- Matching (Score) |
- Our verdict |
- Competing TVs |
- TV appearance |
- Where to buy |
- Contrast and black detail |
- HDR effect quality |
- Factory color reproduction |
- Color reproduction after calibration |
- Smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Blur and motion smoothness |
- Console compatibility and gaming features |
- Input lag |
- Compatibility with PC |
- Viewing angles |
- Daytime performance |
- TV features |
- Apps |
- Playing files from USB |
- Sound |
- Panel details
Samsung S90H (WOLED) Review
S90H / S92H / HAE / HAT
Available screen sizes:
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Panel type: WRGB OLED Refresh rate: 165Hz Brand: SAMSUNG Resolution: 3840x2160 System: Tizen Model year: 2026
This review is an English translation of the Polish original. Read the original on Wybierz.tv.
Samsung S90H is available with two panel variants, so before buying it's worth checking which version you've got. This time we're testing the "HAE" model with a WOLED panel, which is available in virtually all sizes except the 77-inch version (suffix HAT). Importantly, this year the WOLED panel has also been used in the 65-inch variant, and that's the unit we had for testing. So we look at how one of the most popular versions of this year's S90H performs and whether it is still an OLED worth its price despite using a different type of panel.
SAMSUNG S90H - Our verdict
8.4
Overall rating
The Samsung S90H is a TV that simply makes a superb impression. The combination of an OLED’s absolute black, high brightness and excellent motion clarity gives a picture that’s hard to look away from. And that’s exactly what we expect from a good OLED TV. The matte anti-reflective coating also works very well. Reflections in bright sunlight stop being a major problem, and thanks to the presence of a conventional polariser blacks do not shift as much towards greyish maroon tones as with the QD-OLED variant. Add a lightning-fast Tizen, an excellent suite of gaming features led by Game Motion Plus, and surprisingly good, full-bodied sound from the built-in speakers. Are there any weak points? Of course. Tonal gradations are not quite as perfect as on QD-OLED, and viewing angles remain slightly inferior. In practice, though, these are mostly minor quibbles, especially since WOLED has its own advantages, particularly in a bright room where it better preserves blacks and colour saturation. Overall, the QD-OLED variant still comes out slightly ahead, but this time the difference is not as pronounced as it was a year ago. For most people it should not be the deciding factor. So our advice is this: rather than obsessing over panel type, choose the size that best fits the room. Whether you buy a WOLED or a QD-OLED model, you’ll get a mature, versatile and very well-balanced TV. As every year, the S90H series has a firm place among the best-value OLEDs of 2026.
Advantages
Perfect blacks and infinite contrast (OLED)
Very high HDR brightness (up to 1400 nits)
Effective anti-reflective coating (matte, glare-free)
Reference-grade colour reproduction after calibration
Excellent motion clarity (no motion blur)
Excellent for gamers (4x HDMI 2.1, VRR, ALLM, low input lag)
Game Motion Plus feature
Refresh rate up to 165 Hz
Wide viewing angles
Fast and fully featured Tizen
Good audio
Disadvantages
In strong light colours lose some depth (a characteristic of matte coatings)
No TV features such as USB recording or PIP
No support for DTS:X (an issue for Blu-ray fans)
Limited colour saturation compared with the QD-OLED variant
Movies and series in UHD quality8.6
Classic TV, YouTube8.8
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)8.5
Gaming on console9.7
TV as a computer monitor8.6
Watching in bright light6.5
Utility functions7.3
Apps9.3
Sound quality8.4
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SAMSUNG S90H - Competing TVs in this price range
SAMSUNG S90H - TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality: Premium
Stand type: Central
Bezel color: Graphite
Stand: Fixed
Flat design: No
Accessories: Stand
The Samsung S90H does not try too hard to prove that every new model must look completely different. The design is well known from previous generations, but it still looks very modern. The screen is framed by narrow metal bezels, and the panel is particularly thin at the top. As a result the TV looks light and elegant, especially when viewed from the front or at a slight angle. Most of the electronics are hidden in the thickened lower part of the chassis. This is common on many OLEDs, and because of it the TV does not sit perfectly flush against the wall when wall-mounted. That may not be a major issue, but anyone hoping for a perfectly flat-panel effect should bear this in mind or look at the S99H or S95H models instead. We are much less convinced by the stand. It is central, so the TV can be placed on a relatively narrow media cabinet, but in terms of looks it is fairly plain. The plastic cover and simple leg design do not make as good an impression as the rest of the casing. Apart from that, there is little to complain about the S90H. It is a slim, attractive and well-made TV that will fit easily into any living room.
