The MSI Oculux NXG253R is a great 24.5 inch monitor with a 1080p IPS panel. One of the few 360Hz gaming monitors on the market, it delivers an amazing gaming experience with low input lag, an outstanding response time, and support for NVIDIA's G-SYNC variable refresh rate technology (VRR). Like most of the other 360Hz monitors we've tested, it also supports NVIDIA's Reflex Latency Analyzer, which can help you get the most out of your system and identify sources of latency. It handles glare well, with good reflection handling and very good peak brightness. Due to the IPS panel, it's not as well-suited in a darker environment, as it has low contrast. On the other hand, it has wide viewing angles and excellent ergonomics, so it should be easy to find a comfortable viewing position. It also supports a few extra gaming features, including black frame insertion, but you can't use this at the same time as the VRR feature, and it's only available within a narrow refresh rate range.
Our Verdict
The MSI Oculux NXG253R is a great monitor for most uses. It's best-suited for its intended usage as a gaming monitor, with a fantastic refresh rate, outstanding response time, and superb input lag. The small size might be a bit limited for some office users, but other than that, it's a good choice for office use, watching videos, or media creation. It has good reflection handling and very good peak brightness, so glare shouldn't be an issue in a bright room. It supports HDR, but unfortunately, this doesn't add much as it has low contrast, okay peak brightness, and no local dimming feature.
- Outstanding response time.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Image remains accurate at an angle.
- Good reflection handling.
- Low contrast.
The MSI Oculux NXG253R is a good office monitor. The relatively small, low-resolution screen isn't the best for multitasking, but it still delivers okay text clarity. It has wide viewing angles, and the stand has excellent ergonomics, so it's easy to find a comfortable viewing position. Glare shouldn't be an issue, as it has good reflection handling and very good peak brightness. Unfortunately, it's not as well-suited for working late in a darker environment, as it has a low contrast ratio.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Image remains accurate at an angle.
- Good reflection handling.
- Low contrast.
- Just decent text clarity.
The MSI Oculux NXG253R is an amazing gaming monitor. The 360Hz refresh rate is fantastic, assuming your computer is good enough to output frames that quickly. It has an outstanding response time, resulting in crystal-clear motion with almost no blur behind fast-moving objects, and of course, it has superb input lag. If you're a more competitive gamer, it also supports NVIDIA's new Reflex Latency Analyzer, so you can identify the weak points in your system and improve your performance.
- Fantastic 360Hz refresh rate.
- Outstanding response time.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Good reflection handling.
- Superb input lag.
- Low contrast.
The MSI Oculux NXG253R is a good monitor for watching videos. The relatively small size isn't great for sharing videos with other people, but it has wide viewing angles and excellent ergonomics, so you can easily adjust the screen. It has good reflection handling and very good peak brightness, so glare shouldn't be an issue, but it doesn't look as good in a dark room, as it has a low contrast ratio. It has excellent gray uniformity and superb gradient handling, so you don't have to worry about banding ruining the experience.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Image remains accurate at an angle.
- Good reflection handling.
- Low contrast.
The MSI Oculux NXG253R is a good monitor for media creators. It has excellent ergonomics and wide viewing angles, so you can easily share your work with a client or your colleagues. It can handle glare easily, with good reflection handling and very good peak brightness. It has excellent gray uniformity and superb gradient handling, so you don't have to worry about banding. Unfortunately, it has limited coverage of the Adobe RGB color space, and although it supports HDR, it has a low contrast ratio, and it can't display a wide color gamut.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Image remains accurate at an angle.
- Good reflection handling.
- Low contrast.
- Can't display a wide color gamut.
The MSI Oculux NXG253R is a decent monitor for gaming in HDR that delivers an amazing gaming experience with superb input lag, an outstanding response time, and a fantastic refresh rate. It supports NVIDIA's G-SYNC variable refresh rate technology for a nearly tear-free gaming experience. Unfortunately, HDR doesn't add much, though. It has okay peak brightness in HDR, but it has a low contrast ratio, no local dimming, and it can't display a wide color gamut.
- Fantastic 360Hz refresh rate.
- Outstanding response time.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Superb input lag.
- Low contrast.
- No local dimming.
- Can't display a wide color gamut.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 25 inch MSI Oculux NXG253R, which is part of MSI's Oculux esports gaming monitors, which are designed for gaming performance and feature smaller, lower-resolution screens. There are other Oculux monitors available, some of which are listed below, but our results aren't valid for those models.
| Model | Size | Native Resolution | Max Refresh rate | Panel Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NXG253R | 24.5" | 1080p | 360Hz | IPS |
| NXG252R | 24.5" | 1080p | 240Hz | TN |
| NXG251R | 24.5" | 1080p | 240Hz | TN |
If you come across a different type of panel or your MSI Oculux NXG253R doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, like gray uniformity, may vary between individual units.
Our unit was manufactured in March 2021; you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The MSI Oculux NXG253R is an amazing gaming monitor and is one of the few 360Hz displays available. If you're after the very best gaming performance and don't care as much about picture quality or size, it's a great choice. Performance-wise, it doesn't really offer anything noteworthy compared to the other 360Hz monitors we've tested.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best 24-25 inch monitors, the best gaming monitors, and the best 240Hz monitors.
The MSI Oculux NXG253R is much better than the BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K overall, but just a bit better for gaming. The MSI has better viewing angles, better gray uniformity, better colors, and better gradient handling. For gaming, the differences are less noticeable. The MSI has a faster refresh rate and much better motion handling at 60Hz, but the BenQ has a slightly better response time at the max refresh rate.
The Acer Predator X25 bmiiprzx and the MSI Oculux NXG253R are extremely similar overall. The MSI has better ergonomics, with a better height adjustment and wider swivel range. The Acer is more accurate out of the box, but this can vary between units, and it has built-in speakers.
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG259QM and the MSI Oculux NXG253R are extremely similar overall, but the ASUS is slightly better for gaming. The ASUS has a more versatile black frame insertion feature, a better response time at the maximum refresh rate, and the stand has better ergonomics, with a wider swivel range and better tilt range. The MSI has better connectivity, though, with a built-in USB hub and support for NVIDIA's Reflex Latency Analyzer.
The ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN and the MSI Oculux NXG253R offer nearly identical performance, with a few minor differences between them. The ASUS we bought is much more accurate out of the box, but this can vary between units, and it has slightly better reflection handling. The MSI has a better response time, and it supports NVIDIA's Reflex Latency Analyzer, which isn't available on the ASUS.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
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