The MSI Oculux NXG253R is a mid-tier 25-inch display that was released in mid-2021. It has a rapid 360Hz refresh rate that is great for tear-free competitive gaming, and because of this, it is easily one of the best computer monitors for professional players. Like most highly rated gaming monitors, the display has a super low input lag of 2.5ms, and unlike the MSI Optix MAG161V, it comes with support for HDR content. With a brightness rating of 400 nits, the MSI monitor is significantly brighter than the MSI Optix MAG273R, and thanks to decent reflection handling, content its screen still looks pretty good when viewed in a brightly lit environment. It supports NVIDIA G-Sync refresh rate technology and has wide viewing angles that ensure its image quality remains good when viewed from the side.
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MSI Oculux NXG253R Review
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True Score
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Absolutely Fresh
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The MSI Oculux NXG253R managed to please experts with its incredible 360Hz refresh rate, as this, plus its low input lag and excellent ergonomics, had reviewers agree that it was great for gaming. However, they were not as happy about its low contrast, limiting screen size, and lack of a local dimming feature.
Product Snapshot
Overview
The MSI Oculux NXG253R is a mid-tier 25-inch display that was released in mid-2021. It has a rapid 360Hz refresh rate that is great for tear-free competitive gaming, and because of this, it is easily one of the best computer monitors for professional players. Like most highly rated gaming monitors, the display has a super low input lag of 2.5ms, and unlike the MSI Optix MAG161V, it comes with support for HDR content. With a brightness rating of 400 nits, the MSI monitor is significantly brighter than the MSI Optix MAG273R, and thanks to decent reflection handling, content its screen still looks pretty good when viewed in a brightly lit environment. It supports NVIDIA G-Sync refresh rate technology and has wide viewing angles that ensure its image quality remains good when viewed from the side.
Consensus
our Verdict
Experts hailed the MSI Oculux NXG253R as an outstanding gaming monitor that is fit for competitive use. They were particularly happy about its exceptional 360Hz refresh rate since they enjoyed extremely smooth, tear-free gameplay during their tests. Also praised was its low 2.5ms input lag, as Product testers from PC Mag found out that this resulted in the display’s rapid gaming performance and responsiveness. Its 80.4% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space was also found to be quite decent during their experiments, and although reviewers from Tom’s Hardware agreed that it did not have an extensive color gamut, they were pretty satisfied with its reflection handling.
They were not as happy about the display’s lack of a local dimming feature and its low contrast ratio of 955:1 as these issues made blacks appear grey in a dark room. They also felt that despite its screen being larger than the Mobile Pixels Trio monitor, its 25-inch screen size was a bit limiting.
ReasonS to Buy
- Excellent refresh rate
- Low input lag
- Decent reflection handling
- Fast response time
- Great ergonomics
Reason to Avoid
- Low contrast ratio
- Limiting screen size
- No local dimming feature
MSI Oculux NXG253R Specs
| Display Type | LED | |
| HDMI Inputs | 2 | |
| HDR Format | Yes | |
| Max Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | |
 | Panel Type | IPS |
| Refresh Rate | 170 Hz | |
 | Response Time | 1 ms |
| Screen size | 27" | |
 | Sync Technology | AMD FreeSync, G-Sync |
All Specs
Test Results
These are the most important criteria to test for Computer Monitors based on our comprehensive Testing Methodology.
| Brightness (nits) | 421.9782 |
| Contrast Ratio (as ratio, x:1) | 1,056.4 |
| Color Gamut/Accuracy % (DCI P3 xy) | 75.7 |
| Color Gamut/Accuracy % (DCI P3 uv) | 109.63 |
| Color Gamut % (Adobe RGB Coverage xy) | 71.75 |
| Color Gamut % (sRGB Coverage xy) | 101.1 |
| Color Gamut % (Rec. 2020 Coverage xy) | 58.2 |
| Color Gamut % (Rec. 709 Coverage xy) | 0 |
| Input Lag (ms) | 8.9667 |
| Response Time (ms) | 2.8667 |
| Reflections % (Total Reflections) | 5.5 |
| Horizontal Viewing Angle (Washout Left) | 36 |
| Horizontal Viewing Angle (Washout Right) | 36 |
| Vertical Viewing Angle (Washout Above) | 28 |
| Vertical Viewing Angle (Washout Below) | 29 |
All Tests
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Product Comparison
 MSI Oculux NXG253R Review | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
True Score | 81 | 81 | 84 | 80 |
Ranking | # 88 / 196 | # 78 / 196 | # 29 / 196 | # 100 / 196 |
Market Context |
The MSI Oculux NXG253R is a mid-tier 25-inch display that was released in mid-2021. It has a rapid 360Hz refresh rate that is great for… |
The 25-inch MSI Oculux NXG253R might not offer as much screen real estate as the 27-inch MSI Optix G27C4, but its exceptional 360Hz refresh rate… The 25-inch MSI Oculux NXG253R might not offer as much screen real estate as the 27-inch MSI Optix G27C4, but its exceptional 360Hz refresh rate is significantly higher than the G27C4’s 165Hz, making it a much better option for gaming. The NXG253R also delivers better visuals thanks to its support for HDR (which is lacking on the G27C4) and excellent ergonomics. |
The MSI NXG253R features a superb 360Hz refresh rate and a 25-inch screen size, just like the Asus ROG Swift PG259QN. Although the MSI monitor… The MSI NXG253R features a superb 360Hz refresh rate and a 25-inch screen size, just like the Asus ROG Swift PG259QN. Although the MSI monitor has better ergonomics and dual HDMI 2.0 ports compared to a single port on the ASUS monitor, the ASUS display has better reflection handling and a higher peak brightness level of 434 nits compared to the MSI’s 401 nits. |
The MSI NXG253R’s response time of 8.2ms is not as fast as that of the Dell Alienware AW2521H at 6.9ms, but its ergonomics are slightly… The MSI NXG253R’s response time of 8.2ms is not as fast as that of the Dell Alienware AW2521H at 6.9ms, but its ergonomics are slightly better than the Dell display. However, the Dell monitor has slightly better color accuracy thanks to a 98.8% coverage of the sRGB color space compared to the MSI monitor’s 98.3% coverage. |
Display Type | LED | VA | LCD | LED |
HDMI Inputs | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
HDR Format | Yes | n/a | Yes | Yes |
Max Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) | 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) | 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) |
Panel Type | IPS | VA | Fast IPS | IPS |
Refresh Rate | 170 Hz | 165 Hz | 360 Hz | 360 Hz |
Response Time | 1 ms | 1 ms | 1 ms | 1 ms |
Screen size | 27" | 27" | 25" | 25" |
Dig Deeper |
Score Card
E
Expert Score
*.75
We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores
C
Customer Score
*.25
We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores
True Score
Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh
Expert Scores
Publications with higher Trust Ratings are given more weight.
101.4Category Trust Rating
78The MSI Oculux NXG253R is a great monitor for most uses. It’s best-suited for its… Read MoreBy:
Unknown
89.25Category Trust Rating
90The MSI Oculux NXG253R matches its 360 Hz competition in every way and takes things… Read MoreBy:
Samuel Breton
88.4Category Trust Rating
90Fast IPS has come a long way in a short time, elevating extreme esports-focused 360Hz… Read MoreBy:
Christian Eberle
Customer Scores
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