• The JMGO N3 Ultimate is available to order, with an early price of $2,399 (about £1,777 / AU$3,354)
• 4K, Dolby Vision HDR and up to 5,800 ISO lumens
• Triple-laser system with emphasis on optical adjustment

JMGO's new 4K projector comes with what the brand says is the "world's first" 3-in-1 integrated optical system. The N3 Ultimate combines four-way lens shift, wide range optical zoom and a smart gimbal in a single system that promises better visual performance even when projector placement isn't perfect.

The N3 Ultimate is bright, too, with an output of up to 5,800 ISO lumens. That's exceptionally bright, and more than double the brightness of our current favorite home theater projector, the Epson Pro Cinema LS9000.

As we've come to expect from the brand there's a big discount for early bird buyers. The full price is $2,999 (about £2,222 / AU$4,192), but until 13 May 2026 that's discounted to $2,399 (about £1,777 / AU$3,354).

JMGO N3 Ultimate: key features

"Almost every projector ends up being placed off-center" in real-world use, JMGO says, and as a result the N3 Ultimate has been designed to prioritize optical adjustment rather than digital keystone correction in order to deliver the highest possible resolution and brightness.

The N3 Ultimate also has a memory function that enables you to recall different settings for different walls: the preferred screen size, the image optimization settings and the appropriate app. Switching is a one-click process.

The projector is powered by JMGO's MALC 5.0 triple laser, which has 5,800 ISO lumen output, a color accuracy delta-E of just 0.7 (meaning it's essentially perfect to the human eye) and 110% coverage of the BT.2020 color gamut. There's 4K resolution, Dolby Vision HDR, and the projector also supports Dolby Audio.

For gamers and sports fans there's a low latency of 1ms and a refresh rate of up to 240Hz with support for variable refresh rate.

It's an impressive spec, but the N3 Ultimate is up against some fierce rivals including our current budget pick of the best projectors, the BenQ GP520. It too delivers 4K, and while it delivers around half the brightness of the N3 Ultimate, it's also less than half the price.

• A Clever design makes Xgimi's new projector disappear
• 1080p image with 510 ISO Lumens
• Around $248 / £185 / AU$350 based on its price in China

Xgimi has launched a new budget projector, the Z6X, with a clever bit of design: its integrated gimbal stand enables you to hide the projector bit by turning it upwards so it blends in with the rectangular frame.

The design is practical as well as effective: it covers the front and back of the projector for traveling, and means that when you're not using it, it just looks like an object on your shelf.

Although Xgimi describes this as a portable projector, it doesn't have a built-in battery (like the impressive Xgimi MoGo 4) , but provided you're going somewhere with a power outlet, it looks like a bag-friendly and lightweight option.

It's roughly the size of an iPad at around nine inches wide, eight inches tall and two and a half inches deep. It weighs 1.1kg (2.4lbs).

Xgimi Z6X 5th Generation projector: key features

The Xgimi Z6X is a DLP model capable of a claimed 510 ISO Lumens of brightness and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It has a throw ratio of 1.2: 1 and 124% coverage of the Rec.709 color space.

The integrated gimbal stand makes it easy to adjust the projector's tilt, and it has a range of 150 degrees so you can move between wall and ceiling projection.

Most of the specifications are only currently listed in Chinese, so I'm grateful to Notebookcheck.net for translating: it has HDMI 2.1 with eARC, USB and twin 3W speakers with Dolby Audio support.

The operating system is Xgimi's own GMUI 6.0 (likely to switch to Google TV if it launches in the UK and US, based on our experience with Xgimi's products) with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections. It also integrates with Xiaomi's smart home system. Automation includes automatic focus and keystone correction.

We don't yet know if the Z6X is launching outside China, but it's likely: the very similar but slightly less bright 400 Lumen Xgimi Elfin Flip is available through the likes of Amazon and directly from Xgimi – although it looks like US and Australian customers will pay a premium if the Z6X does indeed come to those countries: while the Elfin Flip retails for around £289 (AU$545) and sometimes even less in the UK, Xgimi Australia sells it for AU$999 and Xgimi US charges $999.

The Xgimi Z6X is currently listed on Xgimi's Chinese website for 元1,705. That's roughly $248 / £185 / AU$350 before taxes or tariffs at today's exchange rates.

• Triple-laser RGB with 5,000 nits of brightness
• Screen sizes from 80 to 300 inches
• It'll set you back £5,999 (about $8,085 / AU$11,465)

Optoma has launched a new flagship 4K projector, the UHZ78LV. It sits above the UHZ68LV, which was released last year, and represents an upgrade over that model thanks to its triple-laser RGB system, among other enhancements.

Designed for screens from 80 to 300 inches, the UHZ78LV comes with 5,000 lumens of peak brightness and supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and IMAX Enhanced.

The triple-laser system is even more accurate than the dual-laser UHZ68LZ, with DCI-P3 color coverage of 98% compared to the 90% of the older model. Now, that's what I call a home theater upgrade.

Optoma UHZ78LV: key features and pricing

The projector features Optoma's PureEngine Ultra image processing system, which offers a filmmaker mode and ISF calibration options for cinephiles who want to see movies as the director and cinematographer intended.

It should be good for gaming too, with HDMI 2.1 and input lag as low as 8.5ms at 1080p/240Hz resolution.

In addition to the DCI-P3 coverage there's up to 96% BT.2020 color accuracy, and dynamic contrast delivers a ratio of up to 4,500,000:1.

The HDMI has eARC support and Dolby Atmos passthrough for connection to external AV receivers and sound systems, and there's a motorized 1.6x zoom, lens shift and 360-degree projection for flexible installation. The laser is rated for 30,000 hours of life.

Optoma has confirmed to TechRadar that the projector will have a UK list price of £5,999. We don't have confirmed pricing for the US or Australia, but that works at out about $8,085 / AU$11,465 — and we'll update this article as we get more details.

CES 2026 didn’t just feel like a victory lap for bigger and brighter TVs – it also made the whole “big screen at home” conversation a lot more interesting.

On one side, you’ve got genuinely enormous TVs pushing into the 130-inch range, with brands leaning on next-gen tech such as micro-LED, RGB mini-LED or possibly SQD mini-LED to argue that a giant panel is the way to get punchy, colorful, and premium images in a normal room.

On the other, projectors aren’t quietly accepting defeat. Instead, they’re turning up with brighter laser models and increasingly living room-friendly setups, while still holding the ultimate trump card: sheer scale.

When demos of the latest consumer-friendly models are talking about images up to 300 inches, it’s hard not to wonder whether the next upgrade is a bigger TV on the wall, or a projector that turns your entire wall into the screen.

Either way, CES this year pointed to a new battle for the living room, and it’s one where both sides – TVs and projectors – have a real case.

Why 130 inches suddenly feels realistic

A few years ago, a 130-inch TV felt like something you’d only see in a showroom, or a high-end sports bar – impressive, but wildly impractical, not to mention astronomically expensive.

CES 2026 suggested that’s starting to change, and not just because brands want a headline-grabbing centerpiece.

As our CES 2026 TV roundup made clear, the show’s big story wasn’t only 'bigger', but 'better at being big', with next-gen backlights pitched as the route to higher brightness, stronger color, and fewer of the expected compromises, such as problems with screen uniformity.

Samsung’s 130-inch Micro RGB prototype is the clearest example: a giant TV positioned less as a novelty and more as a direct challenger to the reasons people buy projectors in the first place. It's big, it's immersive, and it's designed in a way that's realistic for fitting into a home (if your home is large).

The key point is that display tech is now evolving with 'real rooms' in mind, not just darkened home theaters, and CES was full of signs that multiple brands are treating giant TVs as a genuine battleground in 2026 and beyond.

Hisense used CES to talk up its fresh RGB mini-LED direction, including an 'Evo' approach that adds a cyan element to the red, green and blue light modules.

Meanwhile, TCL used the show to push its own next-gen mini-LED message – including its TCL X11L SQD mini-LED flagship – while also flagging new RGB mini-LED models in the same breath.

Both those brands, plus Samsung and LG, also offer micro-LED TVs ranging from 130 inches to 160 inches, though these cost a lot more, and are less designed for standard living rooms.

CES's projectors: bigger and more flexible

If giant TVs were the loudest at CES 2026, projectors seemed to be making the more pointed argument: 'we can still go bigger, and we’re easier to live with in most rooms'.

As we found in our CES 2026 projector roundup, there was a good mix of brighter portable models, gaming-friendly options, and even a more mobile home-theater concept that underlines how far projectors have come.

Hisense did the clearest job of framing projectors as the natural rival to the 130-inch TV push.

Ahead of CES, the company unveiled the XR10 – a 4K laser projector pitched for screens up to 300 inches – alongside the Hisense PX4-Pro, positioned as the sequel to its highly regarded Hisense PX3-Pro (which we regard as the best ultra-short throw projector), with many features aimed squarely at living rooms.

And then there’s the other trend that the CES launches kept reinforcing: convenience.

Samsung’s updated Freestyle+ portable projector isn’t trying to beat a home-theater laser projector on sheer impact, but it does show where the category is heading: higher brightness and smarter automatic picture optimization.

The 2026 living room battle: TV or projector?

This is where the giant TV vs projector debate stops being about CES spectacle and starts being about what your living room can realistically handle.

A huge TV’s biggest advantage is that it behaves like a TV: bright, consistent, and largely indifferent to the type of media or environment.

The push among the best TVs around next-gen backlights (especially RGB mini-LED) is effectively an attempt to stretch that advantage to extreme sizes, keeping colors looking rich and highlights looking punchy, even if your room is brightly lit.

The best projectors are getting brighter, and the laser models shown around CES underline how far performance has come, but they’re still more sensitive to the room and factors such as ambient light, which makes them look washed-out very quickly, and makes black tones look gray.

While ultra-short-throw projectors can make projection far more living room-friendly in terms of setup, you’re buying into the idea that the space is part of the system.

Reflections are the other unglamorous factor. The bigger the screen, the more it can behave like a mirror in a bright room, which is why premium TV makers keep pushing reflection-reducing approaches alongside raw brightness and colour gains.

Projector screens don't reflect light at all – but they do suffer from ambient light in the way mentioned above, which can be more harmful to the viewing experience, depending on your setup.

What CES really signalled

If CES 2026 proved anything to us, it’s that 'the biggest screen for your home' is no longer a settled question.

Giant TVs are pushing into the 130-inch class with a new argument – not just that they’re enormous, but that next-gen backlights like RGB mini-LED can deliver top-end quality at scale.

At the same time, projector makers are making compelling upgrades to their latest models. Hisense’s XR10 and PX4-Pro explicitly pitch around living room practicality, while still dangling that headline-grabbing 300-inch screen.

So the battle for the home theater isn’t really TV versus projector in the abstract: it’s two competing versions of convenience.

Right now, it comes down to: do you want the appliance-like certainty of a wall-sized TV, or the flexibility of projection, where the room is part of the system, but the payoff can be truly theater-scale?

Dreame began life as a robot vacuum brand, before going on to add other air-focused appliances like manual vacuums and hair dryers to its roster. It's only been around since 2017/18, but in that time it has established itself as a major player in these markets – it features prominently in both my best cordless vacuum and best robot vacuum rankings.