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SAMSUNG S90H - Contrast and black detail
10/10
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Since the Samsung S90H uses an organic display, it deserves the highest possible score in terms of contrast and black level. This applies, of course, to both variants available on the market, both the WOLED version we tested and the QD-OLED variant. Because each pixel is an independent light source and can switch off completely, the TV delivers utterly perfect blacks and infinite contrast. In practice this translates into exceptional image depth and a perfectly sharp separation of bright details from a dark background. There is no sign of any halo effect (blooming), which even top LCD TVs with Mini LED backlighting still struggle with today. You will appreciate the true magic of the WOLED panel above all during evening viewing in a darkened room, when dark areas of the frame gain extraordinary richness, a striking three-dimensionality and a wealth of details hidden in the shadows.
SAMSUNG S90H - HDR effect quality
7.7/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
1374 nit
Result
1419 nit
Result
1570 nit
Result
1395 nit
Result
713 nit
Samsung S90H in the WOLED variant is still an exceptionally bright TV for its price bracket, although compared with the QD-OLED version it is slightly dimmer. The difference is not as significant as in last year’s F series, where the gap could reach as much as 500 nits. Here the parameters of both panels are very similar, and differences in peak brightness are only in the order of 100–150 nits. In small-area measurements the S90H on the WOLED panel easily reaches levels close to 1500 nits. Such a reserve of power allows HDR dynamics to be reproduced phenomenally; all highlights, light reflections and explosions have the necessary punch, exactly as the creators intended in the editing studio. As with most OLED displays, when a very bright scene fills the whole screen protection systems activate and brightness naturally falls to around 700 nits. It is worth emphasising that this is still an excellent result on the market. Often noticeably better than many Mini LED screens in the same segment.
Colour gamut coverage
The biggest difference between the two S90H variants lies in colour reproduction and saturation. This results directly from the different construction of the WOLED panel, which uses an additional white subpixel. As a consequence, colours at very high brightness do not reach the same intense saturation, and the volume of the wide gamut is somewhat more limited than in QD-OLED. That does not change the fact that in everyday use these differences will be hard for most viewers to spot. The DCI-P3 space we measured reaches nearly 99% on the WOLED panel, which means that in the vast majority of real film scenes both variants will present an almost identical picture. The true distance only reveals itself in rarer, exceptionally demanding productions that use the ultra-wide BT.2020 gamut. Due to the specifics of the WOLED panel’s construction, coverage of that standard is about 15% lower compared with the S90HAT with a QD-OLED panel, so the brightest, heavily lit colours in HDR may appear slightly less vivid.
BT.2020 color gamut coverage and primary color luminance
| Data set | BT.2020 | P3 | R | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic patterns | 74.7% | 98.7% | 50% | 54% | 54% |
| Film measurements | 74.7% | 98.7% | 47% | 51% | 52% |
BT.2020 BT.2020 and P3 – average color gamut coverage (percent of the target gamut).
R, G, B – average primary color luminance relative to target (percent).
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
So how do films ultimately look on the S90H in the WOLED version? The viewing experience is very close to what the QD-OLED variant offers, especially for the most popular productions available on services like Netflix, Prime Video or Max. Whether we watch content mastered to 1000 or 4000 nits, the picture looks exactly as it should. Excellent dynamics and high brightness make explosions, light reflections and other HDR effects look dramatic yet natural. Only in some extreme scenes with extremely saturated primary colours (such as deep reds or greens) does a direct comparison reveal that the WOLED variant lacks the same level of richness as QD-OLED. These are, however, rare enough cases that it is hard to consider them a significant drawback in everyday use. If we were to nitpick one more detail, some of the very darkest elements in deep shadows can get slightly lost, but for the vast majority of viewers this will remain completely unnoticeable. Watching films and series on this TV is simply immersive.
