When one considers investing in a new gaming monitor in 2025, MSI is a brand that absolutely deserves to be in the conversation. The Taiwanese manufacturer’s latest 27-inch entry, the MPG 272URX QD-OLED, features 4th Generation, Quantum Dot-OLED panel technology from Samsung that directly competes with rival LG’s W-OLED line of monitors, capable of delivering 4K HDR visuals at a 240Hz refresh rate and a lightning-fast 0.03ms GtG (Grey to Grey) response time.
In addition, as a gaming monitor, it sets new expectations for both HDR performance and pixel density, with DisplayHDR True Black 400 and ClearMR 13000 support, respectively. And unlike some other gaming monitors I’ve covered recently, the MPG 272URX is highly current-gen console friendly, whether you’re on Team PlayStation or Team Xbox.
For starters, PlayStation 5 actually plays nice with the MPG 272URX in that it officially recognizes the G-SYNC-compatible panel as having official support for VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), which even in 2005 isn’t guaranteed to be the case when buying a new gaming monitor. In fact, lacking VRR can be a total dealbreaker for a monitor purchase if PS5 is your daily driver console and smooth, 60fps+ framerates, visuals free of screen tearing, and low latency input are your goals. Thankfully, such was not the case for this review.
“The MPG 272URX is, hands down, the most impressively performant HDR 240 Hz gaming monitor I’ve had the pleasure of using.”
If you’ve read any of my past impressions on gaming monitors, then you’ll know that even before getting into the flagship features, one of the quickest ways to my heart is a comprehensive selection of I/O options, and I’m pleased to report that the MPG 272URX definitely has them, plus a bit extra.
Found along the bottom right of the panel are the DisplayPort 2.1 input and accompanying pair of HDMI 2.1 inputs that one would expect to find on a modern gaming monitor, but in addition to those is a multi-functional, 98-Watt Power Delivery-capable USB-C port. Depending on what’s connected to it, it can charge devices or even display screens from DisplayPort Alt mode-compatible devices, like a laptop, tablet or smartphone.
When combined with the MPG 272URX’s built-in KVM Switch (which itself provides a USB 3.0 Type-B, 5GB-per-second upstream port and two USB 3.0 Type-A downstream ports), a DP Alt-compatible smartphone or tablet can easily be turned into a mini-computer using the same keyboard and mouse that is controlling the PC gaming rig. Alternatively, a DP Alt-compatible laptop can be connected via the USB-C port instead, potentially freeing up one HDMI port for use with a different PC, game console or device in one’s setup. Rounding out the I/O selection is a 3.5mm audio jack, with no built-in speaker or microphone options.
While we’re still on the subject of connections, it’s worth mentioning that the MPG 272URX also supports DisplayPort 2.1a (also known as UHBR20), which is the latest DisplayPort standard, promising speeds of up to 80Gbps for high refresh rates at high resolutions without having to rely on display stream compression or other downscaling technologies. To utilize UHBR20 however requires that the user’s GPU also supports the new standard (mine doesn’t) and that a bespoke 80Gbps DP 2.1a cable must be used (which MSI oddly forgot to include in the box along with my loaner unit’s supplied power, HDMI 2.1 and USB Type-A upstream cables), so in any event I was regretfully unable to make use of it.
In terms of basic design, the MPG 272URX coincidentally shares a lot in common with the LG UltraGear 32GS95UE W-OLED gaming monitor that I reviewed around this time last year, which shared several practical and stylistic elements that I enjoyed. The MPG 272URX’s panel features a “frameless design” with an extremely thin bevel that narrows to just under 6mm at its slimmest point. At the same time, the near-invisible L-Stand suspends it in place, making the screen appear to float above the metallic grey MSI banner. In a darkened room, the banner serves as the monitor’s only visual anchor apart from the LED power indicator, which can be found directly beneath the logo.
Much like LG’s UltraGear line, the space-saving “foot” of the MPG 272URX’s L-stand doubles as a handy spot to rest accessories such as a controller, smartphone or handheld gaming device. A groove in the centre subtly suggests where to place them. Overall, though, the monitor’s pedestal is slimmer and less imposing than LG’s.
“Unsurprisingly, the MPG 272URX handled the console titles with ease, delivering a locked 4K120Hz experience across all four games.”
As one might expect from a premium gaming monitor in 2025, the MPG 272URX offers a highly flexible panel. It supports a 90-degree vertical pivot in either direction, a 30-degree horizontal swivel left or right, a backward tilt from -5 to 20 degrees and a height adjustment range of 110 cm—making it an ideal option for TATE-mode shooter fans (if that’s your thing). My only gripe is that the supplied power cable is too short and fits loosely in the socket, making it easy to accidentally cut power to the monitor when attempting to pivot the screen.
