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Jon Martindale Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
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Adam Doud Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
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Gamers might typically reach for a gaming TV when they upgrade their display, but there's nothing that quite beats a gaming projector. The best projectors for gaming can create displays that dwarf even the biggest of TVs—some as large as 300-inches. If you've ever wanted to play your games on a cinema screen, this is the way to do it.
You don't even need to sacrifice major gaming features to do it, either. There are gaming projectors with high refresh rates, high resolution support, and low input lag, so you can still play competitively. There are some super bright projectors, like the Optoma UHZ45, too, which mean you can game in broad daylight without issue. If you need a portable option, we recommend the Xgimi Halo, as it’s great for gaming on the go. Our favorite all-rounder is the Optoma UHD38—it does everything well. Here are all of the best projectors for gaming.
- Best Projector For Gaming Overall: Optoma UHD38
- Best Projector For Game Streaming: Samsung Freestyle Gen 2
- Best Projector For HDR Gaming: Xgimi Horizon Ultra
- Best Value Projector For Gaming: Optoma HD39HDRx
- Best Wireless Projector For Gaming: Xgimi Halo
- Best Premium Projector For Gaming: Optoma UHZ45
Best Projector For Gaming Overall
4K And 240Hz Support
Resolution:4K, 1080p |Brightness:4000 lumens |Throw type:Standard |Refresh rate:240Hz (1080p), 60Hz (4K) |Size: 12.4 x 9.5 x 4.3 inches | Bulb life: 15,000 hours
Best for: Gaming at 4K and high frame rates on PC and consoles.
The Optoma UHD38 is a high-end projector with an affordable price tag, offering 4K and 1080p resolution gaming for PCs and consoles at high refresh rates, with a low input lag and impressive color depth. It has full support for HDR10 and HLG standards, and with a brightness of 4,000 lumens, it can easily reproduce eye-popping colors and impressive contrast for a projector. It's not going to match the best gaming TVs, but good luck getting one of those that can create a 300-inch screen if you have the space for it. Make sure you have room for the projector too, since this is a standard throw design that will need to sit several metres from the screen.
With an input lag of just 4.2 milliseconds, the Optoma UHD38 is one of the fastest ways to play and with a 240Hz refresh rate at 1080p. You can play at 120Hz on games consoles, too, so however you play it'll be buttery smooth. If you play at 4K, you'll be restricted to 60Hz, but that's more of a cinematic resolution anyway, and most gaming PCs and consoles can't handle 4K resolution at higher frame rates. The bulb is rated to last 15,000 hours—much higher than conventional designs, but it does fall behind some of the latest laser and LED projectors.
Pros:
- Support for high resolutions and refresh rates
- Bright picture
- Massive screen size support
Cons:
- No high refresh rate support at UHD resolution
- Bulb won't last as long as LED and laser designs
Best Projector For Game Streaming
Samsung Game Hub Built-In
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Samsung Freestyle 2nd Gen
Resolution:1080p |Brightness:230 lumens |Throw type:Standard |Refresh rate:60Hz |Size: 4 x 6.8 x 3.7 inches | Bulb life: 20,000 hours
Best for: Streaming games from a cloud gaming hub.
Samsung's next-gen Freestyle is a super compact gaming projector with no need to plug in a single console or gaming system. It manages this by combining a great projector with Samsung's expansive Gaming Hub platform, which gives it the ability to stream games from a range of different systems. The Game Hub works with Xbox, Nvidia's GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, Utomik, Antstream Arcade and Blacknut to offer over 3,000 games you can stream directly from the projector. You'll need subscriptions to the various services to access their game libraries, but this is a brilliant all-in-one gaming system that doesn't need any additional hardware.
It's not the brightest of projectors, so works best as a night-time bedroom display than a living room daytime one, but it still offers great picture quality at 1080p, and can push a display that's as big as 100 inches. It supports HDR, and while it does only have a 60Hz refresh rate, its Wi-Fi 5 connectivity gets you online with enough bandwidth for streaming games and all your favorite shows. It supports multiple smart assistants, too, so you can be hands-free while you set it up and get to gaming.
