Nvidia launched its new G-Sync Pulsar technology at CES this January, introducing a handful of Pulsar monitors to the market. In fact, there are only four models available at the time of writing this, one of which is the AOC AGON Pro AG276QSG2. Like all the other Pulsar monitors so far, it’s a 360Hz display with a 27-inch IPS panel and 1440p resolution – ideal for many gamers.

As a premium AOC gaming monitor, the AG276QSG2 comes with support for the brand’s latest anti-motion blur technology, known as Motion Blur Reduction (MBR for short). The panel also supports MBR+ and MBR Sync, which offer varying degrees of support and effectiveness. Both MBR+ and Nvidia G-Sync Pulsar offer rolling scan strobing to minimize perceived motion blur.

MBR, MBR Sync, and MBR+ versus Nvidia G-Sync Pulsar

Motion blur occurs on LCD monitors due to the traditional use of a ‘sample-and-hold’ technique, rendering each frame visible until the next one arrives. Despite snappy response times, your eyes tracking a moving object may still perceive motion blur as a result of pixels staying lit in place. To resolve the issue, strobing technologies like MBR and Pulsar work by turning off the backlight during pixel transition, briefly strobing to ensure only the fully rendered frame is illuminated.

On many AOC gaming monitors, standard MBR implementation provides users with a slider ranging from 1 to 20. The higher the setting, the sharper the motion clarity, at the expense of brightness. In a recent press release, Technical Product Specialist, Faruk Bekdemir, revealed that “Most users find the sweet spot around 10 to 14”. MBR Sync combines this with a variable refresh rate to minimize screen tearing, MBR+ introduces more sophisticated rolling scan strobing, and Nvidia G-Sync Pulsar combines the two.

“If you’re consistently hitting high frame rates in esports titles and want sharp clarity, MBR or MBR+ at a fixed refresh rate deliver excellent results. If your frame rate varies and you prefer tear-free gameplay, MBR Sync gives you strobing benefits while keeping Adaptive-Sync active. And for those who want the best of both worlds, Pulsar on the AG276QSG2 represents the current state of the art.”

Faruk Bekdemir, Technical Product Specialist Gaming & B2C at AGON by AOC

“MBR+ uses a dual light bar system with 20 independent LED groups,” says Bekdemir, whereas traditional MBR strobes the entire backlight at once, hence the single strobe zone. Nvidia G-Sync Pulsar instead uses 10 horizontal zones. Bekdemir explains that “Each region strobes in sync with the panel’s scanout – so you get precise timing across the entire screen, not just the center. The result is dramatically reduced strobe crosstalk and better uniformity from top to bottom.”

AOC highlights the effectiveness of MBR+ for high-refresh-rate monitors, which naturally offer excellent motion clarity. AOC’s premium AGON PRO 600Hz+ monitors come to mind, including a special Counter-Strike 2-themed model released last year. So, with a limited amount of Pulsar-compatible displays on the market, MBR remains a solid alternative. Of course, AOC calls the AG276QSG2 with Pulsar “our flagship recommendation” – Nvidia’s tech requires hardware-level support.

Nvidia released its first firmware update for G-Sync Pulsar (version 1.1.4) a couple of weeks ago, which promises to clean up screen artifacts below 90 FPS. It also adds a new 60Hz mode. The latter is ideal for titles capped at 60 FPS (like some console ports or fighting games).

Which AOC gaming monitors support MBR and/or G-Sync Pulsar?

• AGON PRO AG246FK6 (24.1″ 610 Hz, MBR+) – £599 MSRP
• AGON PRO CS24A (24.1″ 610 Hz, MBR+, Counter-Strike 2 edition) – £599 MSRP
• AGON PRO AG276QSG2 (27″ 1440p 360 Hz, G-Sync Pulsar) – £559 MSRP
• AOC GAMING G4 series (MBR and MBR Sync) – starting from £100 MSRP

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.