Samsung S90F OLED TV Review

Tested using Methodology v2.0.1
Reviewed Jun 02, 2025 at 02:07 pm
Latest change: Writing modified Jun 03, 2025 at 01:22 pm
Samsung S90F OLED Picture
8.6
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Samsung S90D OLED
8.8
Home Theater
Value for price beaten by
: Samsung S90D OLED
7.6
Bright Room
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U8QG
8.1
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Samsung QN90D
9.1
Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Samsung S90D OLED
8.0
Brightness
10
Black Level
8.8
Color
8.4
Processing (In Development)

The Samsung S90F OLED is Samsung's mid-range model in their 2025 OLED lineup, and it sits just below the flagship Samsung S95F OLED and above the Samsung S85F OLED. It replaces the Samsung S90D OLED. It features an improved QD-OLED panel and is powered by Samsung's custom NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor, which is designed to increase the TV's processing speed. It runs the 2025 version of Samsung's proprietary Tizen OS. The TV has 40W 2.1 channel speakers built-in and supports HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos, but as usual for Samsung, there's no support for Dolby Vision HDR or DTS audio formats. We bought and tested the 65-inch model, but it's also available in 42, 48, 55, 77, and 83-inch sizes, although in North America, the two smallest and the biggest sizes use a WOLED panel instead of QD-OLED.

Just like with the S90D, the S90F has both WOLED and QD-OLED panels, and the type of panel you get varies by the TV's size and what region you're in. A QD-OLED panel's performance and overall picture quality are typically better than a traditional WOLED panel, so keep this in mind while shopping. Our review is based on the QD-OLED version of the TV. You can find more information on the S90F's different panel types.

Our Verdict

8.6 Mixed Usage

The Samsung S90F handles almost anything you throw at it. In a dedicated home-theater space, it's a standout, pairing true-black OLED contrast with vibrant colors, punchy HDR highlights, and great processing. Its SDR brightness is only decent, but its great reflections handling keeps the picture engaging in rooms with moderate to bright lighting, though it can look a bit washed-out under very bright lights or windows, as its black levels are noticeably raised in that context. Gamers benefit from near-instant pixel response, ultra-low input lag, and a full slate of current-gen gaming features, while the TV's wide viewing angle keeps the image looking consistent for everyone on the couch.

Pros
  • Perfect blacks in a dark room with no blooming around bright highlights.

  • Incredibly wide viewing angle for a consistent image from the sides.

  • Great reflection handling means it handles glare in a well-lit room.

  • Colors are very vibrant, bright, lifelike, and mostly accurate.

  • Impressive HDR peak brightness means highlights really pop.

Cons
  • Black levels are raised in rooms with the lights on.

8.8 Home Theater

The Samsung S90F truly shines in a dark, cinema-like setup. Its OLED panel delivers inky blacks with zero blooming, while colors stay vibrant and rich, while being virtually free of banding. HDR highlights really pop thanks to the TV's robust peak brightness, and the set's processing delivers strong HDR brightness accuracy and upscaling. Low-quality content smoothing in low-bitrate streams is less convincing, sometimes leaving compression artifacts behind, and the panel's lightning-fast response can introduce mild stutter in slow-panning film and TV scenes. Overall, this is a standout home theater TV.

Pros
  • Perfect blacks in a dark room with no blooming around bright highlights.

  • Colors are very vibrant, bright, lifelike, and mostly accurate.

  • Impressive HDR peak brightness means highlights really pop.

  • Does a great job upscaling low-resolution content like DVDs or cable TV channels.

  • Does an outstanding job displaying HDR content at the intended level or brightness.

Cons
  • No Dolby Vision or DTS audio support.

  • Noticeable stutter due to the TV's fast response time.

7.6 Bright Room

The Samsung S90F fares well in brightly lit spaces, but it isn't perfect. Its SDR brightness is decent enough for a good viewing experience in moderately lit rooms, but luckily, the TV's handling of direct reflections really helps it out when dealing with tons of glare; overall, daytime viewing is comfortable on this TV. Colors hold their vibrancy, too, retaining plenty of punch even under ambient light. The catch is that any ambient lights lift the panel's blacks to more of a charcoal gray, softening contrast and sapping some of the TV's signature OLED wow factor.

Pros
  • Great reflection handling means it handles glare in a well-lit room.

  • Colors are very vibrant, bright, lifelike, and mostly accurate.

Cons
  • Black levels are raised in rooms with the lights on.