Now for the fun part—which is just about everything else from here on. The MPG 272URX is, hands down, the most impressively performant HDR 240 Hz gaming monitor I’ve had the pleasure of using. Its HDR implementation, in particular, is the best I’ve ever seen on a gaming monitor—even outperforming my previous personal favourite, the LG UltraGear 32GS95UE. That’s not to say the HDR performance gap between the two is wide—it’s actually quite small—but when both the MPG 272URX and your gaming rig (or current-gen console) are properly calibrated for HDR, MSI’s panel is clearly superior in its handling of black-level detail.
I wasn’t able to detect any unintentional crushed blacks on the MPG 272URX, period. It’s the first time I’ve ever been able to say that about a gaming monitor. Over the years, I’ve tested a number of panels that claimed strong HDR performance on paper, but—aside from the near-perfect 32GS95UE—they all fell short.
In my review of LG’s monitor last year, I noted that occasional crushed blacks were its one Achilles heel. I didn’t expect a rival like MSI to surpass that standard so soon. But here we are—and it’s genuinely satisfying to say with confidence that the MPG 272URX fully lives up to the True Black 400 DisplayHDR and ClearMR 13000 certifications listed on the box.
I found this performance consistent across all HDR-compatible content I tested, from streaming Netflix shows and films like Cyberpunk 2077: Edgerunners, John Wick 4, All Quiet on the Western Front and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse to playing HDR gaming showpieces like Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Halo Infinite, Resident Evil 3 Remake, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II and Forza Horizon 5.
With two selectable HDR modes—True Black 400 DisplayHDR and HDR Peak 1000—there’s hardly a dark scene, shadow or corner in any game, film or TV show that the MPG 272URX doesn’t reveal or at least hint at. The difference compared to SDR was mesmerizing; I often felt as if I were seeing the content again for the first time.
Of course, the MPG 272URX’s second, but equally important, purpose is to deliver blazing-fast frames without sacrificing visuals—up to 240 of them per second in 4K resolution. None of my current gaming hardware, especially my aging PC, is capable of fully pushing this panel to its limits. However, I was able to test a handful of 4K120Hz overachievers in my Xbox library—New Super Lucky’s Tale, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5—to see if any of them caused performance hiccups. I also threw Counter-Strike 2 for PC into the mix, just for fun.
“Much like LG’s UltraGear line, the space-saving ‘foot’ of the MPG 272URX’s L-stand doubles as a handy spot to rest accessories such as a controller, smartphone or handheld gaming device.”
Unsurprisingly, the MPG 272URX handled the console titles with ease, delivering a locked 4K120Hz experience across all four games, whether or not G-Sync and VRR were enabled. Counter-Strike 2, despite being a PC title, topped out at 120 Hz with occasional dips to around 100 Hz according to the OSD’s built-in frame counter, but there was no visible performance impact during gameplay. There’s no doubt in my mind that MSI’s panel is capable of much more—but unlocking its full potential will require a more powerful PC rig, or perhaps a next-generation console still years away. For now, 120 Hz will have to do.
The MPG 272URX also packs in plenty of essentials, shortcuts and desirable extras through its “Gaming Intelligence” on-screen display (OSD), which can normally be accessed via a back-facing joystick nub and side buttons located on the lower rear of the panel. However, it’s also possible to control the monitor using a keyboard and mouse through MSI’s “Gaming Intelligence (GI)” desktop app. It’s a potentially helpful option, especially since the OSD is a bit dense and cumbersome to navigate with just your thumb.
In addition to manually switching between inputs in GI, users can toggle or customize key features like refresh rate info, adaptive sync and illumination modes tailored for different genres (e.g., FPS, RTS, racing). There are even a few built-in hacks. One GI mode offers on-screen cheats such as a “Smart Crosshair” overlay to help with aiming, and an “Optix Scope” that magnifies the area around the reticle for easier targeting.
Meanwhile, the “Professional” tab groups together features aimed at artists and content creators, including presets to reduce eye strain and an sRGB colour space mode for those who need high colour accuracy. There’s even a full suite of tools designed to help prevent image burn-in. Honestly, there’s far more this monitor can do than I have space to cover—listing everything would turn this review into a manual.
In my honest opinion, the MSI MPG 272URX is a very attractive package for a gaming monitor—so much so that I’ve considered saving up for one myself, despite not yet owning a PC powerful enough to take full advantage of it. While the current $1,099.99 US MSRP might seem steep, it’s competitively priced alongside similar models from rival brands, and it’s already been spotted on sale, making further discounts likely.
Setting aside the lack of built-in speakers and the premium price, the MSI MPG 272URX is a QD-OLED gaming monitor that’s not only ideal for today’s consoles and PCs in terms of HDR and refresh rate—it’s also well future-proofed, thanks to DisplayPort 2.1 UHBR20 support baked right in. For gamers planning ahead, that’s a compelling reason to keep this panel on their radar.
