Today, Samsung started taking pre-orders for the impressive Odyssey 3D monitor in South Korea. The Odyssey 3D is a stunning 4K monitor that doesn't require special 3D glasses and uses cameras to scan the user's eyes to render different perspectives for each eye and achieve a stereoscopic effect.
It's actually very impressive, not only in person but also on paper. Unfortunately, it is impossible to recreate the 3D effect through a 2D screen, so no hands-on video will ever do the Odyssey 3D justice unless viewed on a 3D monitor.
In any case, as impressive as it may be, Samsung's Odyssey 3D monitor does have relatively steep hardware requirements for its best features. It doesn't just magically transform any 2D content into 3D content, and even when it does that conversion, it needs to be linked up to a fairly powerful GPU.
Odyssey 3D monitor might need more game partners
Today, Samsung said it is actively collaborating with major game developers to “make the most out of this 3D technology.”
It sounds like the Odyssey 3D can't just render any game in 3D — or at least, it requires optimization from the game developer's part to render 3D content flawlessly.
For now, Samsung only mentioned two games that can take full advantage of the monitor's 3D technology. Those two games are The First Berserker: Khazan and Lies of P.
Samsung says it plans to “continuously expand its partnership with more global game studios.”
Odyssey 3D video conversion requirements are quite steep
Now, the other impressive thing the Odyssey 3D monitor can do is convert 2D videos into 3D ones. Samsung says the monitor can “breathe new life into nearly all content.” However, there are several caveats to this 3D video conversion feature, as follows:
- Reality Hub needs to be running in the system tray.
- The video must be in full screen.
- Not all video players support 3D conversion.
- 3D conversion doesn't work when HDR is enabled.
- 3D conversion doesn't work with DRM content, which cripples the monitor's uses for entertainment. In other words, you can't convert movies or Netflix shows, etc., to 3D.
- The monitor only supports 3D video conversion if it's connected to an Nvidia graphics card.
- Samsung recommends an RTX 3080 GPU or higher.
- For optimal 3D performance, Samsung also recommends at least an Intel i7 or an AMD Ryzen 7 1700X CPU.
The latest Samsung gaming monitor deals
All in all, the Odyssey 3D has some fairly strict limitations and hardware requirements for its best features. But the good news is that it can be used as a regular 2D monitor whenever 3D is not an option. And as a simple 2D monitor, it's unhindered by any of those steep requirements.
The Odyssey 3D boasts a 27-inch panel with a 4K resolution, a 165Hz refresh rate, support for AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync, and a 1ms GtG response time.
However, if you don't plan on making extensive use of those 3D features and you're looking mainly for a 2D screen, you're probably better off buying a standard, non-3D Odyssey monitor and getting a better 2D experience for your money.
