Samsung S90F Review: Best Value OLED TV of 2025

The Samsung S90F offers much of the performance of Samsung’s top-tier OLED model, but at a significantly lower price. It’s one of the best-value TVs of 2025.

Samsung S90F Series: Prices and Release Date

The Samsung S90F series launched globally in April 2025. It sits just below the flagship S95F in Samsung’s 2025 OLED lineup, offering strong performance at a more accessible price.

The 65-inch model, priced at $2,499 / £2,699 / AU$ 4,299, is the focus of this overview. It targets the upper mid-range market and competes directly with the LG C5 and Samsung’s own QN90F mini-LED TV.

Here are the official prices for the full S90F range:

• 42-inch: $1,299 / £N/A / AU$1,799
• 48-inch: $1,499 / £1,499 / AU$2,499
• 55-inch: $1,799 / £1,899 / AU$3,299
• 65-inch: $2,499 / £2,699 / AU$4,299
• 77-inch: $3,499 / £3,799 / AU$5,999
• 83-inch: $5,399 / £5,999 / AU$7,999

Please note that this review focuses solely on the 65-inch version. Other sizes may use different panel types, which can affect performance.

Samsung S90F 65-Inch TV: Quick Overview

The Samsung 65S90F uses the brand’s quantum dot OLED technology. While it doesn’t reach the brightness levels of the flagship S95F, it still offers a major upgrade over last year’s S90D. Considering its performance and price, it may be the best all-around TV in Samsung’s 2025 lineup.

Movie lovers will appreciate its exceptional contrast and precise light control. The TV delivers deep black levels and bright highlights, creating a cinematic experience—unless there’s a strong light shining directly on the screen.

Colors are vivid and lifelike, thanks to Samsung’s OLED approach and the new NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor. This processor adds depth and realism, making images appear more natural and three-dimensional compared to its predecessor.

Gamers will also find a lot to love. The 65S90F supports 4K at up to 144Hz, variable refresh rates on all four HDMI 2.1 ports, and boasts one of the fastest response times seen on a TV.

Samsung’s Tizen smart platform is a content-rich and increasingly user-friendly platform. Despite its slim design, the TV delivers solid audio performance, though bass can occasionally falter.

One of the biggest selling points is its price. The 65-inch S90F costs significantly less than the flagship S95F, making it a compelling choice.

However, this review applies only to the 65-inch model. Other sizes may use a different W-OLED panel, which could affect performance.

Samsung S90F 65-Inch TV: Key Specs

• Screen Type: QD-OLED
• Refresh Rate: Up to 144Hz
• HDR Support: HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG
• Audio Support: Dolby Atmos and Eclipsa Audio
• Smart TV Platform: Tizen 9.0
• HDMI Ports: 4 x HDMI 2.1
• Built-in Tuner (US): ATSC 1.0

Samsung S90F 65-Inch Review: Features

The Samsung S90F is a 65-inch 4K QD-OLED TV that offers premium display technology at a more affordable price than the flagship S95F.

It supports HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+, delivering vibrant visuals with enhanced contrast and brightness. Gamers will appreciate support for up to 4K at 144Hz with variable refresh rate (VRR).

QD-OLED Technology

Samsung’s QD-OLED panels produce red, green, and blue colors without the white sub-pixel used in traditional OLEDs. This results in rich colors and high brightness, especially for HDR content.

Since its debut in 2022, QD-OLED has earned praise for its picture quality, including multiple “TV of the Year” awards.

Performance Upgrades

The 65S90F improves on its predecessor, the S90D, with:

• Higher brightness
• More precise control of the OLED panel
• A new NQ4 AI Gen 3 processor

This processor features a CPU that’s 17% faster and NPU/GPU units that are twice as fast as those in the S85F model. It also uses 6.4 times more neural networks to enhance picture and sound quality through AI.

Audio Features

Despite having only a 2.1-channel speaker setup, the S90F uses Samsung’s Object Tracking Sound (OTS) technology. This makes audio appear to come from the correct part of the screen—or even beyond it—based on the content.

Pairing the TV with a Samsung soundbar activates Q-Symphony. This feature combines the TV’s speakers with the soundbar for a fuller, more immersive sound experience.

Gaming Capabilities

The S90F is well-equipped for gaming. It includes:

• Four HDMI ports supporting 4K at 120Hz (and up to 144Hz with Motion Xcelerator)
• VRR support, including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and (via update) Nvidia G-Sync
• Auto game mode switching

Samsung also includes a dedicated gaming hub and a game-specific settings menu for easy adjustments.