8.1 Sports

The Samsung S90F is a very solid pick for sports fans. Your favorite jerseys pop with vivid, saturated color, and the TV's lightning-quick pixel response times keep fast-moving players and balls razor-sharp. The TV's uniformity is great, so you won't spot any dirty screen effect mid-field or on an ice rink. While its SDR brightness is only decent, its great anti-glare coating keeps reflections in check for daytime viewing. Lower resolution broadcasts are upscaled very well, though heavily compressed feeds can still show a few artifacts. Finally, its wide viewing angle means everyone on the couch gets the same clear view of the action.

Pros
  • Incredibly wide viewing angle for a consistent image from the sides.

  • Great gray uniformity with no noticeable dirty screen effect.

  • Great reflection handling means it handles glare in a well-lit room.

  • Nearly instantaneous pixel transitions for no noticeable blur behind fast motion.

  • Colors are very vibrant, bright, lifelike, and mostly accurate.

  • Does a great job upscaling low-resolution content like DVDs or cable TV channels.

Cons
9.1 Gaming

The Samsung S90F is tailor-made for gamers. It drives 4k @ 144Hz, pairing perfectly with today's consoles, and is also a solid choice for all but the most competitive of PC gamers. Lightning-fast pixel response times, ultra-low input lag, and complete VRR support combine for smooth, tear-free gameplay. HDR titles really pop, with lifelike colors and punchy highlights, while SDR games still look rich and vibrant enough for a solid visual experience. Finally, the TV doesn't lose any of its contrast or HDR brightness when in Game Mode, so you can get the lowest input lag possible without any tradeoffs.

Pros
  • Incredibly low input lag for a very responsive experience.

  • Nearly instantaneous pixel transitions for no noticeable blur behind fast motion.

  • Colors are very vibrant, bright, lifelike, and mostly accurate.

  • Impressive HDR peak brightness means highlights really pop.

Cons
8.0 Brightness

The Samsung S90F's overall brightness is impressive. In HDR, its peaks make highlights sparkle in movies, shows, and games. SDR output is more subdued in comparison, yet it's still strong enough to fend off glare in a moderately lit room, especially with its strong direct reflections handling.

Pros
  • Impressive HDR peak brightness means highlights really pop.

Cons
10 Black Level

The Samsung S90F is an OLED, so it has outstanding black levels. Blacks are deep and inky when viewed in a dark room, with no blooming around bright highlights.

Pros
  • Perfect blacks in a dark room with no blooming around bright highlights.

Cons
8.8 Color

The Samsung S90F has incredibly bright, vibrant, and lifelike colors in both SDR and HDR. It also has great overall color accuracy in SDR, so most people will be pleased with its colors without needing a professional calibration. It's not quite as accurate in HDR; most people will be satisfied, but purists will definitely notice some issues with the TV's white balance and color temperature.

Pros
  • Colors are very vibrant, bright, lifelike, and mostly accurate.

Cons
8.4 Processing (In Development)

Note: We're in the process of improving our tests related to image processing, but this score should give you a general idea of how a TV performs overall with its image processing capabilities.

The Samsung S90F's processing is quite impressive. It upscales SD and HD feeds very well, so older material, like from DVDs, looks clean. Its HDR brightness accuracy is almost perfect, and there's virtually zero color banding. Low-bitrate smoothing, however, is just decent, as some compression artifacts still sneak through on heavily compressed streams, but it's good enough for a satisfactory viewing experience.

Pros
  • Almost no banding at all in color gradients.

  • Does a great job upscaling low-resolution content like DVDs or cable TV channels.

  • Does an outstanding job displaying HDR content at the intended level or brightness.

Cons
9.4 Game Mode Responsiveness

The Samsung S90F feels lightning quick in Game Mode. Near-instant pixel transitions keep fast action razor-sharp, ultra-low input lag makes every control response snappy, and VRR support all but eliminates screen tearing. Unlike some high-end models, this one is limited to 4k @ 144Hz, but it's enough for a quick gaming experience for anyone but the most hardcore PC gamers.

Pros
  • Incredibly low input lag for a very responsive experience.

  • Nearly instantaneous pixel transitions for no noticeable blur behind fast motion.

Cons
7.9 Motion Handling (Broken)

We're in the process of fixing the way we evaluate a TV's overall motion handling. This section is currently broken, and the score isn't indicative of how well a TV handles motion overall.