What our editors say: Tech editor Rebecca Isaacs says, “I love the portability of the Samsung Freestyle 2, and it gives off a great picture that can go as large as 100 inches. Because it’s so compact, you can set it on your desk and cast it to a bedroom wall for cozy movie nights in. I also especially love that it comes with the built-in Gaming Hub so as long as you have an internet connection and a controller I can game anywhere.”
Pros:
- Built-in cloud gaming
- Long bulb life
- Super compact and portable
Cons:
- Limited brightness
- No high refresh rate
- Limited to 1080p
Best Projector For HDR Gaming
Hybrid Projection With Dolby Vision Support
Resolution:4K, 1080p |Brightness:2300 lumens |Throw type:Long |Refresh rate:60Hz |Size: 8.8 x 6.7 x 10.4 inches | Bulb life: 25,000 hours
Best for: Playing HDR games at their most vibrant.
XGIMI's Horizon Ultra projector has a lot going for it to help justify its relatively high price tag. First, it's the world's first long-throw 4K projector that supports Dolby Vision. Most projectors that support the format are ultra-short throw projectors, so whether or not this is significant to you is fairly subjective. The light source for the projector is a hybrid between LEDs and laser which provides a wider range of colors it can project which helps get the Doly Vision certification for sure.
The projector still qualifies as portable, coming in a relatively compact 6.7-inch by 8.8-inch by 10.4-inch box with an automatic lens cover. It weighs just over 11 pounds and has a tripod mount in the base. One thing that XGIMI is known for is its automatic keystone adjustment with automatic obstacle avoidance. What that means is that you can put the projector just about anywhere and it will automatically adjust to show you a rectangular image and avoid any obstacles such as photographs or light sconces on the wall. It's a really neat feature that more projectors should have.
The projector has an ethernet port for directly connecting to your internet and an HDMI port making it compatible with most game systems. It also has built-in Chromecast, so you can play your mobile games on it as well.
What our editors say: Tech editor Rebecca Isaacs got to test it hands-on and says, “The picture quality on this project goes into the finer details of each image. Nature scenes felt detailed and bright. For gamers, you can enjoy a quick setup on a wall or screen and get to playing your favorite consoles with the built-in HDMI port.”
Pros:
- Impressive brightness and bulb life
- HDR10 and Dolby Vision support
- Great color support
Cons:
- Lacks high refresh rate support
Best Value Projector For Gaming
Fast And Responsive At An Affordable Price
Optoma HD39HDRx
Resolution:1080p |Brightness:4000 lumens |Throw type:Standard |Refresh rate:120Hz |Size: 12.4 x 9.6 x 4.3 inches | Bulb life: 15,000 hours
Best for: Gaming at 1080p on consoles and PC with high refresh rates.
The Optomoa HD39HDRx is a relatively affordable projector for gaming that will let you enjoy all your favorite games at high frame rates for buttery smooth gameplay. Whether you're playing AAA games or esports games, the low input lag and 120Hz refresh rate ensures that your experience is smooth and responsive—perfect if you want to play competitively online on a huge screen. This is a standard throw projector, so it'll need to sit around 10ft from the screen if you want it to display its full 120-inch screen. Place it closer if you don't need a screen that's quite so massive. Dual HDMI 1.4 ports make it easy to connect a range of accessories and source devices.
It benefits from a 4,000 lumens bulb, which gives it plenty of brightness for vibrant games in both SDR and HDR modes, and its bulb is rated to last 15,000 hours; that's close to two years of 24/7 gaming. It's not as long as you get from the latest generations of LED and laser projectors, but it's more than enough for most gamers. It has a 1.3x zoom and keystone correction that will help you line up your picture nicely, wherever you place the projector, and though you may still want to use your own A/V system, the included 10W speaker is loud enough for easy casual gaming.
