In Samsung’s 2025 OLED lineup, the Samsung S95F, Samsung S90F, and Samsung S85F form a structured three-tier hierarchy. At the top, the S95F provides the most advanced OLED performance with a matte anti-glare display, higher brightness, and upgraded audio hardware. Sitting just below, the S90F serves as Samsung’s upper-premium OLED, offering excellent picture quality, high gaming refresh rates, and the widest selection of screen sizes. Beneath it, the S85F acts as the more affordable OLED entry point, delivering strong performance but with simplified audio, lower brightness, and select panel configurations.
While both the S90F and S85F share Samsung’s NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor, HDMI 2.1 connectivity, OLED HDR support, and Tizen OS with Vision AI, they differ in panel type coverage, brightness tuning, gaming refresh rate, and audio power. These differences contribute to distinct real-world performance and value.
In this article, we’ll compare the Samsung S90F and Samsung S85F in detail and highlight the key reasons why you might choose the S90F as the higher model in Samsung’s OLED lineup.
Samsung S90F (2025) Short Overview
The Samsung S90F is Samsung’s upper-premium OLED for 2025, offering a compelling blend of high brightness, advanced gaming features, and broad size options. Samsung uses two different panel types across the S90F lineup: QD-OLED for the 55″, 65″, and 77″ models, and WOLED for the 42″, 48″, and 83″ versions. This structured panel distribution ensures buyers have a wide range of price and performance tiers.
The S90F uses a glossy OLED finish, providing deep perceived contrast and excellent dark-room performance. Combined with Samsung’s OLED HDR+ tuning, this model achieves brighter HDR highlights and stronger color luminance than the S85F — especially in its QD-OLED sizes. This makes the S90F well-suited for HDR movie watching, gaming, and mixed lighting environments.
With the NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor, the S90F benefits from improved upscaling, enhanced tone mapping, refined shadow detail, and smoother frame transitions. Gaming performance is a major highlight, with the S90F supporting 4K @ 144 Hz, VRR, ALLM, and FreeSync Premium Pro, making it a top choice for next-gen console and PC gamers who want the lowest latency and highest refresh rate available in Samsung’s mid-to-upper OLED tier.
Sound is delivered through a 40 W (2.1-channel) OTS Lite system, providing wider audio dispersion and clearer dialogue compared to the S85F. Though not as powerful as the S95F’s OTS+ system, it remains noticeably better than Samsung’s entry-level OLED sound hardware.
| Samsung S90F Prices | |
| 83-inch (QN83S90FAEXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
| 77-inch (QN77S90FAFXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
| 65-inch (QN65S90FAFXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
| 55-inch (QN55S90FAFXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
| 48-inch (QN48S90FAEXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
| 42-inch (QN42S90FAEXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
Samsung S85F (2025) Short Overview
The Samsung S85F is the most affordable OLED model in Samsung’s 2025 lineup, designed for buyers who want premium picture quality without premium pricing. For the US market, the S85F uses mixed panel technology: 55″ and 65″ models use QD-OLED, while the 77″ and 83″ versions use WOLED. This is a notable step up from earlier Samsung entry-level OLEDs, which used only WOLED across all sizes.
The S85F also uses a glossy OLED finish, ideal for dark-room viewing and delivering excellent black levels and contrast. Although it delivers strong OLED performance, its HDR tuning is set to OLED HDR instead of OLED HDR+, resulting in slightly lower peak brightness and reduced color volume compared to the S90F’s QD-OLED-enhanced models.
Powered by the same NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor, the S85F offers strong upscaling and natural color processing — though brightness, HDR impact, and highlight control remain more limited compared to the S90F. For gaming, the S85F supports 4K @ 120 Hz, VRR, ALLM, and FreeSync Premium, making it a very capable gaming TV for consoles even if it doesn’t reach the 144 Hz ceiling available on the S90F.
Audio output ranges between 20 W and 30 W OTS Lite, depending on size, which is sufficient for everyday use but lacks the dynamic depth and clarity offered by the S90F’s 40 W configuration.
| Samsung S85F Prices | |
| 83-inch (QN83S85FAEXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
| 77-inch (QN77S85FAEXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
| 65-inch (QN65S85FAFXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
| 55-inch (QN55S85FAFXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
Samsung S90F vs Samsung S85F — Specs Comparison
Here’s how the Samsung S90F and Samsung S85F compare on paper. This table provides a quick look at their core specifications, including panel types, brightness, gaming features, and size options.