HDR luminance chart:
The S90H, despite its solid brightness headroom, draws noticeably more detail from the picture when fed material with HDR10+ dynamic metadata. The lack of Dolby Vision support on Samsung TVs remains a limitation, but the growing popularity of HDR10+ means that in practice the differences between the standards are marginal. A noticeable gap appears, however, when comparing static HDR10 with HDR10+. Dynamic metadata lets the TV extract details in highlights more precisely, avoiding contrast flattening. Basic HDR10 alone looks very good on this screen in most scenes, and the benefits of dynamic metadata become apparent primarily in the most demanding, heavily lit shots, such as our test scene with white horses.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: HDR10+
Factory color reproduction
7.6/10
In Filmmaker mode, which we strongly recommend switching on straight out of the box, the S90H offers very good factory colour tuning. Colours are natural and faithful to the creators' intent, without the irritating oversaturation found in more aggressive presets. However, as is often the case without full calibration, no two units are identical. In our test the white balance was slightly lacking in blue, causing the image to lean a little towards warmer, yellowish tones. This was most noticeable in bright scenes, such as the snowy sequences from Star Wars. Additionally, the gamma curve was slightly low at 2.2, which produced a minor lift in shadow detail. In HDR mode the tuning was somewhat better, showing only a slight undersaturation in the red region.
Color reproduction after calibration
9.2/10
After a full calibration it’s fair to say the S90H in WOLED guise looks almost perfect. In SDR mode colour inaccuracies drop to ultra-low levels and Delta E values very rarely exceed 2. That’s a phenomenal result, so if you care about perfectly faithful colour reproduction it’s definitely worth considering calibration. The calibrated HDR mode also performs very well, with the white balance stabilised and earlier deviations eliminated. After professional fine-tuning it’s really hard to find anything to criticise, because the TV delivers an image with almost reference-level naturalness and three-dimensionality. The slightly lower score in this category compared with the QD-OLED variant is solely due to the aforementioned limitation in saturation in extremely bright scenes; the tuning options and colour fidelity themselves are at the highest level.
SAMSUNG S90H - Smoothness of tonal transitions
8/10
The smoothness of tonal transitions here is at a very solid level, and the variant with a WOLED panel has been noticeably improved compared with last year’s F-series model. Troublesome gradient errors and visible banding occur much less often. Despite this clear improvement, it still does not reach the level offered by QD-OLED technology. In almost every direct comparison, a QD-OLED panel handles transitions between shades a little more precisely. In summary: regarding gradients, the WOLED panel is clearly better than in previous generations, but the QD-OLED variant still maintains a noticeable advantage in this category.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
7.5/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
In terms of posterisation reduction itself, Samsung has kept the solutions known from last year’s models. The dedicated gradient-smoothing function performs quite well and can effectively mask unwanted tonal banding, which is useful on a WOLED panel that is slightly more prone to banding. However, you should be aware of its aggressive behaviour. This mechanism, alongside the artefacts themselves, can clean up fine film grain and gently soften detail. Ultimately it is a matter of compromise, but if you want an absolutely faithful reproduction, it is safer to leave this option off.
Similarly, in the area of scaling it is difficult to call this a breakthrough. The S90H uses the same NQ4 Gen3 processor as its predecessor, so the upscaling quality was almost identical. The chip sharpens lower-resolution material very well, extracting a satisfying level of detail. Samsung still has not dealt with the longstanding overscan issue, though. With some older recordings or archive footage the edges of the image can be slightly cropped. It’s a minor flaw, but it’s a pity the manufacturer still hasn’t eliminated it.
SAMSUNG S90H - Blur and motion smoothness
8.5/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 165Hz
Film motion smoothing option: Yes
Blur reduction option: Yes
BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 60Hz (image flickers)
BFI function 120Hz: No
Brightness drop with BFI: 50%
In terms of motion handling, the S90H is simply excellent. This year's panel offers a boosted refresh rate of up to 165 Hz, though in practice the benefit will mainly be for gamers connecting a high-end PC. For films, series or sports broadcasts such a high refresh rate makes no difference and the picture looks exactly the same as at the standard 120 Hz. Regardless of the source, however, the OLED panel's lightning-fast response time does its job, so motion is clean and the ghosting or smearing familiar from LCD screens simply does not occur here.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (BFI function enabled):
Image flickers in this mode
Blur (4K@165Hz ):
Samsung also gives us full control over the behaviour of the motion smoothing. In the menu we find two separate sliders for judder reduction and blur reduction, so it's easy to tailor the picture to our own preferences. We can easily set the ideal smoothness for football matches or retain the classic, filmic character with 24 fps material. Dynamic scenes therefore remain sharp and clear. The only exception is the BFI "Clear Motion" feature, that is, black frame insertion. It does sharpen motion further, but it causes noticeable flicker, so most people will probably turn it off. The best results are simply achieved with a native 120 Hz signal from a console or 165 Hz from a PC.