Pros:
- Affordable price
- High refresh rate for fast gameplay
- Bright picture
Cons:
- No 4K support
- Bulb life not as long as LED and laser models
Best Wireless Projector For Gaming
Compact And Portable
Resolution:1080p |Brightness:900 lumens |Throw type:Standard |Refresh rate:60Hz |Size: 4.5 x 5.7 x 4.5 inches | Bulb life: 25,000 hours
Best for: Gaming at 1080p on consoles and PC with high refresh rates.
Sometimes you just want to go wire-free for your gaming and for your TV-watching pleasure. The Xgimi Halo+ (like most of its projectors) comes with built-in Google TV which not only includes Chromecast capability but allows you to control the projector with your voice and even control your smart home if you want to. Even better, the projector has a built-in 59Wh battery which will give you a completely wireless connection for about two hours when not plugged in.
That makes the projector a little heavier to carry around, but it's still portable by every definition. You get an HDMI port on the back to connect to your game system, plus USB Type-A port for plugging in a flash drive. Plus, there's a headphone jack if you want to plug in and keep the sound from disturbing the household. Speaking of sound, you get pretty good sound from the Harman Kardon which only lops off the deepest bass. The speak grille surrounds the entire device too, so it projects sound in all directions.
What our staff says: Contributor Adam Doud went hands-on with this projector and says: “The XGIMI is a very portable projector that’s bright enough to watch in a room that doesn’t get completely dark, and it’s small enough to carry in a backpack. The battery will get you through a movie that isn’t as long as Lord of the Rings, but it will be enough for a two-hour movie, which is a solid plus.”
Pros:
- Lightweight and portable
- Wireless gaming and streaming support
- Long bulb life
Cons:
- Limited to 1080p
- No high refresh rate support
Best Premium Projector For Gaming
Incredible Contrast On A 4K Gaming Projector
Resolution:4K, 1080p |Brightness:3,800 lumens |Throw type:Long |Refresh rate:240Hz, 120Hz (1080p), 60Hz (4K) |Size: 13.3 x 10.4 x 4.7-inches | Bulb life: 30,000 hours
Best for: Premium HDR gaming on consoles and PC.
If you want the some of the best gaming experiences possible on a projector, the Optoma UHZ45 is it. It offers full support for 4K resolution and a range of refresh rates, letting you hit up to 240Hz at 1080p for the smoothest and most responsive gaming experience in competitive titles. It doesn't quite do 4K 120Hz, as it's limited to HDMI 2.0, but you can still enjoy 4K at 60Hz. Whatever resolution and refresh rate you go for, you'll get a bright and clear picture with a massive 3,800 lumens of laser light powering this projector. That makes it great for HDR gaming, with a range of picture modes to choose from.
It's the contrast that really sets this projector apart. You'll get dark blacks and stark whites, with vibrant colors everywhere in between. It has a wide color gamut support, too. The keystone adjustment is broad, letting you really line the picture up with your screen wherever you put it. You'll need to place it quite far back, though, as this is a long-throw projector which needs to be around 10ft back from the screen to deliver a 100-inch picture. The laser light source will last up to 30,000 hours, so this is one projector that will keep going for years and years.
Pros:
- High power laser delivers great brightness and longevity
- Great support for high resolutions and refresh rates
- High contrast
Cons:
- Expensive
- Lacks 120Hz at 4K support
MORE FROMFORBES VETTED
How We Chose The Best Projectors For Gaming
To find the best gaming projectors, we combined our first-hand knowledge of a wide range of gaming projectors, with the opinions of our fellow tech writers here at Forbes, thoughts of colleagues throughout the industry, and robust research.
We've have hands on time with some of these models in person, so well know their build quality and features, and we've performed extensive comparisons between third-party and user reviews, to find the gaming projectors that everyone says are great; not just the professionals.
You can rest assured, these are the best running projectors for gaming you can buy in 2023.
How Do I Choose A Gaming Projector?
Some of the key attributes you'll want to look for in a gaming projector include brightness, refresh rate, and connectivity. Brightness should be obvious, but the brighter the projector, the better it will be able to display a picture in a bright room. Unless your gaming setup is in the basem*nt or has thick blackout curtains, you're bound to run into some light leakage, and a projector can be susceptible to that.