HDR Support

The TV supports HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+, including HDR10+ Adaptive and HDR10+ Gaming. These formats enhance image quality by adjusting brightness and contrast scene by scene.

However, Samsung still does not support Dolby Vision on its TVs.

Screen and Design

Unlike the S95F, the S90F lacks Samsung’s advanced anti-glare screen filter. Still, reflections are minimal in most living room setups.

Some viewers may even prefer the slightly glossy screen finish, which can enhance perceived contrast and sharpness.

Samsung S90F 65-Inch Review: Picture Quality

The Samsung 65S90F may not be the flagship model, but it delivers stunning picture quality. Its QD-OLED panel showcases what this advanced technology can do.

Deep Contrast and Bright Highlights

The 65S90F offers exceptional contrast. Each OLED pixel controls its brightness and color, creating deep blacks and bright highlights.

Compared to the previous S90D, this model reveals more detail in both dark and bright scenes. Shadow areas look clearer, and highlights pop with intensity.

It reaches up to 1,500 nits of brightness on a 10% HDR window—about 50% more than the S90D. Despite this brightness, it avoids the haloing and clouding issues common in LCD TVs.

Clean, Detailed Dark Scenes

Dark scenes look clean and noise-free. There’s no graininess or gray blocking, even in near-black areas. This shows how precisely the TV controls its QD-OLED panel.

If you notice crushed shadow detail in some presets, adjusting the Shadow Detail setting to level 3 or 4 usually fixes it without side effects.

Vivid, Accurate Colors

The added brightness enhances HDR performance, making images more dynamic and lifelike. Colors are more vibrant than on the S90D.

This improvement is clear in the Standard picture mode, but even the more accurate Movie and Filmmaker modes look warmer and more engaging.

In Filmmaker Mode, color and white balance are nearly perfect. The average Delta E error is just 3.48—barely above the threshold where differences become visible to the human eye.

Balanced Picture Modes

Both Standard and Filmmaker modes showcase the panel’s full range. Standard is bold and vibrant, while Filmmaker Mode offers a more subtle, cinematic look without sacrificing beauty.

This balance makes the 65S90F appealing to both casual viewers and home theater enthusiasts.

Crisp Detail and Smooth Upscaling

The TV delivers sharp, clean images with native 4K content. Upscaled HD also looks impressive, thanks to Samsung’s AI-powered picture engine.

However, motion settings out of the box can cause glitches during fast scenes or camera pans. To fix this:

• Choose the Custom setting under Picture Clarity.
• Turn off noise reduction.
• Set blur and judder reduction to level 3 or 4.

Wide Viewing Angles

Unlike many LCDs and some OLEDs, the 65S90F maintains color and contrast even from wide angles. This makes it ideal for group viewing or rooms with off-center seating.

Minor Drawbacks

There are two small issues:

1. Brightness: While brighter than the S90D, it doesn’t match the peak brightness of top-tier OLEDs from LG, Samsung, or Philips.
2. Ambient Light: In very bright rooms, black levels can appear slightly gray. However, this is less noticeable than on the S90D and rarely affects typical viewing.

Given its price, the 65S90F offers excellent value. It delivers premium picture quality with only minor compromises compared to more expensive models.

Samsung S90F 65-Inch Review: Design

The Samsung 65S90F makes a bold first impression. Its outer edges are incredibly thin, barely thicker than two stacked credit cards.

The ultra-slim bezel adds to the effect, making the screen feel like it’s floating in space. From the front, it looks sleek, modern, and almost futuristic.

Slim Profile with a Hidden Bulk

While the edges are razor-thin, the TV’s center section is deeper. This area houses the speakers, ports, and internal components.

From the back, this creates a two-tier look. The screen appears to sit on top of a thicker base, which may seem less refined. But realistically, most people will never look at the back of their TV.

From the front and even wide angles, the 65S90F maintains its stylish, high-tech appearance.

Stand Design and Mounting

The TV comes with a unique, screw-free stand. Two feet slide into the body, and a metal plate connects them to form a central pedestal.

This design is simple to set up and allows the TV to sit on narrow furniture. Wall mounting is also an option, but many will find the included stand both practical and attractive.

Samsung S90F 65-Inch Review: Sound Quality

The 65S90F’s sound may not match its stunning visuals, but it performs surprisingly well for such a slim TV.

Immersive Audio with OTS Lite

Samsung includes its Object Tracking Sound (OTS) Lite system. This feature helps sound effects appear to come from the correct part of the screen.

