex Transfer Display) that means that you can flip your 55-inch monitor right into a smaller, extra tailor-made dimension. Enjoying CS:GO was loopy on the 55-inch show, nonetheless, altering it to a extra optimized 27-inch display screen really felt very playable. Moreover, by resizing to a smaller display screen, you aren’t burdened by ugly black bars. Samsung makes use of a firey embers background that feels far more premium.
Last Ideas
So, there you’ve got it, our complete evaluation of the Samsung Odyssey Ark – the world’s first 55-inch 1000R curved gaming monitor. Regardless of its geniune draw, the query nonetheless stays as as to if or not it is a possible monitor for residence use. And sadly, I don’t assume it’s.
Firstly, let’s begin with the positives. The Samsung Ark is a brilliant cool, futuristic trying monitor that improve the aesthetic prowess of any gaming setup on the market. It’s huge scooping 1000R curve pairs properly with the large 55-inch show to create a starship vibe that’s not like something available on the market at the moment.
Appears to be like apart, the Ark additionally performs to a reasonably excessive stage as effectively. It gives an honest sRGB preset proper out of the field for colour correct work, alongside first rate fluidity when taking part in each single-player and extra aggressive titles.
Having mentioned that, we are able to’t ignore the elephant within the room – and that’s the sheer dimension (and value) of this behemoth monitor. At 55-inches, it is just too massive for most individuals’s residing area. Even within the WePC testing studio, the Ark was an actual ache to maneuver from desk to desk.
Moreover, with a price ticket that at present sits at round £2,500 ($3,500), it should far exceed most peoples budgets.
Whereas this could be an extremely cool gaming monitor, it definitely falls into the luxurious showoff class – with only some fortunate people really having the financial institution to justify its buy.