The refresh rate will give you a smoother gaming performance overall, which is important, especially for longer gaming sessions. It can also make a difference when you're in a competitive setting.
Finally, connectivity is one of the more important considerations because if you can't connect your gaming console, the projector won't be able to do its job. Most projectors these days have HDMI (which most game systems also have) so you'll probably be safe, but it's a good idea to double-check.
What Is The Ideal Screen Size For A Gaming Projector?
One of the best parts about having a projector instead of a TV is the wide range of screen sizes you can get out of a single unit. Projectors will give you a range of optimal screen sizes they can handle, but realistically, projectors can offer anywhere from 40 inches to 300 inches of screen size, assuming you have the wall space to accommodate that large a picture.
The screen size will be determined largely by the projector's throw ratio. The throw ratio is the size of the picture compared to the distance of the projector's lens to the screen. Projectors can come in short-throw or long-throw types, and each projector will indicate the ratio of the distance from the screen to the sizer of the picture. For example, a projector with a 1.2:1 throw ratio will give you a 12-foot picture when placed ten feet from the wall.
What Is The Optimal Brightness Level For A Gaming Projector?
A good gaming projector will need to be sufficiently bright to cast a picture in the room. The brighter the picture, the more light it can cut through. If you have a projector with around 1,000 lumens, you can see the picture pretty well in a room with open windows, but darkness will improve things drastically. Brighter than that will allow the projector to compensate for more light leakage, with a projector in the neighborhood of 2,000 to 2,500 lumens able to be seen in a brightly lit room.
Not surprisingly, brightness is usually one of the areas where less expensive projectors cut corners. The thinking is that if you can have a dark enough room, even something as low as 100 lumens will do the job. You will have to decide if this is an area where you can allow some compromise.
What Is The Difference Between DLP, LCD And Laser Projectors?
The differences between these projectors have to do with how the projector casts the image onto the screen. DLP projectors use a chip with thousands of micromirrors that reflect light through a spinning color wheel to generate colors on the screen. There are moving parts, which is suboptimal, but it has a reputation for great color accuracy and smoother motion.
LCD projectors work similarly to LCD screens, which is to say that three LCD panels of red, green and blue that open to cast light or close to block it depending on the needs of the picture. LCD projectors tend to be sharper and use less power overall. Power LCD and DLP projectors can use traditional bulbs or LEDs to cast the light.
Meanwhile, laser projectors are similar to DLP and LCD projectors except laser projectors use RGB lasers to generate their picture. These pictures tend to be brighter and clearer than those generated by the other two, but the trade-off is that laser projectors are them most expensive consumer-grad projectors that you can buy.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
The Forbes Vetted tech team is well-versed in all things digital, having written hundreds of articles in the category. A couple of staffers, including Dave Johnson, our deputy editor, have even authored a number of books on the subject. The tech vertical is overseen by Rebecca Isaacs, the consumer tech and electronics editor at Forbes Vetted. In particular, this story was written by Jon Martindale and Adam Doud, both veteran consumer technology journalists.
Jon Martindale, the writer of this story, is a regular Forbes Vetted tech contributor. He has bylines in digital publications including Digital Trends and PCGamer, and formerly ran his own PC hardware review website.
Adam Doud is a Chicago-based freelance reviewer and has been writing about consumer electronics for over a decade with a particular focus on mobile phones and cellular technology, including the birth of 5G. He has also tested most phones on the market over the last several years. When he’s not testing the latest and greatest flagship phones, he’s hosting the Benefit of the Doud podcast/YouTube channel with his co-host Clifton M. Thomas and editing technology news articles for SlashGear. In addition to Forbes and SlashGear, he has bylines at Android Central, Reviewed.com, Android Authority, Lifewire and more. The tech section is overseen by consumer tech and electronics editor Rebecca Isaacs, an expert who has extensive experience going hands-on with devices, including many on this list.
We know tech tends to become quickly outdated. To keep this piece fresh and accurate, it’s regularly updated; its current iteration was published in December 2023.
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