Samsung S95C OLED Review: An All Around Champ for Gaming and Streaming

The Samsung S95C is an excellent OLED TV that delivers impressive results across intense gaming, movies, TV streaming and sports. Shoppers looking for a high-end TV that can deliver across a wide range of use would be well served with the S95C OLED in their home.

Samsung continues to invest in OLED displays with the newest version of their Quantum Dot (QD) OLED technology. This delivers deep blacks, vibrant colors and stunning peak brightness. The new model is slimmer, features the One Connect Box for easy cable management, and is sleeker-looking. While LG and Sony are the established players in the OLED space, Samsung carved out a clear place with the S95C.

We tested the 65-inch model, which retails for $3,299.99 and is currently on sale for $3,099.99. You can also buy the S95C OLED in 55-inch, 77-inch and 83-inch.

Buy at Samsung.

Display and Performance

The Samsung S95C combines the vibrant colors we love on Samsung TVs with excellent brightness and the deep, deep blacks that OLED TVs can deliver. We tested this TV with gaming on the PlayStation 5, streaming movies on Netflix, finishing up Succession on Max and watching some of our old favorites to enjoy the upscaling that Samsung TVs do so well. For all this TV does include, you won’t find Dolby Vision support, and even with great brightness, it can’t touch the peak brightness of the latest Samsung QLED TVs.

Our gaming tests on the Samsung S95C included Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, Madden 23 and God of War Ragnarök. All four of the HDMI ports support HDMI 2.1, so you can connect multiple new-gen consoles and devices. The display is super-responsive with very low input lag, and it also supports variable refresh rate with an automatic switch into Game Mode, with Auto Low Latency Mode, when it detects a gaming device. Gaming at up to 120hz with the PS5 allowed us to enjoy super-fast response times while in multiplayer games like Call of Duty Warzone and to fully immerse in the beautiful worlds of the latest God of War game.

The default game mode is a little bright, but you can tweak the display to fit your needs in the settings, and the slightly brighter setting works out well for FPS games where you need to see enemies hiding in the shadows. The Samsung Game Bar pops up on the screen when you start playing a game, and you can also press and hold the play/pause button on the remote. This TV also includes the Samsung Gaming Hub as part of the Smart TV software, allowing you to access game streaming services and connect a controller to play without a console.

Upscaling on the S95C delivered an impressive re-watching of The Rock thanks to a powerful processor. Samsung is one of our favorite sets for watching older content because the upscaling remains top-notch. The set proved impressive for watching the John Wick series in 4K where the dark scenes with fast action and brilliant explosions allowed the TV to really stand out. There is very minimal black crush and no blooming as flames rise out of each successive fight.

The built-in audio performance is OK, and it works well enough to be the only speakers for us in a small room, as long as we rely on gaming headphones. If you are investing in a TV of this caliber, I suggest you pair it with the Samsung HW-Q990C and use the Q-Symphony feature to combine the TV speakers with the soundbar speakers for an excellent experience.

Design

The Samsung S95C is a sleek, nearly bezel-less display that delivers everything you’d want from a modern high-end TV. The materials are top notch and the base is made of beautiful dark metal. The set is very slim, so you can mount this flush to a wall for a clean setup. The remote control is small and easy to use. It is a SolarCell Remote, so it will recharge using the light in your room.

With the One Connect box, only one cord needs to run to the TV, completing the clean look. The box also makes it simple to change your inputs without moving the TV around or trying to get behind a wall mount.

If you are using the TV stand that comes with the S95C, you can mount the One Connect box to the back, or you can place it down in an entertainment stand or in an A/V cabinet to hide all the cords and clutter. The One Connect box includes four HDMI ports; all are HDMI 2.1, 3 USB ports, Ethernet, Coax cable and optical audio.

Smart TV

Samsung’s Smart TV platform is very similar to previous iterations, which is a good thing. The system is easy to use, with fast access to the most popular apps. This means that many users won’t need a secondary streaming device unless they are a huge fan of a particular model.

The set also includes the free streaming service Samsung TV Plus, which delivers a wide range of live TV streaming. It’s not going to replace a dedicated service for top shows or sports, but it does offer over 250 channels and thousands of movies and shows available on demand. The TV also ties into your smart home with Matter support and is a Smart Things hub.

One of our favorite features is the ambient mode. This activates when you stop using the TV, or you can turn it on. The TV shows art, cinemagraphs and simple backgrounds and even your own photos. It turns the TV into a work of art that can more easily blend into your room.

Is the Samsung S95C Worth Buying?

The Samsung S95C is one of the best OLED TVs that you can buy in 2023. Gamers will enjoy the incredible response times, overall performance and the Game Bar to quickly access important settings. Movie lovers and binge watchers will love the deep blacks, beautiful colors and brightness. This is a TV that delivers across a mix of uses and will meet the needs of many buyers for several years.

Buy at Samsung.

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