As video games become more visually and often mechanically intensive, players are likely always on the lookout for peripheral accessories that can work comfortably with their gaming set-ups. The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD esports Gaming Monitor offers a nice peak performance for those who want it. However, its somewhat cumbersome model and lack of transparency means consumers and PC gamers may be more interested in looking elsewhere.
This MSI monitor costs $449.99 at online retailers such as Newegg, and it promises specs like 1ms response time and 165Hz refresh rate on a 27-inch, 2560x1440 wide quad high definition (WQHD) display. The ample screen space for what the monitor purports to hit is no doubt its best selling point, as this offers up both a large area to project one's games and to use for work purposes. Multiple windows can very comfortably sit on the display, allowing for a number of different activities to go on at once - including having a game open with something like a Discord chat running beside it.
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It's hard to call the systems in place for activating the monitor's higher-end features very intuitive, though. There is a knob on the back of the monitor just behind the power button (set on the bottom-right corner when facing the screen) that acts as a gateway into the monitor's settings app separate from mouse and keyboard controls. Under the "Gaming" section users can find settings to adjust response time (among other things), but only with options for "Normal," "Fast," and "Fastest."
It's never particularly well explained what settings like response time correspond to for newcomers in the PC gaming scene, and all buyers get out of the box is a booklet of warranty cards in 39 languages as well as a "Quick Start Guide" that primarily shows off how to construct the monitor itself. Though the knob puts everything conveniently in one place, and it is available to access settings regardless of what's happening on screen, it would be helpful to have more guidance through this application.
After all, there are plenty of settings to mess around with. Beyond the aforementioned options under the "Gaming" section, users can also activate different night vision modes, set alarm clocks, use adaptive-sync to combat motion blur, and perhaps most importantly swap to different display modes corresponding with game genres: FPS, Racing, RTS, and RPG. The initial user display when turning on the MSI monitor is a slight yellow for example, reflective of another anti-blue setting, but this can be changed. It also does not initially use a PC's highest resolution output, meaning users will have to adjust that manually.
The seemingly best setting for both gaming and general activities is "Movie" under the "Professional" section of the menu. This not only presents a sharp image playing games like Monster Hunter Rise where the player constantly moves and experiences a lot of particle effects, but it also works great on a general PC. Most of the "Gaming" screen settings will have blown-out colors and lead to fuzzy, color-bleeding text, but running the Movie setting through the EIZO monitor test website shows sharp colors and text - with just a little aliasing during movement.
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That kind of visual noise is also reflected in video playback. For instance, some jagged pixelation could be spotted in darker parts of the frame while watching the animated Amazon Prime Video series Invincible. There are more minute adjustment options for the image, including contrast, sharpness, and brightness, so with enough work users can figure out the settings they prefer. However, some options in the menu like setting an alarm feel superfluous. A countdown clock will display in a chosen corner of the screen, similar to the refresh rate, but no sound goes off when it hits zero.
One selling point for the MSI esports monitor is that while it does not come with speakers built in, it does have a headphone jack that can make the large gaming display more immersive. In fact, there are also multiple HDMI ports alongside the display port, so users can take advantage of the monitor's settings application to swap between their PC or laptop and gaming console such as a Nintendo Switch with ease. Trying to use a laptop while running a console on the monitor as a makeshift dual-screen set works, though headphone audio cannot play from both without additional accessories.
Despite a wealth of ports to utilize, constructing the monitor can be as frustrating as messing with its settings. Unlike some other brands, the bulky MSI monitor needs to be screwed onto its base, which itself is a fairly large pentagon shape. The fact its base can be adjusted up-and-down while its screen can be pointed in a wide range of angles or even flipped to a vertical orientation is great, and the base stand has a convenient hole to hold wires for power and more. That being said, the monitor uses a proprietary power adaptor, so it may not be as easy to replace.
At the end of the day, concessions can be made in the space around one's gaming rig if they enjoy the quality from a monitor enough, and once users have gotten used to this MSI peripheral it does provide quality. Pikmin 3's starry skies and New Pokemon Snap's fully realized environments look stellar for example, particularly with surrounding light sources removed to cut down on glare. Less-casual experiences like Left 4 Dead 2 and Deep Rock Galactic or even open-world games like Skyrim on Xbox Game Pass also stand out. If someone is willing to put in the work they can get a lot out of this tech, but for its price there are also other viable options out there.
The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD is available now for $449.99. Game Rant was provided a unit for this review.