  • 8.6 Mixed Usage
  • 8.8 Home Theater
  • 7.6 Bright Room
  • 8.1 Sports
  • 9.1 Gaming

Performance Usages

  • 8.0 Brightness
  • 10 Black Level
  • 8.8 Color
  • 8.4 Processing (In Development)
  • 9.4 Game Mode Responsiveness
  • 7.9 Motion Handling (Broken)

Changelog

  1. Updated Jun 03, 2025:

    We mentioned the stutter that occurs with 24p content when there's a sudden change in brightness in the 24p Judder section.

  2. Updated Jun 02, 2025: Review published.
  3. Updated May 26, 2025: Early access published.
  4. Updated May 05, 2025: Our testers have started testing this product.
  5. Updated Apr 22, 2025: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  6. Updated Mar 28, 2025: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We bought and tested the 65-inch Samsung S90F (QD-OLED, QN65S90FAFXZA), and these results are also valid for the 55-inch and 77-inch models that use QD-OLED (FXZA) panels. In North America, the 42-inch, 48-inch, and 83-inch models use a WOLED panel (EXZA) instead. Our results don't apply to any WOLED version of the TV.

Internationally, most model sizes use a WOLED panel, but typically at least one size uses a QD-OLED panel, which can be identified by the last four digits of the long model code in your particular region; if the fourth last digit of the model code is an 'E,' the TV very likely uses a WOLED panel. For example, in the UK the 65-inch model ends with TXXU, so you should end up with a QD-OLED panel if you buy that size.

The TV is also sold with a slightly different model code at warehouse stores like Costco and Sam’s Club, with a longer warranty.

SizeUS ModelCostco ModelShort Model CodeDisplay Technology (North America)Maximum Refresh Rate
42"QN42S90FAEXZA-QN42S90FWOLED144Hz
48"QN48S90FAEXZA-QN48S90FWOLED144Hz
55"QN55S90FAFXZAQN55S90FDFXZAQN55S90FQD-OLED144Hz
65"QN65S90FAFXZAQN65S90FDFXZAQN65S90FQD-OLED144Hz
77"QN77S90FAFXZAQN77S90FDFXZAQN77S90FQD-OLED144Hz
83"QN83S90FAEXZAQN83S90FDEXZAQN83S90FWOLED144Hz

Our unit was manufactured in March 2025, as seen on the label.

Compared To Other TVs

The Samsung S90F is an excellent TV from Samsung and is one of the best possible picks at its price point. Its immediate competition, the LG C5 OLED, is also excellent this year, as both TVs trade blows, with the C5 having the edge in overall brightness and Dolby Vision support, while Samsung instead has a much more colorful panel. With the C5's HDR10 issues, however, the S90F ends up the clear favorite. If you'd like even more performance, the higher-end Samsung S95F OLED offers a noticeable performance boost at a higher price. There's also the cheaper Samsung S85F OLED, but that model is far dimmer in HDR and is limited to 4k @ 120Hz for gaming, so it's a big downgrade. Overall, the S90F is an amazing choice.

For more options, check out our recommendations for the best OLED TVs, the best 4k TVs, and the best TVs for watching movies.

Samsung S90D OLED
42" (WOLED) 48" (WOLED) 55" (QD-OLED) 65" (QD-OLED) 77" (QD-OLED) 83" (WOLED)

The Samsung S90F OLED is a slight upgrade over the Samsung S90D OLED. While they're almost identical, the biggest improvement is the S90F's noticeably brighter SDR brightness and much more accurate HDR brightness. Still, not everything is better, as the S90F's HDR colors are less accurate out of the box than the S90D.

Samsung S95F OLED
55" 65" 77" 83"

The Samsung S95F OLED is better than the Samsung S90F OLED. The S95F is brighter in HDR, especially in SDR; it really excels in standard dynamic range. The S95F is more accurate in HDR out of the box, supports 4k @ 165Hz for PC gamers, and comes with the versatile One Connect box. Finally, its matte coating handles direct reflections far better than the S90F.

LG C5 OLED
42" 48" 55" 65" 77" 83"

The LG C5 OLED and the Samsung S90F OLED trade blows. They're about equally as bright in most HDR content, although the S90F is far brighter in Game Mode. In SDR, however, the C5 is way brighter. The S90F does handle direct reflections better, but the C5's black levels barely raise in bright environments, while the S90F's blacks become charcoal gray in the same context. The S90F's QD-OLED panel is far more colorful than the C5's WOLED panel, which is expected. They're about equally as good for gaming, although the C5's Dolby Vision support does give it the slight edge for Xbox gamers. Unfortunately, the C5's HDR10 issues make the S90F the clear choice for now.

