Samsung, ahead of CES 2022, has announced it will be taking curved monitors into some super ergonomic territory, in the form of the Odyssey Ark. With active backlighting, a tight 1000R curvature, and heaps of adjustability, it's looking to be a highly versatile addition to the gaming monitor morass. And it comes with a few nifty tricks, too.
At 55-inches, this is a vast 'vertical cockpit-style rotating display' and should make the most of its 4K resolution. Interestingly, Samsung has added the option to adapt the screen size within the panel. Essentially, when you reduce the resolution or veer from the screen's standard 16:9 ratio, you'll have the option to leave the unused pixels off, rather than scaling up to fit the entire screen.
The feature works like when you watch a movie in letterbox format, except the spare pixels are not only black, but inactive—great for saving energy, I'm sure. The Odyssey Ark will even offer 'multiview' options in this mode, similar to Windows 11's window layout feature, so you can decide exactly which pixels you need, and which can be left off.
The monitor even comes with a wireless dial for controlling the interface and lighting... Goodie, another neat little gubbin for cluttering up my desk. Still, it means avoiding the awkward 'where the heck are the buttons on this thing, anyway' adventure.
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A few days back Samsung hit us with the Odyssey Neo G8 announcement, the worlds first 240Hz 4K gaming monitor. And although there's no word on the refresh rate or response time of the Odyssey Ark, if this trend is anything to go by, we're expecting something impressive.
Still, the main focus here is ergonomics. With a height adjustable stand, as well as the ability to pivot and tilt, it's a gaming monitor that should easily integrate into a highly specialised gaming setup, without compromising your health. But we shall see about that when we get our hands on a review model.