| Feature | Samsung S90F | Samsung S85F | ||||||||||
| Design | Slim metallic frame | Slim metallic frame | ||||||||||
| Screen Finish | Glossy OLED | Glossy OLED | ||||||||||
| Position in Lineup | Upper-premium OLED | Entry-level OLED | ||||||||||
| Above It in Lineup | S95F | S90F | ||||||||||
| Available Sizes | 42″ / 48″ / 55″ / 65″ / 77″ / 83″ | 55″ / 65″ / 77″ / 83″ | ||||||||||
| Panel Type | QD-OLED (55–77) / WOLED (42,48,83) | QD-OLED (55,65) / WOLED (77,83) | ||||||||||
| Processor | NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor | NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor | ||||||||||
| Peak Brightness | Higher | Lower | ||||||||||
| HDR Technology | OLED HDR+ | OLED HDR | ||||||||||
| HDR Format Support | HDR10+, HLG | HDR10+, HLG | ||||||||||
| Refresh Rate | Up to 144 Hz | Up to 120 Hz | ||||||||||
| Gaming Features | 4K @ 144 Hz, VRR, ALLM, FreeSync Premium Pro | 4K @ 120 Hz, VRR, ALLM, FreeSync Premium | ||||||||||
| Audio System | 40 W (2.1-ch) OTS Lite | 20–30 W OTS Lite | ||||||||||
| Slim One Connect Box | No | No | ||||||||||
| Smart Platform | Tizen OS with Vision AI | Tizen OS with Vision AI | ||||||||||
| Connectivity | 4 × HDMI 2.1 | 4 × HDMI 2.1 | ||||||||||
| Price | Higher | Lower | ||||||||||
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The Differences Between Samsung S90F and S85F
Here are the major differences between these two 2025 OLED models:
- Panel Type Coverage
The S90F uses QD-OLED panels on its 55″, 65″, and 77″ sizes, while the 42″, 48″, and 83″ models use WOLED. The S85F (US) uses QD-OLED for its 55″ and 65″ sizes, and WOLED for the 77″ and 83″ versions. This gives the S90F broader QD-OLED coverage and more consistent high-brightness performance. - HDR Brightness
The S90F delivers higher peak brightness and stronger HDR highlights thanks to its OLED HDR+ tuning and QD-OLED-enabled luminance. The S85F offers good HDR but cannot match the more impactful brightness of the S90F. - Color Volume and Bright Scene Performance
The S90F maintains more saturated colors in bright HDR scenes, especially on its QD-OLED sizes. The S85F performs well but shows reduced color intensity in the brightest moments. - Gaming Refresh Rate
The S90F supports 4K at 144 Hz along with FreeSync Premium Pro, while the S85F is limited to 4K at 120 Hz with FreeSync Premium. This gives the S90F smoother motion for fast-paced console and PC gaming. - Audio Quality
The S90F features a 40 W OTS Lite system that provides fuller and more spacious sound. The S85F ranges between 20 W and 30 W depending on size, resulting in a thinner audio presentation. - HDR Technology Level
The S90F includes OLED HDR+, which offers more advanced tone mapping and highlight control. The S85F uses standard OLED HDR. - Size Options
The S90F is available in six sizes from 42″ to 83″, making it more flexible for gaming setups or large theater rooms. The S85F comes in four sizes: 55″, 65″, 77″, and 83″. - Price Difference
The S90F sits at a higher price point across all comparable sizes due to its brighter performance, wider QD-OLED coverage, 144 Hz support, and stronger audio system. The S85F is more affordable and offers better value for viewers who don’t need the additional performance enhancements of the S90F.
What’s the Reason to Choose Samsung S90F?
The main reason to choose the Samsung S90F over the S85F is that it offers a step-up experience in several key areas that matter in real-world use. With broader QD-OLED coverage (55″, 65″, 77″), higher HDR brightness, richer color volume, a faster 4K @ 144 Hz gaming refresh rate, and a stronger 40 W OTS Lite audio system, the S90F provides a more premium overall package. These enhancements make the S90F the better option for buyers who want a noticeable improvement in HDR impact, gaming smoothness, and cinematic immersion. In simple terms, the S90F is the “higher” model because it delivers stronger performance where it counts.
| Samsung S90F Prices | |
| 83-inch (QN83S90FAEXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
| 77-inch (QN77S90FAFXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
| 65-inch (QN65S90FAFXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
| 55-inch (QN55S90FAFXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
| 48-inch (QN48S90FAEXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
| 42-inch (QN42S90FAEXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
However, the Samsung S85F remains an excellent choice for shoppers who want OLED quality at a more accessible price. With 55″ and 65″ QD-OLED options and 77″ and 83″ WOLED variants, the S85F still delivers deep blacks, accurate colors, and smooth 4K gaming up to 120 Hz. If you primarily watch in darker rooms, don’t need 144 Hz gaming, and want to save money while still getting high-quality OLED performance, the S85F represents outstanding value.
| Samsung S85F Prices | |
| 83-inch (QN83S85FAEXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
| 77-inch (QN77S85FAEXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
| 65-inch (QN65S85FAFXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |
| 55-inch (QN55S85FAFXZA) | Check Today’s Price (Amazon.com)… |