So I was excited to see what Dreame would be showcasing at CES 2026. I was expecting a new robot vacuum, perhaps some innovative air purifiers. What I was not expecting was for Dreame to announce its entry into literally every corner of the home. I'm not exaggerating – if you can think of a home appliance, Dreame now has one in its lineup.

It has a TV, soundbars, a projector, a surround sound speaker setup. There's a Dreame action camera, smart rings, smart glasses and a smartwatch. It has smart lights in all shapes and sizes. It has security cameras, smart locks and motion sensors.

There are fridges, a dishwasher, a microwave and a selection of ovens. There are air fryers, coffee machines, and a stand mixer. It has a washing machine, tumble dryer, and steamer. There's a chainsaw and a hedge trimmer, electric toothbrushes, razors, IPL machines and an LED face mask.

It's still at prototype stage, but there was even a car sitting incongruously on the Dreame stand.

The vision, according to the press release, is to evolve from "a standalone smart device brand to a comprehensive provider of connected lifestyles with an ecosystem now covering the home, garden, outdoors, and on the move". The tagline it's going with is "All dreams in one Dreame", which makes no sense at all.

Too far, too soon?

I've tested a number of Dreame gadgets, and have almost always been impressed, but I'm wary of this latest expansion. It all just seems too fast and too wide-reaching for it to have been done with the required care and expertise. The difficulty I've had in getting any information about the individual products I was most interested in hasn't reassured me any further.

Previously, Dreame's category expansions have made sense. There's crossover between the mechanics of a vacuum cleaner and a hair dryer, for instance. I can see how a brand that knows its way around a robot vacuum could also make a great lawnbot.

But I'm struggling to see how those skills might translate into coffee machines or TVs – both categories that are highly specific, and which require specialist knowledge and skills to excel in. The same goes for things like smartwatches and action cameras.

Of course, I haven't tested any of the new gadgets yet – I've only seen them displayed and demoed, which isn't a reliable way to judge any product. The proof will be in the testing, and I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

• The AI-driven memory shortage doesn't just affect PCs
• More capacity is coming, but not before 2027
• Low-margin budget products are likely to be hit hardest

What do the best DACs, the best Hi-Res Audio players, the best TVs, and the best soundbars all have in common? They're all facing component shortages and price hikes – not because of tariffs, but because of the AI-driven shortage of memory and storage chips. And the pain's going to be particularly pronounced at the more affordable end of the market, where profit margins are already razor-thin.

As you're no doubt aware, the AI industry is buying a lot of memory for its data centers: as Reuters reported back in October, just one AI firm, OpenAI, intends to order 900,000 semiconductor wafers in 2029. That's around 40% of the world's entire production. And there's plenty more demand in the industry.

As The Wall Street Journal reported this week, "The rapid build-out of infrastructure for artificial intelligence is consuming a large portion of available supply of NAND flash memory, DRAM memory and hard drives. That has resulted in a shortage of memory for other markets such as PCs and smartphones."

Audiovisual devices aren't the same as PCs, and don't typically need as much memory as smartphones. But they still need some memory in order to do what they do. Everything from smart speakers to smart TVs to in-car entertainment systems use RAM alongside their processors, and some of them use NAND storage too, because they're all just small computers at heart; both of these components' prices are rocketing.

We've already seen Samsung warn that its TVs' prices may rise due to comopnents shortages, while there are warnings about smartphone makers scaling back their specs for this year's mobile phones, cutting their memory to cut the cost of manufacturing.

And according to NPR, memory prices are expected to rise even more this year. As Avril Wu of the consultancy Trendforce told NPR, "I keep telling everybody that if you want a device, you buy it now."

How AI could affect AV

AI data centers don't use the same memory chips as a DAC or a Hi-Res Audio player: they use High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), not the DDR RAM you'd find in a PC or PlayStation. But those differing chips are made from the same kind of semiconductor wafers, and those wafers are in ever-increasing demand because HBM uses roughly three times more of those wafers than DDR5 RAM does.

They're also much more profitable to sell, and as a result many firms are shifting focus from consumer memory chips to data center ones – so for example Micron, one of the big three memory makers alongside SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, has shut down its long-standing consumer memory business, Crucial, "to improve supply and support for our larger, strategic customers in faster-growing segments". In other words, AI.

As some manufacturers shift focus, new capacity for other kinds of memory isn't coming on board fast enough to cover the demand. So for example in October SK Hynix announced that it "has already secured full customer demand for its entire DRAM and NAND production for next year", and that it'll need to expand its production to cope with the market demands – but even the equipment to make the chips are set to rise in price.

In the shorter term, that means higher memory prices. Much higher prices. CNBC reports that RAM prices are expected to rise "more than 50% this quarter compared to the last quarter of 2025." And the Bloomsbury Intelligence and Security Institute says that "DRAM prices have also surged 171% year-over-year, outpacing gold, while DDR5 spot prices have quadrupled since September 2025. DRAM and NAND prices doubled in a single month".

While capacity is being added to existing production plants and new plants are being built, that capacity isn't expected to come online until 2027.

That's likely to have two key impacts on the AV hardware market. The first is that we'll see price increases down the line, especially at the budget end of the market where manufacturers can't simply swallow the increased cost: there's a lot less margin on a $300 smart TV than a $3,000 one.

The second is that manufacturers may go back to the drawing board as some smartphone firms have done, limiting their next products' specifications to compensate for shortages and price hikes. It may also persuade some firms to postpone their product plans altogether until market conditions are more favorable.

We've been here before, of course: I remember the completely fruitless search for in-stock AV receivers after chip production had shut down during COVID lockdowns. At least this time we know the component crunch is coming, and can make purchasing plans accordingly.

Our picks of the best AV gear across different categories

New projector launches typically happen at industry shows such as CEDIA and IFA that land in the September timeframe, but there has been a growing projector presence at CES over the past few years. Multiple projectors were announced at CES 2026, and some were even seen in action, beaming images to the best of their ability beneath the bright show-floor lighting.

Several of these projectors are portable, lifestyle-oriented models designed to be broken out and set up on demand when the need for a big-screen image arises. But others are sophisticated home theater models designed to compete with the best projectors and deliver the real deal for movie watching or gaming. Below are the six top projectors I saw at CES.

Samsung The Freestyle+

• Samsung doubled the brightness to 430 ISO lumens
• Auto Wall Calibration compensates for uneven wall surfaces

The first two generations of Samsung’s The Freestyle portable projector impressed us with a super-compact design and flexible installation features. It's a projector that’s easy to just plop anywhere and start streaming movies or playing games, and it automatically configures itself for the best picture quality once powered up.

Samsung's new The Freestyle+ takes picture quality and auto calibration to the next level, doubling brightness to 430 ISO lumens and adding an Auto Wall Calibration feature that digitally compensates for uneven wall surfaces. Bottom line: you don’t have to worry about finding a perfectly smooth, white surface to project on with this new version of Samsung’s portable projector.

Samsung says that new AI features in The Freestyle+ help with keystone adjustment and focus, so you’ll get a crisp, rectangular picture anywhere you point the projector. It also now supports the same Samsung Q-Symphony feature found in Samsung TVs to enhance sound, though we’ll have to see how effective it is on such a small projector.

Hisense PX4-Pro

• Brightness boosted from 3,000 to 3,500 ANSI lumens over the PX3-Pro
• New IRIS system adjusts the lens aperture and exposure based on ambient lighting conditions to maximize contrast

The Hisense PX3-Pro currently ranks at the top of TechRadar’s best ultra short throw projectors guide. But as good as it is, the new Hisense PX4-Pro looks to be an even better offering from the company.

The PX4-Pro steps things up with a brightness boost from 3,000 to 3,500 ANSI lumens. It features a new IRIS system that adjusts the lens aperture and exposure based on ambient lighting conditions to maximize contrast and, like its predecessor, uses a trichroma laser light engine to deliver full BT.2020 color space coverage.

Gaming is also a highlight of the PX4-Pro, which supports 1080p gaming at 240Hz with ultra-low input lag, according to the company. We look forward to gaming on this brighter and overall better Hisense UST projector as soon as it becomes available.

Hisense XR10

• Long throw model with 6,000 ANSI lumens brightness
• Impressive 0.84 to 2.0x optical zoom range

Hisense is best known for its ultra short throw projectors, which the company refers to as a ‘Laser TV’ when paired with an included separate screen. It has also released a run of powerful portable projectors. The new Hisense XR10 marks the company’s entry into the premium long-throw projector space, and with a rated 6,000 ANSI lumens brightness, it may very well steal the spotlight from its competition.

According to Hisense, the XR10 uses an “advanced LPU 3.0 Digital Laser Engine, a fully upgraded chipset, and a pure RGB triple laser light source,” to deliver exceptionally bright images with better than BT.2020 color gamut coverage. Like the PX4-Pro UST model above, it uses Hisense’s new IRIS system to optimize contrast and has a 0.84 to 2.0x optical zoom range to ease installation for screen sizes up to a whopping 300 inches.

Xgimi Titan Noir Max

• Dynamic iris system boosts contrast to 10,000:1
• 1.0-2.0:1 optical zoom and 130% vertical and 50% horizontal lens shift

Xgimi debuted its Titan projector, a ‘professional grade’ 4K DLP model boasting 5,000 lumens brightness, along with a dynamic iris and flexible installation features, at the IFA 2025 trade show.

At CES 2026, the company showcased the Titan Noir Max, a new model designed for home theater setups that appears to be a mashup between the Titan and the Xgimi Horizon 20 Max, a gimbal-style portable projector with even higher brightness than the Titan.

Xgimi didn’t provide a full set of specs for its new projector, but it does feature the company’s “most advanced dynamic iris system to date,” boosting contrast to 10,000:1. It also has an expanded optical range, with 1.0-2.0:1 zoom and 130% vertical and 50% horizontal lens shift. Like other Xgimi projectors, it will feature automatic keystone and focus adjustments.

The company was demonstrating the Titan Noir Max at CES in a bright room that prevented any assessment of its picture performance. Still, the environment did let me appreciate the projector’s well-crafted design, which sets it apart from the industrial look typical of home theater projectors.

The Titan Noir Max will be available for preorder in Q1 2026.

AWOL Vision Aetherion Max

• PixelLock technology ensures precise focus at the edges of the screen and eliminates color fringing
• Anti-RBE (Rainbow Effect) technology eliminates up to 99.99% of DLP rainbow effects

AWOL Vision, sister company of Valerion, maker of the Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 projector, was at CES showcasing the new AWOL Vision Aetherion Max, an ultra short throw projector that it says will address some of the traditional shortcomings of the UST projector category.

Specifically, the Aetherion Max features the company’s PixelLock technology, which is said to use optical and mechanical means to ensure precise focus at the edges of the screen. It also eliminates color fringing and features Anti-RBE (Rainbow Effect) technology, which AWOL Vision claims “eliminates up to 99.99% of rainbow effects,” typical of DLP projectors.

Beyond those features, the Aetherion Max supports up to 200-inch screen sizes and is rated has 3,300 lumens of brightness and 6,000:1 native contrast. Gaming features include VRR, ALLM, and Dolby Vision Gaming, and there’s Google TV built in for streaming, with Wi-Fi 7 support.

The Aetherion Max will be available in March 2026 for $4,499.

Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro

• All-in-one mobile theater system
• 7.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos audio using wireless surround speakers

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a home theater on wheels, the Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro has arrived to make that dream a reality.

Introduced at CES, the Nebula X1 Pro is an all-in-one mobile theater system based around the company’s Nebula X1 projector. The Nebula X1 Pro beams images up to 200 inches and has a specified 3,500 ANSI lumens brightness, 110% BT.2020 color gamut coverage, and 56,000:1 dynamic contrast.

Soundcore's design encases the projector in a tower enclosure with wheels for easy portability, and it features slide-out front speakers and detachable wireless speakers to create a 7.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos speaker system. There are even two wireless microphones enclosed, letting you use the system for karaoke.

Nebula’s portable theater is an obvious fit for outdoor movie nights, but it’s also a good option for parties or even business presentations.

The Nebula X1 Pro will cost $4,999 and launch at the end of January.

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 live news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

You can also ask us a question about the show in our CES 2026 live Q&A and we’ll do our best to answer it.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

CES 2026 is well underway now, and the TechRadar team has been on the show floor – and in the many private briefing rooms dotted all over Las Vegas – to see what the most important, most innovative, and most fun gadgets coming your way in 2026 will be.

We've had our experts all over the big launches as well as the smaller stuff tucked away at the back of the halls, and we've chosen our 25 favorite products of the show. We're covering a wide gamut of consumer tech here, so make yourself a coffee and dig into what we loved, and why it stood out to us.

Want to watch along and see more of the tech we loved at CES? Check out the video below!

Best phone

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold

• A phone that really turns into a tablet
• Impressive camera system, too
• Read more: I finally tried the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold and couldn't believe my eyes

We finally got to try Samsung's first double-folding phone (it may be called the TriFold, but there are two hinges…), and we called it a "remarkable feat of engineering that offers the potential of truly pocketable big-screen tablet productivity". When folded, it isn’t meaningfully thicker than regular phones, and it has a 6.5-inch screen… but then it becomes 10-inch tablet – so truly tablet-sized – in an instant when you fold its two sides out.

It's not just a one-trick pony, though – the TriFold has five cameras in total, to make sure it can deliver all the flexibility you want from a modern phone. There's Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy customized powerful processor, and a generous 5,600mAh battery. It's the clear stand-out among CES's phones this year.

Best earbuds

Shokz OpenFit Pro

• Shokz' first open earbuds with active 'noise reduction'
• Great fit and sound quality
• Read more: I’ve worn the all-new Shokz open earbuds for 4 days and the ‘noise reduction’ is so good, I forget they’re open-ear

The best open earbuds have become incredibly popular, but Shokz has making them for longer than most, and the new OpenFit Pro proves that it's good to be the veteran. Crucially, these are the company's first with active noise cancellation – even though Shokz doesn't want to call it that, because not having an in-ear seal means it's not quite as effective as what people think of for ANC. No, this is 'noise reduction'.

Well, we've tested them, and actually the noise reduction is as good as a lot of ANC earbuds. It's really effective, and paired with impressive sound and high levels of comfort, these are really impressive.

Best stereo speakers

Cambridge L/R Series

• 3 sizes of wireless stereo bookshelf speakers with huge power
• Dedicated bass drivers with passive radiators
• Read more: Cambridge has unveiled three active bookshelf speakers at CES and it’s not hard to see the KEF resemblance

British hi-fi company Cambridge launched its first wireless stereo speakers, and despite being modest in size, they are huge in sound. There are three sizes – the L/R X is the biggest, the L/R M is the medium, and the L/R S is the small – and it's amazing how much oomph they provide.

We heard the L/R X going hard, and the bass is enough to shake the room, despite not being that big. A big down-firing woofer and dual passive bass radiators get it to this point, delivering an amazingly full sound, with tons of detail and finesse to it as well. And they're great-looking, too.

Best Bluetooth speaker

Fender Audio Elie 6

• 3-way speaker system in a small body produces great sound
• Connections for guitars and mics, and great wireless options
• Read more: Fender just released new wireless headphones and Bluetooth speakers

Fender Audio launched two speakers and a pair of headphones at CES, and all are interesting in various ways, but during our ears-on time it was the Elie 6 that really impressed us. It's a pretty small unit, but it packs in a tweeter, full-range speaker and down-firing bass driver, meaning the sound is amazingly full and impactful – especially in stereo mode, with two units connected wirelessly.

They have interesting features, too – a combined XLR and 1/4-inch port for connecting a mic or guitar directly, and even two wireless buttons for a specific connectivity feature Fender is planning to work with wireless mics. We like the design too, with a solid carry handle.

Best headphones

TDM Neo

• Headphones that 'twist' to become a portable speaker
• 200-hour battery life in headphones mode

We love seeing something totally new at CES. The TDM Neo work like a regular pair of on-ear wireless headphones. You put them on, you enjoy some nice bassy music. But when you take them off, you can twist the flexible headband and connect the earcups together magnetically, to form a small round device. As soon as you do this, they start playing music out loud, as a Bluetooth speaker.

They have two sets of audio drivers to make this happen: one for headphones mode, and a more powerful set for speaker mode. And they're really thoughtfully designed – the headband hinges attach to each other when you twist, so you know you've done it correctly, but then they become a flat surface you can stand the speaker on.

If you prefer, you can also change the behavior so that when you twist, they pause instead of auto-switching to speaker mode. And because the speaker mode requires more power, they have huge batteries, and can deliver a colossal 200 hours of life in headphones mode.

Best toy

Lego Smart Play

• A classic Lego brick, now with sound and light magic
• All the tech is under the hood – no screens required

At first glance, Lego’s Smart Brick looks like a regular 2x4 Lego brick. Aside from a transparent top, you’d never know it’s any different. But bring a Smart Minifigure close, and that's where the magic starts to happen. If Darth Vader approaches, the Imperial March starts up. Move R2-D2 nearby and you’re greeted with frantic boops and flashes of blue light. Same goes for a Smart Tag to identify what the Lego build is – say, an X-Wing or Tie Fighter.

All of this is powered by a custom chip hidden inside the brick, along with sensors, a gyroscope, non-invasive microphones, and a sound synthesizer. Together, they let the Smart Brick understand what’s around it and respond with the right sounds and lighting effects, without adding a screen or changing the core Lego experience. For now, it’s limited to a handful of Star Wars sets, but it’s a smart, confident foundation – one that enhances play rather than distracting from it.

Best OLED TV

LG W6 Wallpaper TV

• LG's best OLED panel, in a super-thin 9.9mm body
• Uses a wireless connections box to keep it aesthetically pure
• Read more: LG announces new OLED TVs at CES

The LG W6 is a stunner in more ways than one. It uses LG's most advanced OLED panel – the new Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 also used in the LG G6 – but in a design that's just 9.9mm thick. It's also totally uniform, meaning it can be as invisible on the wall as pretty much any TV can be these days. In the image above, you can see how well it blends in using a photo of the wall behind it. To help this minimalism, it uses a wireless connections box that's capable of full-quality 4K HDR pictures, but without the tangle of cables running to the TV.

It looks like it'll be a fantastic TV, thanks to the panel and LG's latest-gen image processing, and should only cost a little more than the G6 does. That means you'll be getting something super-impressive and premium at a still-realistic price.

Best RGB TV

Samsung R95H

• Stunningly rich color and fantastic contrast
• Available in realistic sizes, and shown in an amazing 130-inch model
• Read more: Samsung's enormous micro-RGB TV is coming to smaller screen sizes, and it borrows one great feature from Samsung OLED TVs

CES has been dominated by RGB TVs this year. These are basically mini-LED TVs with a new more colorful backlight behind the pixels, meaning they offer a greater range of colors, and can be even brighter. Having seen them in action, our pick of the bunch is the Samsung R95H. It looks so lush and colorful, with impressively inky black tones, and Samsung's anti-reflective screen ensuring you can see everything, without distractions.

More than that, this is a TV available in realistic sizes – Samsung showed off 75-inch and 85-inch versions, but overall its RGB TVs will come in sizes starting from 55 inches – while still feeling cutting edge. However, for good measure, Samsung also showed an amazing 130-inch version of this TV.

Best Mini-LED TV

TCL X11L SQD MiniLED

• A twist on traditional QLED mini-LED TV tech
• Astoundingly bright, with 20,000 dimming zones
• Read more: TCL launches next-gen SQD mini-LED TV at CES – the ‘best TV in the market’ for 2026

TCL has put a fascinating twist on its flagship TV here. It uses more traditional mini-LED tech rather than RGB mini-LED – but only sort of. TCL is employing a single-color mini-LED backlight, but has applied a layer of 'Super Quantum Dots' (the SQD part) directly over the top, which filter the color before – rather than after – it reaches the LCD layer.

This means it kind of works like an RGB TV, but TCL says this approach means it can pack in way more LEDs. It can produce 10,000 nits of brightness and 20,000 dimming zones for probably the best contrast we've ever seen from a mini-LED TV. Based on early impressions, this is the closest we've seen to mini-LED beating the blooming problem completely.

Best projector

Hisense PX4-Pro

• Ultra short throw laser 4K projector with amazing brightness and color
• Up to 200 inches projected with the device just inches from the wall
• Read more: Hisense unveils two 4K laser projectors — a 300-inch beast with huge brightness, plus the sequel to the best ultra short throw projector

The PX4-Pro is the follow-up to the projector we rate as the best ultra short throw projector overall right now, so we were excited to take a look, and it lived up to our expectations. Its picture looks beautifully bright with a good light-rejecting screen – closer than ever to TV brightness – and eye-grabbingly rich color.

But it can now project up to 200 inches in size still from right near the wall, while maintaining immersive brightness and color depth, and all still in the same size of projector package. CES is full of projectors this year, but this one popped for us.

Best soundbar

LG Sound Suite H7

• The world's first Dolby Atmos FlexConnect soundbar
• A powerful all-in-one, and you can add more speakers in any position
• Read more: LG’s 2026 TVs and soundbars get the Dolby Atmos FlexConnect treatment

Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is a really interesting technology that means you can place home theater speakers wherever is convenient for your room, and the system will configure their sound to create immersive spatial audio, even if they're not in the 'ideal' spot.

LG's Sound Suite H7 is the first soundbar to include the tech, delivering 9.1.6 channels of Dolby Atmos sound on its own. However, you can add a sub and satellite speakers that are positioned anywhere in the room, and the soundbar will automatically optimize them and create the ideal immersive system. It sounds amazing, and the freedom of placement is a game-changer.

Best smartwatch

Pebble Round 2

• The original smartwatch returns!
• E-paper screen means a week of battery life
• Read more: Pebble unveils Pebble Round 2 — and fixes all the original's major pitfalls

Pebble holds a strong place in the heart of tech lovers – it was the first smartwatch that really took, and now it's back with its coolest model yet. Pebble Round 2 is a sleeker, rounder watch, and using a color e-paper helps it deliver a week of battery life per charge.

Naturally, it does some fitness and sleep tracking, and there's a big range of apps and watch faces, thanks to the ongoing commitment to having open source software on the Pebble range.

