The best gaming projectors | Digital Trends

As powerful as your gaming console or PC might be, and as highly detailed as the games you’re playing on it look, none of that matters if you don’t have a display that can properly show it off. It’s easy to invest in the latest and greatest hardware only to realize you’ve forgotten to upgrade your display to match, or simply don’t have the space to fit a massive screen. Projectors have typically been seen as highly expensive options mainly for movie enthusiasts, but there are some models that are perfect for gamers who want to save space without sacrificing visual quality.

Epson Home Cinema LS11000

While it carries a heavy price tag, the Epson Home Cinema LS11000 doesn’t skimp on any features. As the name implies, this baby will project a stunning 4K image with full HDR support, and gamers will love the 120Hz refresh rate. That keeps your frame rates nice and high, which is where many projectors fall short. The special laser light source is also a huge benefit since it doesn’t burn out or require replacing like normal projectors. While it obviously will work best in a dark room, the 2,500 lumens it puts out makes a clear image even if you can’t block out every bit of light.

You probably will want a good headset to pair with this projector since it doesn’t have its own speakers, which does mean you can’t play co-op games as easily. For solo or online play, though, it’s a dream.

BenQ X1300i

When a projector calls itself a gaming projector, it must check at least a few of the boxes gamers are looking for. In that regard, the BenQ does hit all the most important marks. For one, it has a lightning-fast 8.3ms input lag, which is about the fastest you can find for a projector, plus 120Hz refresh rate to match the fastest games. While it technically is only giving you a 1080p image, the HDR and brightness does a lot of heavy lifting. The depth and vibrancy of the colors can almost fool you into thinking you’re playing on a massive screen. Many projectors look washed out or dull in this regard, but the BenQ stays sharp even in rooms with a bit of ambient light.

You also get built-in Android functionality to access the Google Play store to load up on other apps like your favorite streaming services. Unless you have a very level and stable surface to leave it on, you probably will need to mount this projector to get a consistently solid image.

XGIMI Horizon Ultra 4K Projector

XGIMI has a wide assortment of projectors, but the Horizon Ultra is a solid choice that balances performance and price. You’re getting a nice 4K image with HDR10, though it isn’t as bright as some other projectors so you will need to make sure your room is nice and dark to avoid the picture getting washed out. It also does unfortunately max out at 60Hz refresh rate so it isn’t ideal for competitive multiplayer games, but more than serviceable for most single-player offerings.

In terms of design, this is one of the most compact projectors out there, so it’s very easy to pack and set up on a trip. Since it does have some surprisingly good speakers built right in, you’re basically good to go with this projector right out of the box.

Optoma UHD38x Bright, True 4K UHD Gaming Projector

One of the only other home projectors that proudly puts is focus on gamers in the name is the Optomoa UHD38x. Honestly, this projector makes it easy since it lists all its best qualities in the name. It can display at up to 4K resolution, supports HDR, and claims to be the lowest input lag you can find on a projector. Granted, to get down to the lowest response time of just 4.2 milliseconds, which is even quicker than the BenQ, you will need to scale down the resolution to 1080p. Still, that’s a small sacrifice to make, and if you’re not maxing out the size on a huge wall, then it shouldn’t make a big difference.

Add in the 240Hz refresh rate, and this is the projector to get if you don’t want to cut any corners on your gaming or general media watching.

Mini Projector, Vamvo Portable Projector

If you need a projector at a budget price, you can snag this mini projector for a fraction of the cost of even the cheapest modern TV. The upsides, besides saving money, are the small form factor and great picture size you get. Unfortunately, you will need to compromise on most other features. The 1080p display isn’t bad, but certainly isn’t future proof on modern games, and the lack of HDR will make the color and picture quality highly dependent on the environment you use it in. Most importantly, this isn’t a projector you will be able to pull off tight combos or twitch headshots on since it isn’t focused on reducing input lag at all.

If you’re a more casual gamer who just needs a bigger, portable way to play without caring about any bells and whistles, you will certainly get your money’s worth out of this Vamvo projector.