Samsung’s $3,500 Odyssey Ark is a 55″ curved 4K monitor with impressive specs: Digital Photography Review

Samsung’s Odyssey Ark gaming monitor was unveiled at this year’s CES and has now found its way into the hands of some reviewers. We don’t often report on gaming monitors, but the Odyssey Ark is an altogether different beast. The 55″ Quantum Mini-LED 1000R curved display boasts a 4K UHD resolution, 1ms response time and 165Hz refresh rate. All that performance comes at a lofty price tag of $3,500.

Samsung writes, ‘The massive 55″ screen delivers a display that overwhelms your senses, creating an adrenaline-fueled experience superior to anything seen before. The 1000R curvature to wrap around your field of vision for maximum immersion. There’s no better monitor to upgrade your gaming setup than Odyssey Ark.’ Those are bold claims, but based on early hands-on reports from The Verge and CNN, the Odyssey Ark is an impressive display. You can also see hands-on videos from Engadget and Digital Trends further down.

The monitor runs on Samsung’s Tizen OS, which includes streaming apps, like YouTube and Apple TV, plus Samsung’s Gaming Hub with cloud streaming via popular platforms such as Xbox Game Pass, Google Stadia, and Amazon Luna. The OS also allows for some pretty interesting features, including picture-in-picture and screen manipulation. You can stack multiple windows of different inputs and adjust the display aspect ratio and size, provided you don’t always want to use all 55″ of display space.

You can also rotate the display and use what Samsung calls cockpit mode. You can stack multiple windows vertically, which is a more natural way to consume different content rather than moving your head side to side, especially since it’s a giant display on your desk. This setup could prove beneficial for photographers and videographers alike who like to keep multiple windows open during post-production, similar to how LG’s DualUp monitor effectively allows you to stack two full-sized windows atop one another.

With the aggressive curve, The Verge wrote that in cockpit mode, ‘it kind of looks like the Ark is a wave that’s about to crash on top of you.’ The display is also wall-mountable and includes a VESA mount.

Unlike most computer monitors, but like LG’s 48″ OLED monitors, the Samsung Odyssey Ark ships with remotes. One remote is traditional, while the other includes the exclusive Ark dial. This remote is a command center with key function buttons and a rotatable dial. You can even charge it using a solar panel.

The Odyssey Ark includes all the display technology you’d expect for $3,500, including HDMI 2.1 ports (4x), HDR and variable refresh rate (VRR). The display doesn’t have DisplayPort, which is a curious omission. The display promises up to 1,500 nits of peak brightness. The display covers 95% of the DCI color gamut and can show a maximum of 1B colors. It also packs some powerful audio technology, including Dolby Atmos.

You’ll need a lot of space for the display, plus deep pockets, but it’s a fascinating display with powerful technology. You can reserve the Samsung Odyssey Ark starting today. Preorders include up to a $300 discount, reducing the price to a slightly less eye-watering $3,200. For more information, visit Samsung.