Best fitness tracker

Noise Luna Band

• A screenless health-tracking band
• No subscription needed – a rarity these days

We've enjoyed the Luna Ring models, and now the brand has the Luna Band. It's a Whoop-like fitness tracker, meaning there's no distracting screen. It doesn't really feel like tech, and that's a good thing – you just live your life, and the Luna Band will offer helpful updates on your diet, workouts, sleep, mood and more. You can use your voice to tell it what meal you ate, to log your workouts, or how you're feeling – and then you can review them later on the app. The one downside is that this function uses Apple's Siri, which means it's iPhone-only for now.

Perhaps the best part is that it doesn't require a subscription on top of the device cost to do all this – people are tired of being nickel-and-dimed, and so the Luna Band looks like it'll help you stay zen in more ways than one.

Best exercise tech

Merach W60 Walking Pad

• "Treadmill-grade engineering" for a low price
• Auto-incline or manual incline options

Walking pads are getting more and more popular, especially for people who work from home and want to get some exercise in during the work day. Merach's new model promises to help you do this more easily and reliably than ever. We love the promise of "treadmill-grade engineering" for a super-sturdy feel, and Merach says it will have a 2,000km warranty.

It's available in two options: one with an auto-incline feature, and one where you'll have to manually set an incline. There's also RGB lighting and Bluetooth speakers built in, if you want to set a mood. Starting from just $299 for the manual version and $329 for the auto-incline version, this really looks like it could be the new standout walking pad on the market.

Best wellness innovation

Nuralogix Longevity Mirror

• A smart mirror that can detect blood flow in your face to give health insights
• Everything from physiological age to mental health

This smart mirror has cameras built in that combine with an AI algorithm to work out a surprising amount of health data just from your face. It's not looking at your features – it's detecting blood-flow patterns, which it can make a variety of sophisticated estimations from.

These include your heart-rate, your physiological age (as in, is your body working as well as it should for your 'real' age?) and your mental health. It appears to be pretty accurate based on early testing – it seems like an incredibly clever system.

Best laptop

Dell XPS 14

• Smart new design with usability improvements
• Intel's new Core Ultra 3 chips inside
• Read more: Hands on: Dell XPS 14 2026 and XPS 16 2026

Without question, the most exciting laptop of CES 2026 was the Dell XPS 14. While many a reviewer and tech journalist is praising the return of the XPS brand itself, what matters most – in our opinion – is the redesign of the laptop. The last Dell XPS 14 and 2025's Dell 14 Premium (the short-lived successor to the XPS 14) were both fantastic laptops that were hamstrung by some major design flaws; namely, the virtual function keys and ‘invisible’ trackpad that turned out to be an accessibility nightmare.

Those have now been fixed with a new design that is also thinner and more modern-looking than its predecessors. And with the new Intel Core Ultra series 3 chips, it’s even more powerful and better equipped to take on the Apple MacBook Air for the 'thin and light' laptop crown.

Best gaming laptop

Lenovo Legion Pro Rollable

• A 16-inch display that expands to a 24-inch display
• The flexible OLED screen literally rolls out like a scroll
• Read more: Lenovo officially unveils the rumored Legion Pro Rollable gaming laptop with expanding screen

The Lenovo Legion Pro Rollable, previously rumored but officially unveiled at CES 2026, is easily one of the most intriguing gaming laptops we’ve ever seen. Its screen expands horizontally from a 16-inch display to 21.5 inches, then once more to a 23.8-inch panel at max extension – all from a quick keyboard shortcut.

The Legion Pro Rollable is an exciting prospect for PC gamers who travel often and want desk-like levels of screen space without attempting to cram a massive laptop into their bag. Gaming aside, it also brings benefits to everyday browsing and productivity, giving you more space to organize windows at the click of a button. It’s only a proof of concept at the moment, but we'll be following it closely to see if the Legion Pro Rollable hits mainstream production.

Best computing innovation

Core Ultra series 3

• Excellent performance in thin-and-light laptops
• Particularly impressive GPU means great gaming on ultrabooks
• Read more: The Intel Core Ultra series 3 processors look impressive enough, but the Arc B390 iGPU is the real game-changer here

We’ve been waiting for the Intel Core Ultra series 3 for several months now, having seen pre-launch builds of Intel Panther Lake last year. Now the Core Ultra series 3 has launched, every laptop we’ve tried with the new chips just reinforces how well Intel has stuck the landing on this release.

This is especially true when it comes to the graphics performance of the higher-end 12 Xe core Arc B390 iGPU, which delivers high-quality 1080p PC gaming on an ultrabook – no other chipmaker even comes close in 2026. If you’re looking to upgrade to a premium thin and light Windows laptop, there’s little reason to buy anything other than a laptop with an Intel Core Ultra series 3.

Best action camera

Dreame Leaptic Cube

• Tiny modular 8K action camera
• Clip to a screen module, or just a battery

Dreame is best known for its vacuum and cleaning tech, but it used CES 2026 to announce its entry into a ton of other product categories. And one of the coolest things we saw at the show was this tiny action camera. The core here is a really small action cam with up to 8K recording, or 4K in HDR if you prefer.

But the clever part is its modular design. It has a little docking system, and Dreame showed it running into two modes: one with a clip-on battery, keeping the whole thing at a small size; and one with a touchscreen module that's larger. You can imagine all the possibilities for accessories from here, all enabling smart extra functions, not just attaching dumbly.

Best gaming accessory

Razer Project Madison

• The ultimate immersive gaming chair
• Surround speakers, haptic feedback and RGB lights all react to games

Razer has decided to throw every kind of immersive gaming chair tech into one product here. This chair uses sight, sound and touch to create something totally enveloping, taking features from Razer's products including the Freyja haptic gaming cushion and Clio headrest speakers.

This chair has speakers behind your head, which combine with front speakers to create a true 5.1 or 7.1 surround system. It has lights that react to compatible games, creating the feeling that events are happening around you, not just on the screen. And the built-in haptics deliver sensations and impacts during play. It looks like the best way to get truly lost in a game.

Best gaming innovation

Neurable / HyperX headset concept and priming software

• A brain-reading gaming headset to improve your performance
• Helps you lower reaction times and improve accuracy
• Read more: I tried a prototype brain-scanning headset designed to make you better at Valorant — and it actually works

Brain-scanning company Neurable has worked on headphones that can scan your brain activity using EEGs to help you focus and prevent burnout in the past. Now it's bringing these ideas to gaming headsets, in a collaboration with HyperX – but the focus is on improving your focus and performance in games.

We tried it out, and it really makes a difference. Using a 'priming' exercise before playing, where you have to focus your mind to shrink a cloud of dots down to nothing, we improved accuracy by a few percentage points, and the company's research has shown it can reduce reaction time by around 40 milliseconds. For esports players, this is a big deal, and the software can track your focus and cognitive load levels while playing, to potentially help with coaching and to prevent tilting.

Best robot mower

Mammotion LUBA 3 AWD

• Offers ±1 cm positioning precision via an upgraded LiDAR, RTK and Vision navigation system
• Can make decisions almost instantly with a 10 TOPS AI chip
• Read more: I just watched Mammotion's new flagship lawnbot scale an astroturf mountain, and it was mesmerizing

There were a lot of incredible robot lawn mowers on show at CES this year, but the one that really stood out to us was the Mammotion LUBA 3 AWD. It builds on the success of the excellent LUBA 2 AWD that precedes it, and is one of the most all-round capable lawnbots we've seen.

At the heart of the design is an upgraded 'Tri-Fusion' navigation system, where the bot will switch between LiDAR, RTK GPS and AI Vision depending on what's most appropriate for the situation. That means it's unlikely ever to get itself lost – the brand promises positioning accuracy to ±1 cm. Mammotion has also upgraded the processing system with a powerful AI chip that can handle 10 trillion operations per second, meaning it can make smart mowing decisions almost instantly.

Best robot vacuum

Roborock Saros Rover

• It's a robovac with actual, proper legs
• It can climb stairs, duck and dive, and even hop
• Read more: I saw Roborock's new robot vacuum with legs, and it promises to make no-go zones a thing of the past

This one is still in the middle of development, but is so cool already – and, admittedly, a little weird. This robot vacuum uses two extended legs that make it look like a Star Wars droid to get around your house more easily. Having articulated legs means it can climb stairs – including spiral staircases – cleaning them as it goes.

In fact, stairs are just the start. Roborock says the Rover is designed to be able to tackle any kind of terrain or home layout, no matter how awkward. Think of it like a 4x4 for cleaning.

It has some fancy object avoidance tech that means it can duck and dive, weave and jump, remaining completely stable throughout. We're not sure exactly what this is for, but it sure is impressive to watch. This maybe the most that a robovac has looked like a pet – it's got personality, it's useful, and we love it.

Best haircare tech

L'Oréal Light Straight +

• A straightener that uses infrared light tech to straighten effectively at lower temperatures
• Avoids the high temperatures that damage hair
• Read more: L'Oréal exec on why its new glass, infrared-powered hair straightener is so exciting

This innovative hair straightener promises to be three times faster at straightening hair, and yet will leave hair twice as smooth as regular plate straighteners do. And at the same time, it can do this at a lower temperature – always under 320°F / 160°C, compared to 365°F / 185°C for typical models. High temperatures break down hair, so reduction is a long-term good for your hair's health.

We got to try them out on – and this has been the first time we've ever used this phrase – human demo hair, and they certainly seemed to work incredibly well. This could be a huge change for a long-running industry, and that's what CES is all about.

Best smart light

IKEA Varmblixt LED Lamp

• It's a glowing, color-changing donut
• Works with IKEA's smart hub, or a Matter home system
• Read more: IKEA just revealed a new donut-shaped smart light – and it'll look sweet on your tables or walls

Sometimes, you've just got acknowledge when something is charming as hell, and that's what we're talking about with the new IKEA Varmblixt. It's a revamp of an ultra-popular lamp IKEA launched in 2022, but this new version is all about the color options, using an array of LEDs to create a beautiful soft toroidal glow.

It can be controlled with a remote, or you can connect it to IKEA's Dirigea home hub, but it also works with any Matter-ready smart home control option.

• Ultra-short throw 4K projection at up to 200 inches
• Two models: 2,600 ISO lumens and 3,300
• $3,499 / $4,499; UK and Australian pricing tbc

AWOL Vision, the parent company of premium long-throw projector firm Valerion, has announced new ultra-short throw projectors that it says are the world's first UST models capable of generating 4K images at up to 200 inches. And they're speedy too, with 1ms-class latency that should make them good for gaming.

The projectors are called the Aetherion Max and the Aetherion Pro, with the former delivering up to 2,600 ISO lumens and the latter 3,300 lumens. Both projectors have 6,000:1 native contrast, VRR and ALLM, and they feature AWOL's PixelLock technology for "surgical, edge to edge sharpness."

Aetherion Max and the Aetherion Pro

The Aetherion Max and Aetherion Pro run Google Android TV 14.0 and are powered by the speedy MT9655 chipset with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of ROM. Native contrast is 6,000:1 and Enhanced Black Level is 60,000:1, with the latter provided via a seven-level IRIS system with EBL shadow refinement. The design promises zero light leakage for better blacks and clearer highlights.

