90

MSI Oculux NXG253R Review

Kenn Muguna Avatar
Updated Jan 25, 2024 6:26 PM

True Score

80
80
3

Experts

86
125

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Customer Favorite

Expert Rankings

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.

Table of Contents

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 TypeLED
HDMI Inputs2
HDR FormatYes
Max Resolution2560 x 1440
Panel TypePanel TypeIPS
Refresh Rate170 Hz
Response TimeResponse Time1 ms
Screen size27"
Sync TechnologySync TechnologyAMD FreeSync, G-Sync

All Specs

Test Results

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

Like what you’re reading? Get trustworthy, transparent product reviews and the latest tech news delivered to your inbox every morning.

[convertkit form=7210482]

Product Comparison

MSI Oculux NXG253R Review

True Score

80
81
84
80

Ranking

#

90

/

196

#

78

/

196

#

26

/

196

#

98

/

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 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.

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

MSI Optix G27C4 Review →

Asus Rog Swift 360Hz PG259QN Review →

Alienware AW2521H Review →

Score Card

E

Expert Score

80

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

86

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

80

Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh

Expert Scores

  • Rtings
    101.4

    Category Trust Rating

    78
    The MSI Oculux NXG253R is a great monitor for most uses. It’s best-suited for its… Read More

    By:

    Unknown
  • PC Mag
    88.4

    Category Trust Rating

    90
    Fast IPS has come a long way in a short time, elevating extreme esports-focused 360Hz… Read More

    By:

    Christian Eberle
  • Tom’s Hardware
    89.25

    Category Trust Rating

    90
    The MSI Oculux NXG253R matches its 360 Hz competition in every way and takes things… Read More

    By:

    Samuel Breton

Customer Scores