SAMSUNG S90H - Console compatibility and gaming features
9.6/10
- ALLM:
Yes
- VRR:
Yes
- VRR range:
48 - 165Hz
- Dolby Vision Game Mode:
No
- Correct implementation of HGIG:
Yes
- 1080p@120Hz:
Yes
- 1440p@120Hz:
Yes
- 4K@120Hz:
Yes
- Game bar:
Yes
Players should feel at home with the S90H, because Samsung has left few reasons to complain in that respect. The TV has four HDMI 2.1 ports, each of which supports VRR, ALLM and high refresh rates. There’s also the Game Bar, a handy menu that lets you quickly check key parameters and change settings without leaving the game. Importantly, Samsung has also improved HGiG mode. In last year’s models it could cause problems when used with a console, but on the S90H it now works as it should. What really stands out against the competition is the Game Motion Plus feature. It’s a special motion smoothing mode for games that works best with titles running at 30 or 60 fps. Motion becomes noticeably smoother, while latency remains at a reasonable level. In our measurements it was under 50 ms, so gaming is still comfortable. That’s important, because on many TVs enabling a similar smoothing feature causes such a large increase in input lag that controls become noticeably sluggish. Samsung has managed to find a good compromise here. There’s still no Dolby Vision Gaming, but in practice Game Motion Plus may prove to be a much more useful feature.
SAMSUNG S90H - Input lag
10/10
Input lag is another area that's really hard to fault. With a 120 Hz signal we measured just around 5/6 ms, which is an absolutely superb result. When switching to even higher refresh rates the delay fell to almost astronomically low levels, practically imperceptible during gameplay. The Samsung S90H delivers truly class-leading results.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 10 ms | 2160p60: 10 ms | |
| 1080p120: 6 ms | 2160p120: 5 ms | |
| 2160p60: 10 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 6 ms |
SAMSUNG S90H - Compatibility with PC
8.6/10
Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Very Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, max. refresh rate): 6ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: RWGB
Max refresh rate: 165Hz
G-Sync: Yes
The S90H performs very well as a large-format monitor for PC, and not just because of its full set of gaming features. NVIDIA G-Sync certification, low input lag and support for refresh rates up to 165 Hz mean it works smoothly with typical gaming PCs. In terms of motion and image sharpness in PC games, there is little to criticise. The picture is a little different during everyday office work, web browsing or text editing. Although fonts remain legible, the specific subpixel layout of the WOLED panel (with an additional white subpixel) can make itself felt. When sitting very close to the screen, letter edges and small interface elements may show slight coloured fringing or appear a little softened. This is a characteristic of WOLED panels. In practice, however, it is not a major problem. We tested the 65-inch variant, which is naturally used at a distance of around a metre or more. From that distance the effect effectively disappears and does not interfere with daily work. It may be more noticeable in the smallest sizes, such as 42 or 48 inches, which are often placed on a desk and used at distances of only a few dozen centimetres.
SAMSUNG S90H - Viewing angles
7.6/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 31%
The viewing angles on the Samsung S90H are very good and among the best on the market. That's due to the OLED panel, which, when viewed from the side, does not lose brightness or colour saturation as quickly as many LCD TVs. The picture therefore keeps its proper appearance for longer, which matters especially when watching TV in a larger group and not everyone is sitting directly in front of the screen. Only at very large viewing angles can you notice the advantage of QD-OLED panels. In their case the viewing angles are practically perfect, whereas in the WOLED version the colours and brightness begin to change slightly.
SAMSUNG S90H - Daytime performance
6.5/10
Panel finish: Matte
Reflection suppression: Very Good
Black levels during daytime: Good
There is, however, one area where the S90H with a WOLED panel performs better than the QD-OLED version. It concerns viewing in a heavily sunlit room. Thanks to the presence of a conventional polariser, blacks do not shift as much towards grey or a dark cherry tint as they do in QD-OLED panels. Combined with the new matt coating, this delivers very good results. Even in strong light the image retains more depth and the colours do not lose their vibrancy so quickly. That does not mean the screen remains completely black in all conditions. Under very strong lighting you can notice a faint purple tint, typical of WOLED panels. In the S90H it is partially suppressed by the matt coating and is not as obvious.
Ultimately both variants perform similarly in this category. WOLED handles maintaining black levels in a bright room better, but on the other hand it achieves slightly lower brightness in SDR. At times the difference versus the QD-OLED version may reach around 150 nits.