The USP here, other than the huge 4K images, is the proprietary PixelLock system. It's designed to eliminate pixel drift and color separation, which can be issues with ultra-short throw projection, and it combines optical, mechanical and digital elements to compensate for lens element tolerances, temperature-induced expansion, DLP sequencing artefacts and other unpleasantness. The lens is sapphire glass with a rare earth coating promising "virtually zero" chromatic aberration, and it's teamed up with optical films made in a pharmaceutical-grade clean room and a motorized dust-seal lens cover to keep it clear.

The gaming-related specs are impressive: there's 1ms-class input latency at 240Hz, Dolby Vision Gaming, Gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi 7. And if you're picky about projection you can fully customize the contrast behavior, color mapping, tone curves and pixel geometry.

UK pricing hasn't been announced just yet but the Aetherion Max and the Aetherion Pro are $3,499 (about £2,581 / AU$5,200) and $4,499 (about £3,320 / AU$6,690). There will be early bird offers and limited edition bundles on Kickstarter beginning this month and sales will begin in March 2026.

• Samsung unveils The Freestyle+ portable projector
• It's still 1080p with 180-degree angle flexibility
• Upgrades include almost double the brightness of the previous model, and auto Wall Calibration

Samsung has revealed a third-gen version of its super-popular portable projector, the Freestyle. The new model is called The Freestyle+, and having used the previous-generation The Freestyle 2 as well as recent budget competitors such as the Xgimi MoGo 4, I think it's bringing the right kind of upgrades – though a couple of improvements that I'd like to see don't appear to .

Samsung's main pitch with The Freestyle+ projector is that it'll look better – always a plus, no pun intended – through a mix of smart image adjustments and just being brighter.

Samsung says the new model delivers 430 ISO Lumens, which is almost double the 230 ISO Lumens of the previous model, and this is great to hear, because the middling brightness is one of its predecessor's issues (though it still ranks high among our best portable projectors).

That will mean that the images will have bolder colors and will be overall more visible in rooms where the lights aren't super-dim, making it generally more useful and flexible.

But Samsung is also adding some other useful automatic features for a better picture. On top of automatic keystone correction and auto focus, there's now an automated Wall Calibration feature, which means the projector "analyzes the color or pattern of the projection surface and minimizes visual distractions for clear viewing", according to Samsung.

This again should help with the clarity of the images, and accuracy of the color if your wall is off-white or lightly colored (I'm not sure it'll help if you wall is a deep navy, of course).

There's also a Screen Fit feature, which sounds useful if you do use a projector screen: Samsung says this "automatically adjusts the image to match the screen area when used with a compatible projector screen accessory".

Is this enough of an upgrade?

Outside of the above changes, upgrades seem to be light in The Freestyle+. It includes a new version of Samsung's smart TV software, which is still full of streaming app options, and now includes the AI-powered Bixby voice assistant in order to "enable more natural, conversational interaction with on-screen content".

Samsung hasn't highlighted other elements that have been changed, though obviously it's possible there's more going on than has been revealed so far – I'll see the projector at CES 2026, so I can find out all the secrets (if there are any).

In particular, I was hoping to see improvements to the built-in sound. Samsung has only mentioned that the Freestyle+ includes "360 degree sound", the same as the previous model, but the Xgimi MoGo 4 recently really blew me away with the depth and power of its sound, so I'm hoping for an upgrade in this department.

We're also seeing more portable projectors – again, including the MoGo 4 – with built-in batteries. Samsung has always offered a battery add-on option for The Freestyle range, but competitors are undercutting its price with built-in batteries, not demanding that you pay more for true portability.

Speaking of price, there's no word on that so far, though the previous model launched at $799 / £649. There's no release date either, though new Samsung AV products tend to roll out between February and April. We may hear more on both fronts at CES.

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from wireless TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

Hisense L9Q: two-minute review

The Hisense L9Q represents the pinnacle of what Hisense can do for home theater projection. It’s a sizzlingly bright 4K ultra short throw (UST) projector that boasts the wide color gamut of triple-laser projectors alongside the accurate color of Pantone Validated hardware.

The Hisense L9Q is a capable streamer on its own thanks to integrated Google TV, and it has fast-enough hardware to run the operating system smoothly. It can also serve as a hub for various video sources with its multiple HDMI ports and an ATSC 3.0 tuner input – a rare feature on the best projectors. And though it doesn’t include a screen like some earlier Hisense L9 models, this version has a variable focus to let it adapt to different setups.

Where most other projectors settle for two or maybe four speakers, the L9Q packs in a whopping ten Devialet-designed speakers in a 6.2.2 configuration for the most impressive sound I’ve heard from a projector. It may not beat actual surround sound speaker systems, but it’s enough to put even the best soundbars to shame.

The L9Q is even a solid gaming projector with its ability to display 4K 60Hz gameplay with low input lag or switch over to 1080p 240Hz for extra smooth visuals and responsive gaming.

It’s a serious package, but it comes with a seriously high-end price at $5,999 / £3,999. That may seem steep, but considering how quickly the prices of TVs ramp up when you go past 75 inches, the math starts to work in Hisense’s favor. The L9Q can put out a 150-inch picture just as easily as it can do 100 inches, and has flexible setup features to get up and running.

For most people who don’t need the added brightness and already have a good sound system, the $3,499 / £2,499 Hisense PX3-Pro will be a more reasonable option. But if you demand the best, the L9Q delivers.

Hisense L9Q Review: price and release date

• First available: September 2025
• MSRP: $5,999 / £3,999 / AU$9,999 (includes 120-inch screen)
  

The Hisense L9Q is available for $5,999 / £3,999. In Australia, the projector comes bundled with a 120-inch screen and sells for AU$9,999. Given that it launched towards the end of 2025, the L9Q is unlikely to see any major discounts until sometime in late 2026.

Hisense L9Q Review: Specs

Hisense L9Q Review: design and features

• Stunning design
• Projector, sound system, and streamer all in one
• Plentiful connection options

Hisense here has created what I think is its best-looking UST projector yet. The L9Q borrows some of the ideas from the retro-futuristic PX line to deliver a bronze-kissed work of art. Most of the frame of the L9Q is a little boxy, keeping it simple with clean lines, but the front has small channels with power indicator lights and the top bears a curved sort of wave meant to evoke Roman amphitheaters. That’s not just for style either, as the top integrates several speakers. The front is emblazoned with concentric rings and a grille on the front hides even more speakers. Around the side, there are two discs housing yet another pair of speakers.

While the design is very appealing, it’s also functional. The projector sits on four height-adjustable feet to help you level the projector and get a perfectly square image. Where its Hisense L9G predecessor was designed with specific screen sizes in mind (and included those screens), the L9Q is more flexible, offering adjustable keystone and focus to let you adapt it to your needs. The flip side is that the L9Q does not include any screen, which was an addition worth easily $1,000 on earlier models. Whatever screen you do set it up with, the projector can automatically fit the picture to it, though it's a software solution and will reduce the actual image resolution.

Another set of sensors at the top of the projector helps protect your eyes. When these detect someone is close to the projection, they'll dim the display, and after 5 seconds, turn it off entirely. That's good to have since this projector uses bright lasers, and in my testing, the sensors have been fairly responsive.

Another update with the L9Q is that the throw ratio has been reduced to 0.18:1. This lets you get a big image while getting the projector closer to the wall.

Around back, the L9Q has a good selection of connections. You get four HDMI ports, two of which meet the version 2.1 spec. A separate HDMI offers eARC, so you don't have to use up an HDMI 2.1 port for audio output. There's also an optical digital audio output, an Ethernet input, and an RF input for the L9Q’s ATSC 3.0 receiver. The projector even supports a PVR recording system for broadcast TV using an attached storage device. Three USB ports round out the options, with two offering USB 3.0 speeds, and one of those using a Type-C connection.

Even if you don't connect the projector to an external source, you can stream content on the built-in Google TV operating system. While many projectors include built-in operating systems like this, the L9Q actually has the hardware to run it smoothly. In my time testing, the system remained responsive even as I launched and navigated apps, and I could reliably control the projector at all times. The Wi-Fi 6E connection used by the streaming platform is also robust.

Hisense’s included remote is almost the same as what came with the PX3-Pro. It's a long silver handset made out of plastic with the typical Google TV navigation ring. At the top, it features a handful of shortcuts to streaming apps, including one customizable shortcut. There's also a dedicated input select button, which is always handy to have.

One difference between the remotes is that instead of having a control for brightness, the L9Q remote has a channel select button. This and the volume controls are on tall, pill-shaped buttons that are easy to feel out. One great feature of the remote is that it reacts to movement and will light up many of the controls if you simply move it. This is very helpful in the typically dark home theater environment.

• Design and features score: 5/5

Hisense L9Q Review: performance

• Wonderfully bright picture with rich color
• Support for 1080p/240Hz gaming
• Potent 10-speaker Dolby Atmos sound

The Hisense L9Q brings UST projector picture quality to new heights. Hisense already impressed me with earlier models such as the L9G and PX3-Pro, but the L9Q carries the torch even further. It’s their brightest projector yet while still providing the stunning color of Hisense’s RGB laser light engine.

Ultimately, its specified 5,000 lumen brightness may be overstated, as maximum brightness comes via a high-brightness mode that results in some horrible color shift. But even without that, the projector beams a brilliant picture. The vivid colors it is capable of don’t mean a sacrifice in accuracy either, as the L9Q is both Pantone Validated and Pantone SkinTone certified.

All of that is delivered with strong contrast. The black levels aren’t so low that letterbox bars disappear completely, especially in darker movie scenes, but when the projector is beaming bright, the bars become hard to see thanks to the projector’s contrast.

The L9Q’s black levels and contrast aren’t quite on the level of the Sony Bravia Projector 7, but it gets closer than most projectors I’ve seen, and it manages it with more vivid color and higher brightness. Not to mention that the L9Q is almost half the price of Sony’s projector.

With most picture presets, you’ll be facing some unfortunate motion smoothing, though, since the projector’s SDR and HDR picture profiles default to using motion smoothing. This has its benefits for some content by smoothing out camera pans and moving objects, but it adds a soap opera effect to movies. The “Film” setting avoids these unsightly artifacts while still keeping judder subdued, however.

The L9Q delivers good focus from corner to corner with manual setup, making the most of its 4K resolution. And the amount of detail you can see with the picture stretching up to 100 inches or larger is exceptional.

Gamers can get plenty from the L9Q as well. Even when it’s beaming a 4K 60Hz picture, it’s able to keep the input latency low enough to make for a fairly responsive experience. Like the Hisense PX3-Pro, the L9Q can drop down to 1080p and crank its refresh rate to 240Hz for super smooth gaming (just make sure to set the HDMI input source to Enhanced Pro or it will top out at 120Hz). I took it for a few runs in Hades, and it was stunningly smooth with virtually no detectable lag.

Though the L9Q did a good job of hiding the rainbow effect most of the time, it is susceptible to it like many other DLP projectors. I didn’t notice it much when watching 4K content, where it only occasionally cropped up and was most visible on white areas of the image. It was also more noticeable while running the projector at 1080p/240Hz.

The projector’s very robust speaker system was an extra pleasant surprise. It uses a total of 10 speakers in a 6.2.2-channel configuration. Four of those speakers are in the front, two on the sides, with four more positioned along the curved top. It’s not as engrossing as a proper surround system or as booming as a double-sub setup (nor is it hitting deep sub-bass), but the sound is weighty, loud, and presents a surprisingly wide soundstage for such a small unit.