Samsung S85F OLED
55" 65" 77" 83"

The Samsung S90F OLED is better than the Samsung S85F OLED. The S90F offers a much more immersive viewing experience due to its far brighter HDR highlights and better HDR color volume, while also being brighter in SDR. Plus, the S90F is the better option for PC gamers due to its 4k @ 144Hz support, while the S85F is limited to 4k @ 120Hz. 

Video

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Brightness
8.3
Brightness
HDR Brightness
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
1,026 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
714 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
246 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
1,628 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,426 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
667 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
383 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
258 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
1,593 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,121 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
655 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
376 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
253 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.104

The Samsung S90F has impressive HDR brightness, and highlights really pop out in dark and moderately lit scenes. The TV is noticeably dimmer during scenes with large areas of brightness, but it's in line with most other OLEDs. Overall, it still provides an impactful HDR experience during these entirely bright scenes.

Our results above are with the TV set to Filmmaker Mode, with 'HDR Tone Mapping' set to 'Static' and 'Contrast Enhancer' disabled. Below are the results with 'HDR Tone Mapping' set to 'Active,' which significantly increases the TV's luminance but makes the image less accurate.

  • Hallway Lights: 1271 cd/m²
  • Yellow Skyscraper: 947 cd/m²
  • Landscape Pool: 450 cd/m²

And here are the results with 'Contrast Enhancer' set to 'High':

  • Hallway Lights: 1068 cd/m²
  • Yellow Skyscraper: 1000 cd/m²
  • Landscape Pool: 440 cd/m²

8.2
Brightness
HDR Brightness In Game Mode
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
982 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
708 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
246 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
1,326 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,321 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
665 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
384 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
257 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
1,316 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,294 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
652 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
378 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
254 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.101

The TV is a bit dimmer in its dedicated gaming mode when very bright small highlights are on screen, but otherwise, the TV looks mostly just as bright in Game Mode as in Filmmaker Mode.

Our results above are with the TV set to Game Mode with 'HDR Tone Mapping' set to 'Static' and 'Game HDR' set to 'Basic.' Below are the results with 'HDR Tone Mapping' set to 'Active,' which significantly increases the TV's luminance, but makes the image less accurate.

  • Hallway Lights: 1000 cd/m²
  • Yellow Skyscraper: 739 cd/m²
  • Landscape Pool: 308 cd/m²

And here are the results with 'Game HDR' set to 'Advanced,' which brightens up the image even more, again at the cost of accuracy:

  • Hallway Lights: 867 cd/m²
  • Yellow Skyscraper: 1651 cd/m²
  • Landscape Pool: 678 cd/m²

7.2
Brightness
SDR Brightness
Real Scene Peak Brightness
449 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
629 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
628 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
631 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
357 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
243 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
626 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
623 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
624 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
352 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
239 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.063

The TV has decent SDR brightness. Small bright areas in dark and moderately lit scenes have great brightness, but large bright areas in well-lit scenes are dimmer. Still, overall, it's bright enough to overcome glare when watched in well-lit rooms.

Black Level
10
Black Level
Contrast
Contrast
Inf : 1
Native Contrast
Inf : 1

The Samsung S90F has remarkable contrast and a nearly infinite contrast ratio. Since each pixel is self-lit, the TV displays bright highlights next to perfect inky blacks with no light bleed or haloing, making it very impressive in a dark room.

10
Black Level
Lighting Zone Precision

Since OLEDs don't use lighting zones and instead have individual pixels that can be lit up to their maximum brightness next to pixels that are turned off, there's no blooming when bright elements are surrounded by deep blacks.

10
Black Level
Lighting Zone Transitions
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
No Backlight
Dimming Zone Count Of The Tested TV
8,294,400

The Samsung S90F is an OLED and doesn't have a backlight, so its self-lit pixels give it the same performance as a TV with perfect local dimming and no zone transitions. We still film the zone transition video on the TV so you can see how it compares to an option with local dimming.

9.5
Black Level
Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode

There's no difference in dark scene behavior when the TV is set in Game Mode.

10
Black Level
Black Uniformity
Std. Dev.
N/A
Native Std. Dev.
0.201%

Because OLED pixels are self-lit and can turn off individual pixels, the TV has incredible black uniformity with no blooming or halo effect around bright objects.