Panel brightness
Samsung S90H (WOLED): 473 cd/m2
SAMSUNG S90H - TV features
7.3/10
System: Tizen
System performance: Very good
- HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
- Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
- Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
- TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
Classic features:
- Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): No
- Recording programming: No
- Picture in Picture (PiP): No
- RF remote control (no need to aim): RF
- Backlit remote control: No
- Teletext: Yes
- Audio only mode: Yes
- Bluetooth headphones support: Yes
- Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio: Yes
Smart features:
- AirPlay: Yes
- Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
- Voice search: Yes
- Voice search in native language: Yes
- Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
Classic television
When it comes to ordinary cable or terrestrial TV, Samsung offers no revolutions compared with last year’s model. Discounting the marketing AI features, you simply get a solid, traditional package: a full set of tuners, a CI slot for a decryption card, teletext and a convenient RF remote that doesn’t need to be pointed directly at the screen. The problem is that the market competition offers exactly the same today, and the S90H adds nothing in this area. What’s more, the S90 series has dropped the PIP function, that is picture-in-picture. If you liked to keep an eye on the news in the corner of the screen while watching another programme, unfortunately you can’t do that here.
Smart TV: Tizen
While there’s little that’s new for traditional TV, Tizen in its 2026 version performs really well. The main point is that the system runs incredibly smoothly and responds to commands without unnecessary hesitation. Any stutters in animations or lag when navigating the menus have gone. Although it’s Samsung’s proprietary platform rather than the Google TV many dislike, the app base is complete, and you’ll find absolutely all the major VOD services. Cloud gaming fans will also be pleased, because the gaming section has been significantly refined. For everyday Smart TV use, it’s an exceptionally fast and mature environment.
Sound connection options
HDMI audio:
Other audio outputs:
- Toslink: Yes
Wireless audio:
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Samsung Q-Symphony (Speaker extension): Yes
Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):
- Dolby Digital Plus 7.1: Yes
- Dolby True HD 7.1: Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC): Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD: Yes
- DTS:X in DTS-HD MA: No
- DTS-HD Master Audio: No
Senior accessibility
- Numeric keyboard on TV: No
- Font size adjustment: Yes
- Audio description: Yes
SAMSUNG S90H - Apps
9.3/10
SAMSUNG S90H - Playing files from USB
9.1/10
| Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
|---|---|
| 4 Mpix | JPEG |
| 6 Mpix | HEIC |
| 8 Mpix | PNG |
| 10 Mpix | GIF |
| 12 Mpix | WebP |
| 16 Mpix | TIFF |
| 20 Mpix | BMP |
| 24 Mpix | SVG |
| 28 Mpix | |
| 32 Mpix |
The built-in media player handles most popular video, audio and image formats without any problems. The range of supported files is wide enough that the inability to install external apps such as VLC is not an issue at all. However, we encountered one serious bug when trying to open HEIC photos from an iPhone. Not only did the TV fail to display the files, it caused Tizen to freeze completely. The system stopped responding to the remote and we had to unplug the TV from the mains. This is a clear software bug that Samsung should patch as soon as possible in the next firmware update.
SAMSUNG S90H - Sound
8.4/10
-
Maximum volume
Supported codecs (TV speakers)
Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Dolby True HD 7.1
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
DTS-HD Master Audio
The audio specification in the S90 series has, in theory, remained unchanged for several years. We still get a 2.1 system with a total power of 40 W, so before testing we assumed any noticeably better sound would be limited mainly to the largest variants. Yet the 65-inch model we tested sounded noticeably better than its predecessors. The sound is fuller, more dynamic and has more 'weight' than the dry specifications would suggest. We don't know whether Samsung changed the actual speakers or whether the improvement is mainly down to better tuning and software optimisation, but the effect is audible from the first moments. For such a slim S90H, it performs very well and for many people may be sufficient even without a soundbar. The only real complaint is the lack of DTS:X support, which, unfortunately, is increasingly being dropped from televisions. It does, however, support Dolby Atmos, so users of streaming services are unlikely to notice a major problem. The main disappointment will be for people who use Blu-ray discs, where DTS tracks still appear fairly often.
* In the test we used the S90H variant. Also available for sale is the S92H model, equipped with two additional 20 W drivers. That gives a 2.1.2 configuration with a total power of 60 W, so you can expect stronger and more spacious sound. We cannot confirm this, however, as we did not have the opportunity to test that version.
Acoustic Measurements
No acoustic data
SAMSUNG S90H - Panel details
Software version during testing: T-RSMHDEUC-0100-120 4.3, E4601200, BT - G. albo 1204
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
Backlight Type: WRGB OLED
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Journalist, reviewer, and columnist for the "ChooseTV" portal
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