Gear and gadgets:

Gizmos, machines, and apparel that caught our eye.

LARGER THAN LIFE, and curved all the way, Samsung’s Odyssey G9 monitor is a phenomenal beast. It’s so big and heavy that it takes two people to get it out of the box. This is the ultimate 49” DQHD gaming monitor, with a space-age look and feel unlike any other monitors out there.

With its 1000R curvature (meaning, if the curved monitor were to form a full circle, it would have a radius of 1 000 mm) and ultra-wide display, its credentials are overwhelmingly impressive – it’s as though you have two 27” QHD screens sitting on your desk, side by side. Designed for gaming, it immerses you in the action. The curved shape, says Samsung, helps to reduce eye strain, because no matter where you look on the screen it’s the same distance from your eyes, essentially matching the curve of the human eye.

The stand includes a headphone holder, while the glossy white plastic with black accents at the back give it an ultrapremium appearance. In the centre on the back is the Infinity Core Lighting, resembling a warp drive engine. It cycles through 52 colours, or you can customise its appearance to match the rest of your gaming set-up. If you have the monitor sitting against a wall, you might miss out on this detail.

The Odyssey G9 has a colossal 5 120 × 1 440 panel with a

240 Hz refresh rate and VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification. The result is an unbelievable gaming experience… But throw in Samsung’s 1 ms response time as well and the performance is exemplary. Cleverly hidden behind a clip-off panel at the back are the dual display inputs, a USB-3 hub, audio and an HDMI port, giving all the connection points you might need.

This monitor is a truly unique, rather over-the-top and utterly extraordinary device. No corners have been cut (if you’ll excuse the pun) with its specs, and for that you’ll pay a high price. But there simply isn’t another monitor out there that offers the same size, aspect ratio, refresh rate and capabilities, all in one.

RRP R34 999 samsung.com/za