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| Samsung will be at Gamescom 2026 through Sunday |
Cologne, Germany – As the doors swing open at Koelnmesse for Gamescom 2026, industry giant Samsung has once again set up camp to showcase its latest innovations for the gaming community. Visitors making the annual pilgrimage to Hall 9 will find the tech titan at Booth B020, where the focus has narrowed sharply onto two critical components of the modern gaming rig: the display and the storage drive. While the booth is alive with the usual flair of RGB lighting and live demos, the real stars this year are the newest additions to the Odyssey monitor family and a pair of external SSDs designed for the most demanding content creators.
The Need for Speed: The Odyssey OLED G9 and the Versatile G8
Unsurprisingly, Samsung is doubling down on its dominance in the gaming monitor sector. The undisputed centerpiece of the booth is the new 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 (G95SJ) . This ultra-wide behemoth continues the legacy of its predecessors but introduces a significant generational leap in panel technology. Samsung has outfitted the G95SJ with a fifth-generation QD-OLED panel featuring an RGB stripe subpixel layout, a change that is expected to dramatically improve text clarity—a common critique of earlier QD-OLED generations.
For those chasing the bleeding edge of performance, the G9 does not disappoint. It pushes a massive 5,210 x 1,440 resolution at a blistering 360 Hz refresh rate. For competitive gamers willing to sacrifice some vertical resolution for motion fluidity, dropping the resolution to 2,560 x 720 unlocks a staggering maximum refresh rate of 720 Hz. With a peak brightness rated at 1,300 cd/m² across a 3 percent window, the HDR performance promises to be nothing short of spectacular.
Just a step down in size but arguably up in flexibility is the Odyssey OLED G8 (G80SJ) . This 32-inch flat QD-OLED panel is being marketed with a unique "triple threat" approach to resolution and speed. Depending on the user's needs, the G8 can operate in three distinct modes: a stunning UHD resolution at up to 360 Hz for immersive visual fidelity, a WHD mode at 520 Hz for a balance of speed and clarity, or an extreme Full HD mode at a mind-boggling 680 Hz for esports professionals who demand the lowest possible input latency. While the lower resolutions on a 32-inch screen may introduce a "noticeably pixelated" image at close range, the versatility is undeniable. The monitor boasts a 0.03 ms GtG response time, supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, is G-Sync compatible, and includes a USB Type-C port capable of delivering 98W of power, alongside an integrated KVM switch for multi-device users.
From Big to Fast: The G7 and the 1,100 Hz G6
For users who prefer a larger field of view without the super-ultrawide aspect ratio, Samsung is presenting the Odyssey OLED G7 . This 42-inch screen offers a traditional 4K resolution with a smooth 165 Hz refresh rate, wrapped in a pronounced 1,000R curvature designed to fill the player's peripheral vision.
However, the spec sheet that is likely to cause the most buzz among hardcore competitive players belongs to the upcoming Odyssey G6 . While it won't ship until later in 2026, Samsung is already teasing its capabilities. The G6 features a Fast IPS panel rather than OLED, a trade-off that allows for an astronomical refresh rate of up to 1,100 Hz —provided you are playing at HD resolution. With a 1 ms GtG response time, this monitor is aimed squarely at the Twitch-shooter and esports crowd where every millisecond counts.
For those interested in a different kind of visual innovation, Samsung continues to refine its glasses-free 3D technology. The previously released Odyssey 3D (available on Amazon) remains a popular stop on the show floor, demonstrating a highly convincing stereoscopic effect without the need for headgear. While no new 3D models were announced at this year's show, Samsung representatives highlighted that the library of compatible games and titles continues to expand, signaling ongoing support for the niche technology.
Beyond the Screen: Storage for the Content Era
Tucked away from the bright lights of the monitors is a display case that signals a strategic shift for Samsung’s storage division. The company is showcasing the new P9 and P7 external SSDs, and the messaging is clear: these aren't your average thumb drives.
With sequential read speeds reaching up to 4,000 MB/s and write speeds hitting 3,800 MB/s, the P9 is engineered for a very specific workflow. Samsung is positioning the drive toward professionals and prosumers who need to offload massive video files directly from high-end smartphones or cinema cameras in the field. The booth features a demo of the P9 tethered to a smartphone rig, recording long-duration, high-bitrate video directly to the drive. The hardware is compact, measuring 90 x 65 x 8.3 millimeters, and is listed with capacities reaching a massive 8 TByte, communicating via a USB4 Gen 3x2 interface at 40 Gbit/s.
For gamers looking to upgrade their internal storage, the already available Samsung 9100 Pro SSD (available on Amazon) is also on display. As a PCIe 5.0 drive, the 9100 Pro remains the go-to recommendation for users who need to handle massive game files, AI datasets, or workstation-class file transfers without breaking a sweat.
Gamescom runs through Sunday, and with the sheer volume of high-refresh-rate panels and high-speed storage on display, Samsung’s booth is shaping up to be a mandatory stop for anyone looking to future-proof their setup for the next generation of gaming.