AOC has introduced an esports monitor with a fast refresh rate for a very affordable price. The AOC Gaming 25G4ZR offers a 24.5in panel that can run at 240Hz for £129.99, and it can even push its refresh rate up to 260Hz in an overclocked mode.
This new addition to the brand’s G4 series focuses mainly on features that interest competitive players. For starters, AOC has selected the 24.5in format, which is ideal for esports players as it offers enough screen space while keeping action within the player’s natural field of view. This helps reduce head movement during long play sessions. “The 25G4ZR is the natural starting point, the right size and genuine speed, without the premium price tag”, said César Acosta, senior gaming product manager at Agon by AOC.
To keep costs under control, AOC went with an FHD (1920×1080) Fast IPS panel running at a 240Hz refresh rate natively, or 260Hz through overclocking. This combination provides a sharper pixel density than a 27in 1080p panel, being roughly equivalent to a 32in 2560×1440 panel, while its smooth refresh rate should help players stay on target during fast-paced action. The FHD resolution will also help players reach its advertised 260Hz refresh rate without needing a high-end GPU.
In terms of responsiveness, AOC claims a rapid 0.3ms moving picture response time (MPRT), and up to 1ms grey-to-grey (GTG), which should ensure clear visuals with minimal blur – a critical point for competitive play. AOC has also included a so-called Low Input Lag mode, which rewires the monitor to bypass non-essential processing in favour of raw response time. According to the company, this creates a more immediate feel during split-second gameplay, helping players react quickly.
And as usual, all of this is topped off by Adaptive Sync technology, enabling this screen to vary its refresh rate in sync with your GPU’s frame rate, to eliminate screen tearing and reduce stuttering. However, there’s no official Nvidia G-Sync compatibility listed.
While the 25G4ZR prioritises fast-paced movement, AOC says it can still deliver half-decent colour reproduction, thanks to its 121% coverage of the sRGB colour gamut and wide viewing angles. Likewise, its quoted static contrast ratio is typical at 1,000:1, while brightness is rated at 300nits.
Moving on to ergonomics, we find AOC’s compact stand, designed to reduce its footprint on your desk, all while allowing more keyboard placement freedom compared to big prongs. You can adjust its height by 130mm, tilt from -3° to +21°, swivel by 90°, and pivot by 30°. If this isn’t enough, you can alternatively install a 100x100mm VESA arm. Lastly, the port complement is standard, comprising two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 input, plus a 3.5mm headphone out.
The AOC Gaming 25G4ZR will be available from July 2026 at an MSRP of £129.99, backed by a three-year warranty. In the meantime, check out our guide to buying the best gaming monitor to see which screens we recommend right now.
