Samsung Odyssey LS27HG802EFXZA 27" Black 2026

The Samsung Odyssey G80HF is a dual-mode oddball that nails both 5K productivity and 360Hz gaming in one 27-inch screen. Its color accuracy is among the best we've seen, but the dim 350-nit panel kills any real HDR enjoyment. At $950, it's a niche pick for people who refuse to choose between work and play.

The dual-mode party trick is the star. At 5K, you get a crisp 180Hz refresh that makes desktop work and slower-paced games look incredible. Flip the switch to 1440p and you're suddenly at 360Hz with a 1ms response time, which is exactly where you want to be for shooters. Motion clarity is excellent in both modes thanks to that fast IPS panel and FreeSync Premium support. The weak spot is brightness. At 350 nits typical, HDR content feels flat, and the HDR10+ certification is mostly on paper. It's fine in a dim room, but don't expect it to punch like a good OLED or a mini-LED panel.

Stacked against the OLED competition like the ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQDMG or the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED, the G80HF gets absolutely smoked on contrast and HDR impact. Those panels deliver true blacks and eye-searing highlights this IPS screen can't touch. The Alienware AW3425DW is a different shape entirely but offers a more immersive ultrawide experience for similar money. Where the Samsung wins is pure pixel density and that dual-mode flexibility. The LG UltraGear 32GX850A-B is probably its closest spiritual rival with a high-res, high-refresh dual-mode setup, but at a larger 32-inch size. If you want 5K sharpness at 27 inches with a gaming mode, this is basically your only option.

Value is the trickiest part of this review. At $950, you're paying a huge premium for the dual-mode panel and that crisp 5K desktop experience. You can get a fantastic 4K 240Hz OLED for less, or a dedicated 1440p 360Hz monitor for half the price. What you're really buying here is the convenience of not needing two separate displays. If that workflow flexibility saves you desk space and hassle, the price starts to make sense. For most people, it's a tough sell.

Samsung's Odyssey G80HF is a weird, wonderful beast. It's a 27-inch 5K IPS panel that can also drop down to 1440p and crank the refresh rate to a blistering 360Hz. That dual-mode trick is the whole pitch here, giving you a pixel-dense canvas for work and a speed demon for competitive gaming in one box. At $950, it's asking a lot, but it's also doing something nobody else is really doing at this size.

If you mostly game in a dark room and care about deep blacks and punchy HDR, skip this and buy an OLED. The G80HF's IPS glow and low peak brightness will leave you disappointed. Console gamers should also look elsewhere, since neither the PS5 nor Xbox Series X support 5K output, and you're paying for resolution you can't use.

The Odyssey G80HF is for a very specific person: someone who needs a color-accurate, high-resolution monitor for creative or professional work during the day, and a high-refresh gaming panel at night, all without cluttering their desk with two screens. It executes that dual-life mission better than anything else on the market. Just know you're paying a steep early-adopter tax and sacrificing HDR quality to get it.