The Samsung Odyssey Ark is one of the biggest and curviest gaming monitors around. But to get those specs, you've usually had to pay a whopping $3,000. That's no longer the case, thanks to an Amazon deal that slashes 40% off the Samsung Odyssey Ark, bringing the price to $1,799.99.
Late last year, you could get the first-generation Samsung Odyssey Ark for $1,799.99. Now, you can get the second-generation Samsung Odyssey Ark for $1,799.99. The newer monitor has a built-in KVM switch and improved Multi View Mode. It's now also down to its best price ever.
Samsung Odyssey Ark review highlights
The Samsung Odyssey Ark is a unique gaming monitor. It features a massive 55-inch display that can be used horizontally or rotated into "cockpit" mode.
When our colleagues at TechRadar reviewed the Samsung Odyssey Ark, they looked at the first generation of the device. The second-gen Odyssey Ark has some notable improvements, such as a built-in KVM switch, an improved Samsung Multi View mode, a DisplayPort 1.4 connection. But the screens of the first and second-gen Odyssey Ark have the same specs, so I'll focus on TechRadar's thoughts on the monitor's display.
"If you want a gaming experience that envelops your entire field of view, then the Samsung 55-inch Odyssey Ark monitor is the best in the business," said TechRadar's Joel Burgess. The review went on to say:
"All these technical capabilities combine with a 600nit typical brightness to create a bright and vibrant display that looks stunning when you fire up a game in full screen. We were initially a little apprehensive about a 68cm tall screen on our desktop, especially given the unfavorable reception of curved televisions a few years ago. For media and games on a monitor however, this format is exceptionally immersive, perhaps even more so than the Odyssey Neo G9, which is something we thought couldn’t be improved on."
That's high praise for a device that promises an immersive experience for the best PC games.
How curvature is measured
When it comes to tech, bigger numbers are generally better. You want a CPU with the highest Geekbench score, a monitor with the highest resolution and framerate, and a mouse with the highest DPI (assuming your budget isn't a factor). But when it comes to monitor curvature, one could argue that a lower number is better.
Monitor curvature is listed with a number followed by the letter R. That figure indicates how large of a circle would be formed if the monitor continued with its curvature until meeting itself. Another way to look at it is if you placed several of the same monitor side-by-side, a monitor with a 1500R curvature would make a 1.5-meter circle while a monitor with an 1800R curvature would form a 1.8-meter circle.
The best curvature for your setup depends on how you plan to use your monitor. The Samsung Odyssey Ark has a 1000R curvature, which is much more curved than most monitors on the market. The dramatic curve increases immersion, but you almost feel surrounded by the screen. Generally speaking, I'd say the Odyssey Ark is great for gaming if you have the space but is not a great device for browsing the web or using Microsoft Office.