Color
9.0
Color
SDR Color Volume
CIELAB DCI-P3 Coverage
98.11%
CIELAB BT.2020 Coverage
79.55%

The TV has superb color volume in SDR. Like almost any TV, it has full coverage of the most commonly used Rec.709 color space, but it also has nearly perfect coverage of the wider DCI-P3 color space. Its coverage of the widest BT.2020 color space is great, and it really excels when displaying lighter shades. Overall, it's a fantastic TV to watch the odd SDR content that's mastered in these wider color spaces, or if you like punchier colors by forcing Rec.709/sRGB content into a wider color space.

Volume ΔE³DCI-P3
Coverage
BT.2020
Coverage
L1099.24%83.83%
L2099.36%83.49%
L3099.28%83.06%
L4096.24%81.97%
L5095.46%82.50%
L6097.61%82.88%
L7098.88%75.05%
L8099.36%74.17%
L9099.71%76.83%
L10099.80%88.64%
Total98.11%79.55%

9.1
Color
HDR Color Volume
1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
99.6%
10,000 cd/m² BT.2020 Coverage ITP
58.0%
White Luminance
1,602 cd/m²
Red Luminance
309 cd/m²
Green Luminance
1,145 cd/m²
Blue Luminance
88 cd/m²
Cyan Luminance
1,151 cd/m²
Magenta Luminance
438 cd/m²
Yellow Luminance
1,083 cd/m²

This TV has fantastic color volume in HDR. It displays dark, saturated colors perfectly, thanks to its nearly infinite contrast ratio. It also displays bright colors with impact, as they aren't washed out at all.

There's currently a bug with the 'Auto' Color Space setting, and it's not working properly. These results are with it set to 'Auto,' but due to the bug, the measured yellow luminance is too low. While it's possible to compensate for this bug, doing so reduces the color space considerably, so we left it alone.

9.1
Color
SDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy
White Balance dE 2000
1.65
Color dE 2000
1.19
Gamma
2.16
Color Temperature
6,512 K
Picture Mode
Movie
Color Temp Setting
Warm 2
Gamma Setting
2.2

The Samsung S90F is incredibly accurate even without a full calibration. Gamma is extremely close to the 2.2 target, although dark and moderately lit scenes appear slightly brighter than they should, while very bright scenes are instead too dark. We can see that portrayed in the TV's white balance, as all colors are overrepresented in mid-grays. Color temperature is fantastic, and there are no truly noticeable color errors.

9.7
Color
SDR Post-Calibration Color Accuracy
White Balance dE 2000
0.19
Color dE 2000
0.72
Gamma
2.19
Color Temperature
6,518 K
White Balance Calibration
20 point
Color Calibration
Yes

The calibration process is quick and easy on this TV, even if it's not really needed since it's already so accurate out of the box. After calibration, it's nearly perfect in SDR, with no noticeable issues.

See our full calibration settings.

7.4
Color
HDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy
White Balance dE ITP
10.83
Color dE ITP
8.0
Color Temperature
6,763 K
Picture Mode
Filmmaker

The Samsung S90F has decent HDR accuracy before calibration, but it has some issues with its white balance and color temperature. Blues and reds are overrepresented in brighter grays, and the TV is a bit too cold overall. Its color accuracy is very good, but there are some mapping errors throughout, especially in grays.

9.0
Color
HDR Post-Calibration Color Accuracy
White Balance dE ITP
4.10
Color dE ITP
6.20
Color Temperature
6,608 K

After calibration, the TV has fantastic HDR accuracy, with noticeably improved white balance and color temperature. Color accuracy is also much improved, with grays now having significantly fewer mapping issues.

Processing
9.4
Processing
PQ EOTF Tracking
600 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0017
1000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0016
4000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0017

The Samsung S90F's EOTF tracking is outstanding overall, but it's not perfect, although almost. Blacks and near-blacks are displayed perfectly, but shadow details are a bit raised. Mid-tones and bright highlights fare better with no significant issues. There's a sharp roll-off near the TV's peak brightness, which means the TV prefers hitting the highest peak brightness possible over preserving gradation in bright areas.

7.3
Processing
Low-Quality Content Smoothing
Smoothing
7.0
Detail Preservation
8.0

This TV does a great job preserving fine details when streaming content from low-bandwidth sources, but there's still noticeable macro blocking in dark scenes.

8.0
Processing
Upscaling: Sharpness Processing

This TV does a great job upscaling low-resolution content like DVDs or cable TV channels. Fine details and hard-coded text are hard to make out, but most content looks great overall. Unfortunately, just like with the Samsung S95F OLED, it applies edge enhancement to all content, even with the Sharpness slider set to '0.' This is present in all picture modes, but it's slightly better in Filmmaker Mode.

