Samsung adds DisplayPort and more Multi View options to second massive Ark monitor

Samsung’s latest massive 55-inch Odyssey Ark monitor is now available to buy in the US for $2,999.99, the company announced today. Like the previous Ark, this is a 4K Mini LED display with a 165Hz refresh rate that aims to replace existing multi-monitor setups with one massive screen that can show a range of different content simultaneously.

On paper, the 55-inch Odyssey Ark 2nd Gen (G97NC), to use its full name, addresses two of our key complaints about the original Ark from last year. For starters, although the total number of video inputs remains the same at four, one of the HDMI ports has been turned into a DisplayPort connector. 

Perhaps more importantly, Samsung advertises that the monitor can show a video feed from all four of these inputs simultaneously thanks to its improved Multi View feature. (The previous model let you split your screen in four but could only show one HDMI input at a time, making you reliant on built-in apps and services for the other three.) So now, it should be possible to game with a PS5 on one side of the screen while using your PC on the other. Support for using multiple inputs simultaneously should also help overcome issues if any built-in apps like Netflix don’t support Multi View since, theoretically, you’ll now be able to access them via an external HDMI streaming dongle.

The Odyssey Ark 2nd Gen also includes a built-in KVM switch that lets you control multiple PCs with a single mouse and keyboard, though Samsung notes that each computer needs to be connected via its own USB upstream cable and that these are sold separately. The company also advertises that the monitor has four corner speakers and two woofers built into the monitor with support for Dolby Atmos. 

Elsewhere, the monitor’s features are broadly in line with last year’s model. There’s a “Cockpit Mode” that lets you rotate and use the monitor vertically and where you can show up to three screens at once, and it also comes with an “Ark Dial” to serve as a remote. Although this is more of a monitor than a TV, it comes with an array of smart TV-style apps, including cloud gaming services from Xbox and Nvidia as well as streaming services like Amazon Prime and Netflix.