With Dolby Atmos audio piping out of the speakers during Star Wars: The Force Awakens, blaster shots seemed to come out from different points in space, there was some height to the TIE fighters flying over, and explosions were properly booming. Ultimately, it’s worth pairing a projector of this quality with an external sound system, but if you don’t, there’s a lot to get from the built-in speakers.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Hisense L9Q Review: value

• High price
• Extra value as an all-in-one system
• No projector screen included in US and UK

The Hisense L9Q is a serious piece of kit, and it has the price to match. At $5,999 / £3,999, you have to expect a lot from this home theater projector, and for the most part, it delivers. Its picture is bright and color-rich, it has powerful built-in sound, and it has Google TV for streaming. But for most people, the $3,499 Hisense PX3-Pro is going to be the more sensible option, since it offers much the same experience but without quite the same brightness, audio power, or extensive connectivity options.

It's kind of a shame that the L9Q doesn't come bundled with a projector screen in the US and the UK, but its flexible lens control means you can pair it with whatever screen you want for the most part. Hisense had offered pre-order customers the option of either a free screen or its HT-Saturn sound wireless speaker system, both of which would have made this an astounding value, but that deal appears to have since expired.

• Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the Hisense L9Q?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if… 

Also consider...

How I tested the Hisense L9Q

• Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions
• Presented the display with a variety of media and formats
• I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade

I tested the Hisense L9Q at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, in-room lighting, as well as ambient noise that both the projector and speaker systems had to overcome. The projector was tested both against a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen. It was presented with streamed content, HDR and non-HDR, and PC gameplay.

My testing evaluates the projector’s performance with respect to its price and competition from other models that my colleagues and I at TechRadar have tested.

I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.

First reviewed: December 2025

• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

• Hisense unveils two new 4K TriChroma laser projectors with up to 6,000:1 contrast
• Hisense XR10 can do up to 300 inches, at up to 6,000 ANSI lumens
• Hisense PX4-Pro is the sequel to our favorite ultra short throw projector

It's 11 years since Hisense launched its first laser projector and six since the introduction of its TriChroma Laser TV system. And now it's unveiled two brand new laser projectors with its newest-generation tech, called the XR10 and the PX4-Pro.

The XR10 is exceptionally bright, delivering a whopping 6,000 ANSI lumens of brightness that enables it to shine in even very well-lit environments. It has 16 all-glass lenses for better light transmission and temperature stability and a new IRIS system that automatically adjusts the lens aperture and exposure to match changes in lighting conditions. Contrast is a claimed 6,000:1 and the XR10 features a "dramatically expanded" BT.2020 color gamut.

With an optical zoom range of 0.84x to 2.0x the XR10 can deliver screen sizes up to 300 inches despite being in a home-friendly design and thanks to an industry-first four-camera and dual TOF intelligent sensor system it can achieve lossless correction of side-projected images up to ±15°. Pricing may be announced at CES 2026 – we'll speak to Hisense while we're there.

Hisense PX4-PRO: key features

As the name suggests, the PX4-Pro is the successor to the Hisense PX3-Pro – a projector we described as "a perfect ultra-short throw projector for gaming and movies", and that tops our list of the best ultra short throw projectors. It's designed for visuals up to 200 inches and delivers 3,500 ANSI lumens of brightness, contrast of up to 6,000:1, and with 4K resolution.

Like the XR10, it features the new IRIS automatic adjustments and Hisense's TriChroma laser technology. It's also certified IMAX Enhanced.

As with the XR10 pricing hasn't been announced yet, but the PX3-Pro had a launch price of $3,499 / £2,499 in September 2024, so the new model is likely to be similarly priced.

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

The best portable projectors offer a great way to stream films, games, and deliver presentations from anywhere. We've comprehensively reviewed a range of models - from ultra-bright heavy hitters to pocket-sized devices and I've selected the best mini and handheld projectors capable of filling a range of screen sizes.

I've also included two of the best 4K projectors you can get right now - the budget-priced LG CineBeam Q and BenQ GP520. My newest addition to the line-up is the Anker Nebula X1, which proved to deliver a gorgeous and detailed 4K images when used in a home cinema set-up.

Best portable projectors of 2026 in full

Best portable projector overall

We were already big fans of the original Samsung the Freestyle mini projector, naming it our top choice. And it's stayed that way - until we tried out the second-generation model.

Samsung's The Freestyle 2nd Generation isn't a radical departure from the previous iteration - although it now includes a Gaming Hub, letting you connect a wireless controller and access cloud-basing gaming apps like Xbox and Nvidia GeForce Now. It's all very easy to set-up, which is a big part of The Freestyle's appeal, and the subtle, compact design makes it ideal for transporting in a backpack.

In use, picture quality is good - blacks are deep and colors are accurate, with HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG support. The projector also features what Samsung dubs '360 Degree' sound. And in our tests, we were surprised to find it really did offer spacious audio, although the bass was admittedly limited.

However, we did spot a few drawbacks. In our multiple luminance tests, this wasn't the brightest portable projector in the world, and the contrast is low, too, for daytime use outdoors. We would've liked to see more than a single micro-HDMI port here, too (or at least include a HDMI adapter in the box). It may not be a budget model, either, but overall, this is an excellent, easy-to-use mini projector with a real emphasis on portability.

If you can't get the second-gen model, The Freestyle original is an excellent alternative.

Read our Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen review

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Best portable projector on a budget

The XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro is one of those mini projectors that surprises you with how good it is. In our testing, we found it delivered bright images with good color and contrast (and, of course, it looks even better in darker rooms). However, we did need to toy with the limited picture settings to achieve this.

Once we set the projector up, we were pleasantly surprised with how well this model performed. Picture quality even in brighter rooms was very acceptable, although as it's only rated 450 lumens brightness, it's not well-suited to bright overhead lights or outdoor operations in daylight.

As a lower-end model, it's capped at 1080p, which might make it too low for bigger screens. We also noticed the unit can only be tilted to 130-degrees - we couldn't help but feel full 180-degrees would've improved overall performance. Nor did we like the built-in speaker, finding sounds to be serviceable at full volume, but very weak at lower settings. A Bluetooth speaker is recommended here.

Compared to its most obvious rival, the Freestyle 2, you'll see similar specs here for a lower price, but what really sells this one to us is the optional PowerBase tripod stand which elevates the mini projector while powering it at the same.

Read our full XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro portable projector review

Coming soon (maybe)

The new Xgimi Z6X 5th Gen portable projector has not been officially launched outside of China. We don't know how much it will be or even if it will be available in other markets. It does look kinda cool, so fingers crossed.

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Best 4K portable projector

The BenQ GP520 is an affordable 4K portable projector that boasts impressive brightness - the LED light source hits around 2,600 ANSI Lumens, and in our review, we called it “a go-anywhere all-in-one theater system.”

The design is boxy and compact, weighing in at 8.2lb / 3.7kg. There’s no built-in handle - although you can get a carry case (sold separately). Despite this, we found it easy enough and light enough to move around. There’s no gimbal stand, but you’ll also find tripod holds on three sides for positioning the projector.

Picture quality is very good. We found the 4K images were sharp and detailed with HDR10+ support, and there’s motion handling. Colors aren’t blisteringly vivid, though, and the blacks could be deeper. This isn’t one for gamers either, since it can’t switch to 1080p for a frame-rate boost. Having said that, under the right settings, it looks way better than it has any right to be for a low-cost 4K portable projector. We also felt the speakers were surprisingly good. Of course, you’ll get better performance with a sound system, but they’re absolutely acceptable without an external set-up - especially since the fans aren’t especially loud in use.

Overall, a solid 4K entry that’s hard to beat on price, especially given the higher than average brightness compared to similar models.

Read our full BenQ GP520 review

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Best 4K portable projector on a budget

Coming in at under $1000 / £1000, the LG CineBeam Q is a delightfully stylish and affordable portable projector boasting 4K resolution and support for a raft of streaming platforms.

The design is sleek, looking like a hi-fi speaker, with a swinging stand that also acts as a handle for extra portability. There’s no built-in battery - you’ll need to use the mains cable - but that just keeps the device lightweight.

In tests, we were pleasantly surprised with how good the 4K performance was. And unlike rival units, this one has HDR10 and HLG high dynamic range support. Elsewhere, the CineBeam Q features outstanding color performance. Darks were deep, bright images were vibrant, skin tones natural. However, there are some trade-offs at this price. Peak brightness is 500 ANSI lumens, and the contrast ratio sits at 500:1, which is average for portable DLP projectors. We also found it best paired with a speaker or soundbar, as the sound can be weak.

Overall, an excellent budget 4K portable projector with a stylish design. There are some trade-offs for the price, but it’s still cheaper than many rivals with similar specs.

Read our full LG CineBeam Q review

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Best mini projector

The Anker Nebula Capsule is our pick for best mini projector - a pocket-sized, handheld portable Bluetooth projector that’s powerful and pretty cheap. Better still, you can connect your iPhone or Android to the projector via a USB-C to HDMI cable for the full on-the-go viewing experience.

We reviewed the second edition Nebula Capsule, and absolutely loved the design. Shaped like a beer can, the Nebula Capsule is one super-portable unit, all in black, with speaker grilles pocketing the casing. In our own tests, we got up to 2.5 hours of video playback on a single charge.

Projecting up to a 100in screen, we found performance very watchable, although it struggles in broad daylight. The top-rated pocket projector hits up to 200 ANSI lumens, with 720p output. The third generation devices bump up these specs to 300 lumens and 1080p output, which is a big improvement. We’d still like to see a higher luminance for outdoors settings and camping though.

One of the best handheld projectors we’ve ever tested, especially for anyone looking for a mini projector for iPhone or Android.

Read our full Anker Nebula Capsule II review

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Best portable projector for gaming

When you’re looking at mini projectors for gaming, you’ll usually find many of the top models lack the right refresh rates, resolutions, and response times. While that’s fine for TV, movies, and certain games, it doesn’t offer the greatest experience.

And that’s why we really rate the BenQ X300G. This low-latency portable projector is tailored to gamers. It’s also reasonably affordable too, at least in the realms of projectors.

Accommodating screen sizes between 30-150in, the X300G boasts 2,000 lumens, HDR10 and HLG support, and even 84% DCI-P3 color space coverage. Picture quality in our tests was colorful and bright. However, we did find the LED and DLP mini projector was better suited to smaller rooms, and the built-in speakers are disappointedly average. With two HDMI ports and two USB slots, port selection is limited, too.

But what sets the BenQ X300G apart is the ability to switch between movies in 4K HDR at 24 or 60Hz, or dropping to 1080p at 240Hz for gaming. That gives it good all-round versatility.

Read our full BenQ X300G review

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Best portable projector for home theaters

The Anker Nebula X1 is an upgrade on the Cosmos Laser 4K - both are good for a home theater set-up, but the X1 is easily the better pick since it boasts a far brighter 3500 ANSI lumens and an increased maximum screen size of 200 inches.

In tests, picture quality remained sharp and bright, with the 14-element, all-glass lens giving us gorgeously detailed images. Even the built-in speakers were pretty nice - dialogue came through loud and clear. Alright, they'll never beat a full audio system, but for a portable projector, we had no complaints at all.