Ambient sounds and music also feel well-placed, often seeming to extend beyond the screen’s edges. While not as precise as the full OTS systems in higher-end models, it still adds depth and realism.

Solid Performance from a 2.1-Channel Setup

The TV uses a 2.1-channel, 40W speaker system. It lacks the complexity of premium models with 4.2.2-channel setups, but it still delivers a detailed and immersive soundstage.

Sharp effects like gunfire and explosions have a good impact, even without front-facing speakers. High-pitched sounds remain clear without becoming harsh or tinny.

Volume and Bass Handling

The 65S90F isn’t the loudest TV, but it handles moderate to high volumes well. It has enough headroom to ramp up during intense scenes without distorting, though it may fall short during the loudest movie moments.

Despite its slim design, the TV produces a bit of bass. It can sound strained or buzz slightly during deep bass drops, but these moments are rare.

Dolby Atmos and AI Sound Modes

The TV supports Dolby Atmos and includes AI-powered sound modes. These features help adapt audio to different types of content and room conditions, enhancing the overall experience.

Samsung S90F 65-inch Review: Smart TV and Menus

The Samsung S90F runs on Tizen 9.0, Samsung’s latest smart TV operating system. After years of refinement, it now offers a polished and feature-rich experience.

Tizen 9.0 includes a wide range of streaming apps. Most major global platforms are available, along with many niche options. In the UK, the only notable omission is Freeview Play. However, individual catch-up apps from UK broadcasters are still accessible.

At first glance, the Tizen interface can feel a bit overwhelming. It may also lag slightly right after powering on. But once it settles, navigation becomes smooth. The system quickly learns your viewing habits and offers smart content recommendations.

Samsung has improved the interface since switching to a full-screen layout. It’s now more intuitive and customizable. You can tailor it to your preferences, and even set up multiple user profiles for different household members.

Accessing the full setup menus through Tizen can be a bit tedious. Fortunately, both included remotes have a shortcut button for quick access to common settings.

A new feature in the 2025 version is an AI shortcut. This makes it easier to find and use Samsung’s AI-based picture and sound enhancements. It also helps users discover features they might otherwise miss.

Some users may not like the AI enhancements, especially purists. And yes, certain picture settings can affect how the AI features behave. Still, it’s worth experimenting with them, especially for broadcast or lower-resolution content, where the AI can noticeably improve sharpness.

Samsung includes two remote controls. One is a traditional, button-heavy model. The other is a sleek, minimalist smart remote. Most users will likely prefer the simpler option.

Samsung S90F 65-inch Review: Gaming

The Samsung S90F is an excellent choice for gamers. It supports 4K at 144Hz on all four HDMI ports, giving you full flexibility to connect multiple high-performance consoles or PCs.

Each HDMI port also supports variable refresh rates, including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync (via update). The TV automatically switches to low-latency mode when it detects a game, ensuring fast response times.

In Game Mode, the S90F delivers a superb 9.2ms input lag for 60Hz content. If your game supports 120Hz, that lag is cut nearly in half, making gameplay feel incredibly responsive.

Samsung includes a dedicated Game Bar that appears when a game is detected. This overlay provides real-time info about your gaming feed and offers helpful tools like:

• Mini map zoom
• Brightness boost for dark areas (without affecting bright ones)
• On-screen crosshair for better aiming

The Tizen OS also features a Game Hub. This page gathers all your gaming sources—consoles, cloud services, and more—in one place for easy access.

Visually, the S90F shines. Its vibrant colors and deep contrast bring games to life, especially those with strong HDR effects. Combined with its low input lag, the result is smooth, immersive gameplay.

The only downside is occasional brightness fluctuations in HDR games. This happens when the TV, rather than the console, controls HDR settings. To fix it, simply turn off the TV’s dynamic tone mapping and let your console handle HDR through HGiG support.

Samsung S90F 65-inch Review: Value

The Samsung S90F isn’t exactly budget-friendly, but it’s priced more competitively than many premium rivals.

Most notably, it costs around £700 / $800 less than the flagship S95F model. Despite the lower price, it still showcases the strengths of QD-OLED technology better than last year’s S90D.

However, the S95F does offer some clear advantages. It’s expected to be significantly brighter and includes a high-quality anti-reflection filter—something the S90F lacks.

Still, the savings with the S90F are substantial. That extra money could go toward 4K Blu-rays, a sound system, or other home theater upgrades.