9.8
Processing
HDR Native Gradient
100% Black To 50% Gray
10
50% Gray To 100% White
10
100% Black To 50% Red
10
50% Red To 100% Red
10
100% Black To 50% Green
10
50% Green To 100% Green
8.0
100% Black To 50% Blue
10
50% Blue To 100% Blue
10

The Samsung S90F has exceptional HDR native gradient handling. There is no banding in any colors except bright greens, and even then, it's barely noticeable unless you specifically look for it.

Game Mode Responsiveness
9.0
Game Mode Responsiveness
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
9.9 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
74.8 ms
1080p @ 120Hz
5.3 ms
1080p @ Max Refresh Rate
4.4 ms
4k @ 60Hz
9.9 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
9.8 ms
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
76.6 ms
4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
22.7 ms
4k @ 120Hz
5.2 ms
4k @ Max Refresh Rate
4.5 ms
8k @ 60Hz
N/A

This TV has very low input lag when set into Game Mode, which ensures a responsive gaming experience. It's a bit higher outside of Game Mode, so navigating menus on external devices feels a bit sluggish, but not excessively so. It supports a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz at both 1080p and 4k resolutions.

9.4
Game Mode Responsiveness
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 4k
480p @ 59.94Hz (Widescreen)
Yes
720p @ 59.94Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p Maximum Refresh Rate
144 Hz
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k Maximum Refresh Rate
144 Hz
8k @ 30Hz Or 24Hz
No
8k @ 60Hz
No

The TV supports most common resolutions up to 4k @ 144Hz. Chroma 4:4:4 signals are displayed properly with all supported resolutions when the TV's input label is set to 'PC' with Input Signal Plus enabled, which is important for text clarity.

8.5
Game Mode Responsiveness
Variable Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
144Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
HDMI Forum VRR
Yes
FreeSync
Yes
G-SYNC Compatible
Yes
4k VRR Maximum
144 Hz
4k VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
1080p VRR Maximum
144 Hz
1080p VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
VRR + Local Dimming No Local Dimming

The Samsung S90F supports all three types of variable refresh rate (VRR) technology to reduce screen tearing. It works well across a very wide refresh rate range and supports sources with Low-Frame-Compensation (LFC). This ensures you get a more consistently tear-free gaming experience, even when your games can't keep up and the frame rate drops very low.

9.7
Game Mode Responsiveness
CAD In Game Mode @ Max Refresh Rate
Transition At Max Refresh
Avg. CAD
25
Best 10% CAD
13
Worst 10% CAD
61

Like all OLEDs, the TV's CAD at its maximum refresh rate of 144Hz is fantastic. Pixels transition to their target RGB level almost instantly with no noticeable overshoot, so fast motion is very sharp. The slight dip in the CAD charts is caused by the TV's refresh cycle and isn't noticeable.

9.8
Game Mode Responsiveness
CAD In Game Mode @ 120Hz
Transition At 120Hz
Avg. CAD
22
Best 10% CAD
12
Worst 10% CAD
35

Dropping down to sources with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, like a console, has no noticeable impact on the TV's motion handling. Fast motion is clear, with no noticeable overshoot or motion artifacts. The slight dip in the CAD charts is caused by the TV's refresh cycle and isn't noticeable.

9.8
Game Mode Responsiveness
CAD In Game Mode @ 60Hz
Transition 60Hz
Avg. CAD
23
Best 10% CAD
12
Worst 10% CAD
42

Due to the sample-and-hold nature of OLED TVs, there's noticeable persistence blur when gaming at 60Hz, but the CAD is still extremely good. Pixels transition very quickly, with no noticeable motion artifacts. The slight dip in the CAD charts is caused by the TV's refresh cycle and isn't noticeable.

Game Mode Responsiveness
PS5 Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
Yes

The Samsung S90F is fully compatible with everything the base PS5 offers, like 1440p @ 120Hz and 4k @ 120Hz, as well as HDMI Forum VRR. It doesn't support 8k signals from the PS5 Pro, though. It also supports Auto Low Latency Mode, so you don't have to worry about switching to Game Mode to get the lowest input lag.

Game Mode Responsiveness
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
Yes

The Samsung S90F is almost fully compatible with everything the Xbox Series X|S offers, including 1440p @ 120Hz, 4k @ 120Hz, HDMI Forum VRR, and FreeSync Premium Pro. It also supports Auto Low Latency Mode, so you don't have to worry about switching to Game Mode to get the lowest input lag. Unfortunately, Dolby Vision isn't supported on the TV, so gaming in Dolby Vision isn't possible.

