Bottom Line
The Samsung Odyssey S32AG55 is a decent gaming monitor thanks to its high refresh rate, high contrast ratio and 1440p resolution. However, it has a lot of downsides too and there are much better alternatives available at this price range.
The Samsung S32AG55 from the Odyssey G5 series is a 32″ 1440p 165Hz gaming monitor with VRR and MBR support, a steep 1000R screen curvature and a high contrast ratio. Here’s what you need to know about it!
Image Quality
Thanks to its VA panel, the Samsung S32AG55 has a high static contrast ratio of 2,500:1, which results in deep blacks for an immersive viewing experience, especially in dark rooms.
Next, it has a peak brightness of 300-nits, so it can get more than bright enough under normal lighting conditions. If you plan on using the screen in an exceptionally bright room, it might not be able to get bright enough to mitigate glare, so you will need to use curtains or dim the lights.
Further, the Samsung S32AG55 monitor has a ~99% sRGB color gamut for accurate and neutral colors without over-saturation. Around this price range, you can find 32″ 1440p curved monitors with wider ~125% sRGB gamuts for more vibrant image quality, however, the colors are still decent on the S32AG55 and more representative of the creator’s intent when viewing SDR content.
While the colors are accurate, they’re not as consistent as that of IPS panels as there’s some minor gamma/saturation shift at certain viewing angles. So, you can’t do any professional color-critical work, but it will do just fine for basic content creation.
The monitor also supports HDR (High Dynamic Range), but it can only accept and display the HDR10 signal – it lacks display capabilities (much higher brightness, local dimming and wider color gamut) required for a proper HDR image quality. We recommend just disabling HDR.
Moving on, the 2560×1440 resolution offers a decent pixel density of 92 PPI (pixels per inch), meaning that you won’t get quite as sharp details as that of 27″ 1440p displays (108 PPI), but you still get plenty of screen space and fairly sharp text and details (the same sharpness as that of 24″ 1080p monitors).
4K UHD resolution looks much better on 32″ sized displays, but the high refresh rate 32″ 4K gaming monitors go for at least around $600. Additionally, 4K UHD is a lot more demanding on your GPU than 1440p, so the 32″ 1440p combo is perfect for those who want a large screen for immersion but don’t have a high-end PC rig.
Performance
The Samsung Odyssey G5 S32AG55 supports variable refresh rate through AMD FreeSync and even though it doesn’t have official G-SYNC Compatible certification by NVIDIA, you can use VRR with select GeForce GPUs (10-series or newer) over DP.
AMD FreeSync is supported over both HDMI and DisplayPort, allowing you to use variable refresh rate on compatible Xbox consoles as well.
VRR synchronizes the monitor’s refresh rate with your GPU’s frame rate for tear-free gameplay up to 165FPS without any noticeable input lag increase.
Sadly, high refresh rate VA panel gaming monitors are prone to VRR brightness flickering in games with fluctuating frame rates and usually in in-game menus, loading screens and around the 48FPS LFC threshold.
The VRR brightness flickering doesn’t affect every unit of the monitor and it’s not noticeable in every game, so your mileage may vary.
Further, the Samsung G55A has three response time overdrive modes: Standard, Faster and Fastest.
The Standard option is too slow, while the Fastest mode is too aggressive as it introduces pixel overshoot, so we recommend using the Faster mode across the entire refresh rate range.
However, when using variable refresh rate, it actually uses a different overdrive option and you cannot change it. This VRR overdrive mode isn’t as good as the ‘Faster’ option with VRR disabled.
Therefore, in case you’re not sensitive to screen tearing, we recommend disabling VRR and using the ‘Faster’ option.
As expected from most VA panel gaming monitors, the pixel response time performance is not good. There’s noticeable trailing behind fast-moving objects, which is especially evident in darker scenes as trailing turns into smearing.
Some gamers are not sensitive to this, and some are completely repulsed by it, so it comes down to your personal sensitivity to dark-level smearing.
Overall, the amount of ghosting will be tolerable to most casual gamers, but if you play a lot of fast-paced competitive games or are particularly sensitive to this visual artifact, you should look for a gaming monitor with a faster response time speed.
You can find 32″ 1440p 144Hz+ IPS displays around this price range with significantly faster response time, while VA monitors with fast response times are more expensive.