Measuring results, the X1 delivered HDR brightness on a 10% white window pattern at 188 nits in Movie Mode and ISF mode, with a native 1,656:1 contrast ratio. For film fans, you'll be pleased to know when using Movie Mode, colors appeared incredibly accurate.

However, it's not the best for gaming, since we found it required a lot of set-up to get it displaying correctly, and the input lag really hurt the experience. We also ran into issues with the eARC port, where the projector would only recognize our Blu-ray player as an audio source. Anker has told us it'll be updating this in a future update, so fingers crossed.

Overall, considering the Nebula X1's versatility, this remains a top choice for movie-lovers.

Read our Anker Nebula X1 review

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Best portable projector for presentations

When it comes to businesses that need a top-rated mini projector for presentations, the JMGO N1S Ultra 4K stands out for us. At around the $2000 / £2000 mark, it’s reasonably priced for a high-resolution unit, and we really like its compact and robust casing. Perfect for pulling out when you need to present, then neatly storing it away. It won’t take up too much room, but it will let everyone see the bigger picture.

Speaking of which, the N1S Ultra 4K supports screen sizes up to 150in, with a bright 3,000 ANSI lumens. Indoors performance was excellent, with images and sound coming through crisp and clear. A gimbal offers full 360-degree rotation and 135-degree tilt.

Our reviewer, a lecturer, used the unit on location in a lecture theatre, studio, and village hall - and found this is where the 4K mini projector really shines. Easy to set-up - just plug and play - with color adjustments for a range of walls and screens.

What it really lacks is port selection. You’ll only find two HDMI and a USB port, alongside a 3.5mm audio jack. For the price, we’d like a few more options here. If that’s not an issue for you, we found this mini projector is great for giving presentations or any type of talk.

Read our full JMGO N1S Ultra 4K projector review

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Best portable projector for outdoors

You can use plenty of portable projectors in the garden, but for a lot of models, you’ll need a reliable power source. And this usually means running cables from the house. That’s where a unit like the Anker Nebula Mars 3 shows its strengths. This compact projector features a built-in battery, letting you use it anywhere.

That’s not the only reason to like the Nebula Mars 3 for outdoors use, with the projector also sporting a camping lamp, Bluetooth speaker capabilities, and the ability to plug in small devices, so you can charge up your phone or tablet. A lens cap and waterproofing complete the set-up.

Specs are fair for a projector primarily designed for use outdoors. Here, you’ll find 1080p resolution that’s best for use on screens up to around 65 inches. The LED DLP projection system hits 1000 lumens, making it best-suited to dark environments (like a night-time movie screening in the yard). Colors are ok - we found they delivered modest vibrance, but naturally they lack the ‘pop’ of a triple-laser HDR-capable projector.

But it’s the built-in battery that really makes this a worthwhile unit. In that regard, it knocks the spots off a model like the Samsung The Freestyle, which also has a battery but lacks the brightness you’ll get here. During our own testing, we ramped the brightness up to full, with volume set to 50%, and the Nebula Mars 3 ran a two-hour movie with more than over 20% charge (around 30-minutes playtime) left in the tank.

Read our full Anker Nebula Mars 3 review

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Best portable projectors compared

Best portable projectors: FAQs

How to choose the best portable projector for you

It’s important to know what to look for when you're buying a portable projector.

By considering how you’re going to use it, you’ll get the right mix of features. We asked Luke Chen, senior business line manager at Viewsonic Europe, a display and projector specialist for his point of view (no pun intended).

First off, you need to think about the situations you’re going to be using your projector in and find one that fits your requirements. Taking your smart projector on-the-go? Consider how well the projector achieves a portable design. Does it come with a carry handle? Or can it fold into a travel-ready container? If your projector is going to sit on your coffee table, make sure it says it’s a “short throw.”

Think about durability, LED technology avoids dimming projector issues, allowing smart projectors to shine brightly for up to 30,000 hours. LED light sources run much cooler than bulb-based light sources (meaning less fan noise). “Lamp-Free” is what to look for. It means you no longer have to rely on bulbs, which need to be replaced over time. They’re eco-friendly, too. Lamp Free means no glass bulb is needed, which means no mercury.

Something else to consider is resolution. Smart projectors are much smaller than standard projectors, this makes resolution the first thing to go. For those who enjoy camping, and just want some form of entertainment next to the campfire, a lower resolution works. Mini projectors have the hardest time with resolution. But, not all smart projectors suffer from poor resolution. 4K Smart LED projectors are now on the market. If home entertainment is your preferred use, opt for 4K resolution. The highest-end smart projectors will call themselves “True 4K” projectors.

Next, up, apps. Your projector is only as smart as the apps running on it. So, it makes sense to have an app store enabled on your projector. Does the projector you’re looking at come with app store integration? To work with apps, enable voice commands, and stream movies (all at the same time) look for a smart projector with ample processors, memory, and storage.

Most smart projectors have to compromise on sound. This is the only way to fit all the components into such a small size. If you don’t already have a premium sound system integrated into your home theatre, opt for premium speakers. In short, there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all projector.

How we test the best portable projectors

We've tested many different types of projectors over the years, including the best ultra-short throw projectors and the best business projectors - but when we were looking for the best portable projector, we needed to see a few key considerations.

The most obvious is portability. This means different things to different people. In the guide above, we've clarified that some designs are portable because you can move them from room to room, like the Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K. At the same time, others are pocket-sized, like the ASUS ZenBeam E1 Portable LED Projector. Both are, technically, 'portable' but to varying degrees, and we've made that clear in the guide.

Usability is critical with projectors. There's no point carrying one with you if setting up is a pain. So while testing these best portable projectors, we ensured that you could get up and running quickly, even if you've not had much experience with projectors.

Brightness and picture quality vary in our guide above, but all can project TV shows and movies at a decent rate. We were mainly looking for projectors that offered a decent amount of brightness and resolution for their size and value for money. We've clarified when you'll likely get a dimmer experience, but in a tiny and affordable package, which might be more of a priority for some people.

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• Honor's revealed a compact projector called the Choice Bee AI Projector Air
• It supports both stylus input and gesture controls
• It's extremely cheap, but is so far only available in China

Honor has just unveiled a curious projector that would probably be an impulse buy for a lot of people – if it becomes available outside China.

Sadly, right now the ‘Choice Bee AI Projector Air’ is limited to China, but we hope that changes, because it has two big things going for it. The first is that the 1080p projector supports stylus input and gesture controls. So you could essentially use the projector to write or draw on whatever surface it’s pointing at (without actually leaving any marks on your wallpaper).

This sounds niche, but – as Android Authority points out – it could be useful for your next game night, or just for any time you wish you had a large whiteboard or a giant touchscreen to scribble things on.

Of course, that all depends on how well this stylus input actually works in practice, which we haven't seen yet. And while the gesture controls, which track the movement of the stylus, sound useful in theory, we'll have to test them out to see if they transcend gimmick status.

Extremely affordable

That brings us to the next big thing this projector has going for it – namely its price. At just CNY 599 (around $85 / £65 / AU$130) this is extremely cheap. So much so, that we're concerned that its stylus input and gesture controls might not be polished enough to see it rank among the best portable projectors.

Its specs are expectedly quite basic too, with it offering just a 1080p resolution and 280 CVIA lumens of brightness. Still, it is compact, can tilt up to 160 degrees (allowing you to point it at a ceiling), and has a headphone port, a 5W speaker, and support for Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, HDMI 2.0, and USB connectvity.

It’s unclear right now whether the Choice Bee AI Projector Air will launch beyond China, but it’s shipping there on December 8. And even if this particular model doesn't go global, we're hoping to see more affordable options adopt this tech because it definitely has potential for presentations, game nights and more.

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000: One minute review

The Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 is the latest, and least expensive, member of Epson's LS series of projectors. At $3,999 / £2,999 / AU$7,299, this entry-level dedicated home theater projector is notably cheaper than comparable options from JVC and Sony, yet still comes with a bevy of great features and performance to match.

Epson’s Pro Cinema LS9000 follows in the footsteps of the Epson LS12000 model that currently sits a the top of TechRadar’s Best Projectors list. The Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 aims to continue this excellence, employing the same 15-element glass VRX lens structure, laser light engine, and 3LCD technology as the LS12000.

Similar to the step-up LS12000, the Pro Cinema LS9000 supports 4K 120Hz signals, has relatively low input lag for gaming, and is compatible with the HDR10+ high dynamic range format. Its motorized lens shift, zoom, and focus make setup adjustments easy, and out of the box in Natural picture mode, it delivers accurate colors and a crisp image.

Even with all the great inclusions, some missing features reflect the LS9000’s entry-level status. The most glaring is a lack of dynamic tone mapping, which is also missing from the other LS series projectors that were originally released a few years ago, but is starting to show up in some less expensive home theater models. With a rated 2,200 lumens brightness (white and color), it’s also best suited for a home theater room with decent ambient light control, as opposed to a multi-purpose living space with light streaming in through windows.

Still, the Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 offers incredible performance for the price. It’s a solid projector that’s easy to set up, but still offers the ability to tweak and play with image settings that a new (or frugal) home projection enthusiast is sure to love.

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 review: Price & release date

• Release date: July 2025
• Price: $3,999 / £2,999 / AU$7,299

The Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 made its debut in July 2025 at the Audio Advice Live show in Raleigh, North Carolina. It’s the least expensive of Epson’s Pro Cinema laser projectors, coming in at $3,999 / £2,999 / AU$7,299. For comparison, the Home Cinema LS11000 retails for $4,499 (up from $3,999 when released) and the LS12000 now goes for $5,999 (up from $4,999 at release).

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 review: Specs

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 review: Design & features

• Motorized zoom, focus, and lens shift
• 4K 120Hz support
• Motorized lens cover

The Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 shares the same look as its bigger siblings, the Pro Cinema LS12000 and Home Cinema LS11000, and the high-lumen Epson QB1000 released in late 2024. The chassis is large and a bit heavy (the Sony Bravia Projector 7 weighs less, but the JVC DLA-NZ5 weighs a little more), but I find the design and its black color to look sleeker than its heft lets on. All connections are on the back panel alongside touch controls if the remote is misplaced.

The look is not where the similarities to the LS11000 and LS12000 end. Inside, the LS9000 uses the same VRX lens with a 15-element glass structure and has Epson’s 4K 3LCD design architecture with three 0.74-inch LCD panels.

As is the case with all Epson projectors, the LS9000 uses pixel-shifting technology to achieve a 4K resolution from 1080p chips. Some enthusiasts complain about this not being “True 4K” and as lesser than the use of native 4K chips, but the 4K image from the LS9000 (and every other Epson that uses pixel-shifting technology) is detailed and crisp, especially from a normal viewing distance. The chip also allows for a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz.

The laser light source is specified for 2,200 lumens of both color (IDMS rated) and white (ISO rated) light output and has up to 20,000 hours of life in all modes. This is where the LS9000’s performance separates from the LS11000 and LS12000, which are rated at 2,500 and 2,700 lumens, respectively, and partially accounts for the difference in pricing. The blue laser diode array emits light through a fixed yellow phosphor (first released with the LS12000), as opposed to a phosphor wheel, to create white light, and the laser light source and fixed phosphor allow it to run silently.