Motion Handling
4.3
Motion Handling
Stutter
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
40.9 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
15.9 ms

Unfortunately, due to the nearly instantaneous pixel response time of the TV, there's noticeable stutter in all content, especially in shots with slow camera movement.

10
Motion Handling
24p Judder
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes

The TV automatically removes judder from all sources when watching movies or shows that are in 24p, even if they're in a 60Hz signal, which helps with the appearance of motion in movies and shows. Unfortunately, the TV occasionally stutters with 24p content when there's a sudden change in brightness from one scene to the next, as explained by HDTVTest.

9.7
Motion Handling
Response Time
Transition At 60Hz
First Response Time
0.8 ms
Total Response Time
0.8 ms
Worst 10% Response Time
3.8 ms

The TV has a nearly instantaneous response time, resulting in incredibly clear motion with almost no blur behind fast-moving objects when watching content. There's no noticeable overshoot or other artifacts. The slight dip in the response time charts is caused by the TV's refresh cycle, though it's not noticeable.

Motion Handling
Flicker
Flicker-Free
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz

This TV doesn't have a traditional backlight and doesn't use pulse-width modulation (PWM) to dim each pixel, but it's not completely flicker-free. There's a slight dip in brightness that corresponds to the TV's refresh rate. This differs from the PWM flicker on TVs with LED backlights and occurs on every OLED we've tested. It's not noticeable, and most people won't be bothered by this, but it can still bother people who are extra sensitive to flicker.

Motion Handling
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Optional BFI
Yes
Min Flicker For 60 fps
60 Hz
60Hz For 60 fps
Yes
120Hz For 120 fps
No
Min Flicker For 60 fps In Game Mode
60 Hz

The TV has an optional black frame insertion (BFI) feature that reduces the appearance of persistence blur caused by the TV's nearly instantaneous response time. It can only insert black frames at a 60Hz refresh rate, so this feature is not available at 120Hz or 144Hz.

Motion Handling
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
Yes

This TV has an optional motion interpolation feature. It's effective at improving the overall appearance of motion, but there are noticeable artifacts in just about any content, including slower scenes that most TVs have no issue with.

Reflections
8.4
Reflections
Direct Reflections
Peak Direct Reflection Intensity
17.5%
Screen Finish
Glossy

The TV does a great job reducing the intensity of direct reflections, so you aren't overly distracted if you have a lamp or window opposite your screen.

5.3
Reflections
Ambient Black Level Raise
Black Luminance @ 0 lx
0.00 cd/m²
Black Luminance @ 1000 lx
2.43 cd/m²

The TV does a disappointing job of displaying deep blacks in a bright room. Blacks look increasingly gray as your room becomes brighter, so the image looks washed out, and you lose the impactful picture quality this OLED has in a dark room.

9.3
Reflections
Total Reflected Light
Total Reflected Light Intensity
3,335% ⋅ pixel
Diffraction Artifacts
No

The TV does an exceptional job with total reflected light. Its glossy screen finish significantly reduces the intensity of indirect reflections. However, due to the lack of a polarizer, the TV has a purple tint to it in a well-lit room.

8.2
Reflections
Ambient Color Saturation
Low-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
65.28%
Mid-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
75.67%
High-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
74.62%

The TV has very good color saturation in a bright room. Mid-luminance and high-luminance colors retain their saturation very well, but low-luminance colors lose some of their saturation in a well-lit room. Fortunately, you still get very saturated colors in a bright room overall, since its color volume is so impressive to begin with.

Panel
9.9
Panel
Viewing Angle
Color Washout
70°
Color Shift
70°
Brightness Loss
70°
Black Level Raise
70°
Gamma Shift
70°

Like all other QD-OLED TVs on the market, the TV has an essentially perfect viewing angle. There's a slight loss of brightness at an extremely wide angle, but it's not noticeable.

8.4
Panel
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
0.707%
50% DSE
0.131%
5% Std. Dev.
0.210%
5% DSE
0.095%

The TV has a very clean panel, with no noticeable uniformity issues. There are some very faint vertical lines, but they're not noticeable at a normal viewing distance. There's no pink or green tint to the panel.