As an alternative to VRR, you can use the MPRT technology, which uses backlight strobing to reduce perceived motion blur at a cost of picture brightness. However, it can only be activated at a fixed 165Hz refresh rate on this monitor.
We don’t recommend using MPRT as you still get visible trailing as well as image duplications and reduced brightness.
Input lag performance, on the other hand, is excellent at just ~4ms of delay, which is imperceptible.
Features
Beneath the bottom bezel of the screen, there’s a directional joystick for quick and easy navigation through the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu.
Useful gaming features include Black Equalizer (improves visibility in dark scenes), various picture presets and Virtual Aim Point (crosshair overlays).
Besides the standard image adjustments (brightness, contrast, color temperature, etc.), the Samsung Odyssey S32AG55 has a few advanced options, including gamma, sharpness, aspect ratio control and Auto Source Switch.
The backlight of the monitor is not completely flicker-free, but it’s operating at a frequency of over 1000Hz, so it shouldn’t bother those sensitive to flicker. There’s a low-blue light filter mode available though.
Design & Connectivity
The stand of the monitor is sturdy, but it’s tilt-only by -2°/18°. You can detach it and mount the screen via the 75x75mm VESA pattern.
The screen has a matte anti-glare coating that prevents reflections without making the image too grainy. It also has an aggressive 1000R screen curvature that may not appeal to some users and it takes some time to get used to.
Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, a USB port for service only and a headphone jack.
The 1080p/1440p 120Hz mode is also supported for the PS5 and Xbox.
Price & Similar Monitors
The Samsung Odyssey G5 S32AG55 price ranges from $330 to $350.
We highly recommend the Gigabyte M32QC instead. It also has a 32″ 1440p 165Hz VA panel, but with a more moderate 1500R screen curvature, a wider 94% DCI-P3 color gamut, a bit faster response time, a USB hub, an ergonomic design and an integrated KVM switch for a lower price.
If you don’t want to deal with dark-level smearing and potential VRR brightness flickering, consider a 32″ 1440p high refresh rate IPS gaming monitor, such as the Gigabyte M32Q, the ASUS PG329Q and the Sceptre E325B-QPN168 (can be found on sale for just $200).
To learn more about monitors and ensure you’re getting the model most suited for your personal preference, visit our comprehensive and always up-to-date best gaming monitor buyer’s guide.
Samsung’s Odyssey line-up consists of many models with similar names, so here’s how you can differentiate them.
| Odyssey G5 | Resolution | Panel | Refresh Rate |
| Samsung S27AG55 | 2560×1440 | VA | 165Hz |
| Samsung S32AG55 | 2560×1440 | VA | 165Hz |
| Samsung C27G55T | 2560×1440 | VA | 144Hz |
| Samsung C32G55T | 2560×1440 | VA | 144Hz |
| Samsung S27AG50 | 2560×1440 | IPS | 165Hz |
| Samsung S32AG50 | 2560×1440 | IPS | 165Hz |
| Samsung S27AG52 | 2560×1440 | IPS | 165Hz |
| Samsung S32AG52 | 2560×1440 | IPS | 165Hz |
| Samsung C34G55T | 3440×1440 | VA | 165Hz |
Conclusion
Due to its subpar pixel response time, VRR performance, color gamut and design, we don’t recommend the Samsung Odyssey G55A unless you really want it for its steep screen curvature.
There are a lot better models for the same price, such as the Gigabyte M32QC.
Specifications
| Screen Size | 32-inch |
| Screen Curvature | 1000R |
| Resolution | 2560×1440 (QHD) |
| Panel Type | VA |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 (Widescreen) |
| Refresh Rate | 165Hz |
| Response Time (GtG) | Not specified |
| Response Time (MPRT) | 1ms (MPRT) |
| Adaptive-Sync | FreeSync (48-165Hz) |
| Ports | DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0 |
| Other Ports | Headphone Jack, USB (Service only) |
| Brightness | 300 cd/m² |
| Contrast Ratio | 2500:1 (static) |
| Colors | 1.07 billion (8-bit + FRC) |
| HDR | HDR10 |
| VESA | Yes (75x75mm) |
The Pros:
- High contrast ratio
- Plenty of features, including VRR and MBR up to 165Hz
The Cons:
- Tilt-only stand
- Ghosting in fast-paced games, mainly in darker scenes