Panel
Panel Technology
Type OLED
Sub-Type
QD-OLED
Subpixel Layout
Triangular RGB

The Samsung S90F uses a unique subpixel structure. Instead of having all three subpixels in a row, each pixel forms a triangle, with the larger green subpixel at the top. This leads to color fringing; on a bright window on a Windows PC, you might notice a green fringe at the top since that's where the green subpixel is. Similarly, there's a purple fringe at the bottom of bright windows, as that's where the red and blue subpixels are. Furthermore, with this subpixel arrangement, text has just okay clarity on a PC, as Windows ClearType settings aren't designed for this subpixel structure and can't correct for it.

The TV uses quantum dots to achieve high color peaks with excellent separation between blues, greens, and reds. This gives the TV great color purity and allows it to display an incredibly wide range of colors.

Inputs
Inputs
Input Specifications
HDMI 4 (4x HDMI 2.1)
HDMI 2.1 Rated Speed
48 Gbps
ATSC Tuner
1.0
USB Ports 2
USB 3.0
No
Audio Out 3.5mm 1
Wi-Fi Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Ethernet Speed 100 Mbps
Composite In 0
Digital Optical Audio Out 1

The Samsung S90F supports the full 48Gbps bandwidth of HDMI 2.1 on all four HDMI ports. This allows you to take full advantage of multiple high-bandwidth devices, like if you own both current-gen consoles and a high-end gaming PC. Unfortunately, Samsung still doesn't support Dolby Vision and instead supports HDR10+, which is similar but not as widely supported.

Inputs
Audio Passthrough
ARC/eARC Port
eARC
eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus
Yes
eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
No
eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT
Yes
eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Yes
eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA
No
eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
No
eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream)
7.1
ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
ARC: DTS 5.1
No
Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
Optical: DTS 5.1
No

The Samsung S90F supports many audio formats, including all Dolby Digital options. Unfortunately, it doesn't support DTS formats, which is disappointing, as many Blu-rays use DTS for their lossless audio tracks. Dolby Digital+ passthrough is also limited to 5.1 channels instead of the full 7.1 support. It's unclear if this is a bug or an intentional decision by Samsung to limit support, but the other Samsung TVs we've tested in 2025, like the Samsung S95F OLED, the Samsung S85F OLED, and the Samsung QN90F, have the same limitation.

Inputs
HDR Format Support
HDR10
Yes
HDR10+
Yes
Dolby Vision
No
HLG
Yes

Like all Samsung TVs, the Samsung S90F doesn't support Dolby Vision, but it does support the similar HDR10+.

Design
Design
Style
Curved No

The Samsung S90F has a very premium design and looks incredible, and it's nearly identical to the Samsung S90D OLED it replaces. It's extremely thin, with a slim, uniform profile that looks great in any room.

Design
Stand

The stand is small but is solidly built from metal. It holds the TV very well and lifts the screen about 3.3 inches above the table, so almost any soundbar fits in front of it without blocking the screen.

Footprint of the 65-inch stand: 14.37" x 10.43"

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 300x200

The back of the TV is basically the same as the Samsung S90D OLED. The central panel housing the inputs is made of smooth plastic, with included clips that you can use to help with cable management.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.31" (0.8 cm)
Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 1.57" (4.0 cm)
7.5
Design
Build Quality

The Samsung S90F has good build quality overall. The panel is extremely thin, and ours has a slight backwards bow, but it's not noticeable when viewed straight on.

Smart Features
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS Tizen
Version 2025

The Samsung S90F runs the 2025 version of the Tizen OS, which is quick and easy to use.

0
Smart Features
Ad-Free
Ads
Yes
Opt-out
No
Suggested Content in Home
Yes
Opt-out of Suggested Content
No

Like most TVs on the market, it has ads throughout its interface, and although you can disable targeted ads, there's no option to disable them completely.

Smart Features
Remote
Voice Control Yes

The remote has a built-in rechargeable battery with a solar panel on the back of the remote. You can also recharge it via USB-C if it dies unexpectedly.

Smart Features
TV Controls
Mute Switch
Yes
Smart Features
In The Box

  • Power cable
  • Remote control
  • Cable management lips
  • User guide
  • Spacers for wall mounting

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 98 W
Power Consumption (Max) 225 W
Firmware 1040
Sound Quality
6.8
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
80.00 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
2.06 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
2.39 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
5.62 dB
Max
85.4 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
5.33 dB
Digital Room Correction Yes

The TV has an okay frequency response. There's a bit of bass, but it's not very impactful, and you're best off pairing the TV with a soundbar if you want thump and rumble. The TV speakers aren't very loud, but they provide a balanced sound profile at most volume levels, making dialogue easy to understand. However, the sound profile does become unbalanced at maximum volume.