The lower lumen output makes the LS9000 more suitable for a dark room – or at the very least, a light-controlled room — than the more expensive, higher light output projectors. But as I’ll discuss below, it still delivers enough brightness for daytime viewing.

There’s a generous +/- 24% horizontal and +/- 96% vertical powered lens shift on the LS9000, along with powered zoom (a ratio of 1-1.2) and focus that can be controlled from the remote to make setup adjustments easy. The projector’s throw ratio is 1.35-2.84:1. There’s also vertical and horizontal keystone correction (+/- 30 degrees), but with the amount of lens shift available, keystone correction likely won’t be necessary (and should always be avoided, if possible, as it can negatively affect the picture).

The LS9000 is compatible with an anamorphic lens kit (sold separately) and third-party options. A memory feature allows you to save image adjustments and lens positioning for different aspect ratio setups, and the lens is also protected by a motorized lens cover that opens and closes with the power cycle.

The LS9000 supports HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+ high dynamic range, and has two HDMI 2.1 inputs that support 4K 120Hz. While that’s great news for gamers, the projector doesn’t support ALLM, so you’ll need to manually switch the image processing from Fine to Fast for the lowest input lag. HDMI2 also supports eARC, so if you decide to connect a streaming stick directly to the projector, you can send out audio including Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, DTS Master Audio, and DTS:X formats.

One thing missing from the Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 is dynamic HDR tone mapping. Instead, there’s an HDR Dynamic Range slider that allows you to manually adjust the brightness of the HDR image.

The projector’s remote is a bit chunky, but the keypad is backlit and has all the necessary buttons to make easy adjustments while viewing. There are dedicated buttons to call up features like Fine/Fast (for gaming), different lens memory positions, signal information, lens adjustment, and color modes.

• Design & features score: 4.5/5

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 review: Picture quality

• Accurate image in Natural picture mode
• HDR10+ support
• No dynamic tone mapping

The LS9000 has five different picture modes — Dynamic, Vivid, Bright Cinema, Cinema, and Natural — and they are the same for both standard and high dynamic range sources. Each mode produces a watchable image out of the box, although all of them have some degree of blue tint to the grayscale, with Natural being the most accurate choice for both SDR and HDR.

The default color temperature setting of 6500K is still slightly on the blue side, but switching it to 6000K causes the color temperature to be a little too red. If you choose to do a professional calibration, you can use two different picture modes – one for SDR and one for HDR – and save them with the Image Memory setting.

Out of the box SDR measurements in Natural picture mode had an average Delta E of 2.8, with some grayscale reaching above 4 because of the blue bias. A calibration can get all dE down below 2.1, with many under 1. UHDA-P3 color gamut coverage measured 90.25%, while BT.2020 came in at 66.86%.

Brightness in Dynamic mode with my unit was 2,062 lumens, but that’s still within the measurement tolerance of ISO lumens, and due to the positioning of my projector, the image was zoomed in a bit, which causes the brightness to come down. It’s enough brightness for a watchable image in a room with ambient light (even with Natural picture mode, which is visibly less bright than other modes), but there’s a loss of shadow detail due to the light reflecting on the screen.

Where the projector really excels is when the lights are off. Colors look accurate and inviting, detail in both SDR and HDR is sharp, and the projector exhibits great contrast and shadow detail with the Dynamic Contrast setting at High Speed. The contrast isn’t as impressive as on the LS12000, which I evaluated a few years ago, but for the price, the LS9000 does an excellent job.

The HDR image does require some tweaking at times. Occasionally, bright highlights can cause some clipping — such as when the shark cage is lowered into the water in The Meg, and we can see the bright sun refracting through the ocean water. In this instance, I adjusted the dynamic range slider from its default of 8 to 10 (which slightly backs off the scene brightness).

Through most of my viewing, I played around with the slider, not just to address high brightness clipping, but also to see its effect on image depth. Generally, I found myself setting it between 8 and 10, with the Battle of Pelennor Fields in Return of the King at 8 and day scenes during Mad Max: Fury Road at a 9 for a bit more depth. None of the adjustments were life-altering, and I wouldn’t suggest changing the dynamic range slider mid-movie, but you’ll learn your preferences. This is where dynamic tone mapping is missed.

Home theater projectors have historically struggled to provide input lag low enough for gaming, but with two HDMI 2.1 ports that are capable of 4K 120Hz, the LS9000 is screaming to be used as a gaming projector. The Image Processing menu allows you to select a setting of Fine or Fast (which provides a lower input lag). With the Fast setting and a 4K 60Hz signal, the lag measured at 20ms (it’s 44ms with the Fine setting). Unfortunately, there’s no ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), so you’ll need to manually switch the setting when you game or watch content.

Input lag is low enough on the LS9000 to satisfy a non-competitive gamer (my son still enjoyed his time playing Minecraft). During my second playthough of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which relies on dodge and parry reactions during combat, I was able to still make it through combat without issue. Someone who regularly plays first-person shooter games will likely feel a difference between the LS9000 and one of the best gaming TVs, but for the vast majority of us, the Epson will deliver a great gaming experience.

• Picture quality score: 4.5/5

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 review: Value

• Great performance for the price
• Solid gaming projector
• Missing an important home theater feature

The Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 is not only the least expensive model in the LS series, it’s one of the most affordable premium home theater projectors – the JVC DLA-NP5, which is a lamp-based model, retails for $6,000, as does the Sony VPL-XW5000ES, which came out three years ago.

Not only is the LS9000 brighter than both of those projectors, it also has a collection of features neither of them has, including a high-quality laser light engine, HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K/120Hz and eARC support, an excellent lens with motorized adjustments and lens cover, zoom and image memory, and 2,200 lumens of brightness.

There are still some compromises that must be made. Its biggest flaw is a lack of dynamic tone mapping, which we’re seeing in projectors half the price of the LS9000, like the Valerion VisionMaster Pro2. The LS9000 also doesn’t have 3D support, isn’t as bright as the step-up options from Epson, and is missing ALLM for gaming. But even so, the projector delivers a detailed picture with accurate color, which looks very engaging in a dark room. Also, the 20ms input lag time and 4K 120Hz support make gaming a joy on the big screen.

• Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the Epson Pro Cinema LS9000?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Epson Pro Cinema LS9000

• Evaluated under various viewing conditions
• Measured and calibrated with professional software and hardware
• I am ISF-certified and have years of experience reviewing projectors

The Epson LS9000 laser projector was connected to my ceiling mount, approximately 11 feet from an Elite Screens CineTension 3 ISF-certified CineWhite screen. Using the Epson’s zoom and lens adjustment controls, the image was adjusted to fit the 100-inch diagonal screen.

I watched a wide range of content with both ambient light from the sun and ceiling lighting during the day and a dark, light-controlled environment at night. Movies and TV shows were streamed with an Apple TV 4K from the Disney+, HBO Max, and Hulu apps. I also used a Kaleidescape Strato V for high-quality movie playback, along with 4K Blu-ray discs played on an Oppo UDP-203 disc player. Games were played on an Xbox Series X.

For objective measurement testing, I used an X-rite i1 Pro 3 spectrophotometer, Murideo Seven-G 8K pattern generator, Konica Minolta LS-100 luminance meter, and Calman calibration software by Portrait Displays. Input lag tests were made with a Leo Bodnar 4K lag tester.

I’ve been testing projectors and other displays for a couple of decades, and am an ISF Level III certified calibrator.

• First reviewed: November 2025
• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

LG Electronics has launched the LG Magnit Active Micro LED, a 136-inch (approximately 3 meters wide and 1.7 meters tall) display designed to compete with Samsung and other brands in the home micro-LED video wall market.

LG’s gargantuan new micro-LED TV uses active matrix technology. This enables individual pixels in the display to generate their own light, providing an advantage over passive matrix displays that control pixels by addressing rows and columns, according to LG.

Another benefit of LG’s Active Micro LED is a proprietary surface treatment that deepens black levels while minimizing reflections, resulting in accurate color and powerful contrast (the company specifies a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1). The display itself is modular, with precise alignment between the individual panels to minimize gaps and create a seamless surface.

Despite its large size and modular construction, LG’s new video wall sounds very much like a regular TV. It has Dolby Vision HDR support and uses the same α9 AI Processor 6th Generation found in some of the best OLED TVs made by LG. It also has a built-in 4.2-channel, 100W speaker system, LG’s webOS smart TV platform, and HDMI eARC to output sound from streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+.

For gaming, LG’s Active Micro LED supports a 144Hz refresh rate, along with webOS cloud-gaming apps. Also, a Color Consistency Wide Viewing certification from TÜV Rheinland ensures uniform color over a wide viewing angle – a picture quality advantage that one regularly gets with OLED TVs.

LG’s Active Micro LED is currently available in Korea, and availability will soon expand to North America and other markets.

micro-LED is a marvel, but projection is better for now

LG’s new video wall is an impressive technology statement, but for my money, traditional projection tech remains the superior home theater option.

The main reason: money. LG’s press release for the Magnit Active Micro LED doesn’t mention a price, and that’s because if you have to ask, you can’t afford it. Video walls like this that use micro-LED tech cost well into the $200,000-plus range, and there’s been no indication that prices will drop in the near future.

Projectors, on the other hand, are a comparatively affordable home theater display option. The best projectors, such as the JVC DLA-NZ800, are priced under $20,000. The NZ800 can’t compete with micro-LED displays like the LG Magnit when it comes to picture brightness, but it has powerful contrast (JVC specifies the NZ800’s native contrast at 100,000:1) along with advanced HDR processing and 8K display and upscaling. I’ve seen the NZ800 in action several times, and I’m continually gobsmacked by its stunning picture quality.

The JVC DLA-NZ800, which can beam images as large as 150 inches diagonal, might require a dark room to deliver its highest level of performance, but isn’t a dark room what home theater is all about? Movie theaters are dark, and no one seems to have a problem watching movies in a setting with the lights out.

A micro-LED video wall like the LG Magnit makes the most sense for viewing in bright rooms, where the display’s high brightness and contrast, along with the Magnit’s wide viewing angle, are a perfect combination for sports viewing. And with a screen that’s 3 meters wide and 1.7 meters tall, you could watch multiple games onscreen at once using a display splitter, and the Magnit’s high refresh rate would help to ensure that the motion during plays looks crisp.

A new breed of super-bright projectors, such as the Epson QL7000, is also a great option for sports viewing. At $32,999, the QL7000 is at the high end of the projector price range, but its 10,000-lumen specified brightness is plenty for daytime, bright room viewing, and it can beam images as large as 300 inches.

At the end of the day, projection tech wins this race by providing a significantly cheaper big-screen home theater display option than micro-LED. I look forward to a day when micro-LED pricing becomes more mainstream, but I’m not holding my breath for that to happen any time soon.

• Optoma UHZ58LV launches for $2,299 / £1,999
• 3,000 lumens and 95% DCI-P3 color coverage
• HDR10+ and image enhancement

Optoma has launched a new 4K DLP projector that promises "stunning visuals and unmatched color accuracy".

The new UHZ58LV projector is a 4K UHD dual laser model delivering 3,000 lumens of peak brightness with HDR10+ and the firm's PureEngine Ultra image enhancement.

The projector delivers 95% DCI-P3 color coverage and it includes both Filmmaker and ISF day/night modes to suit your personal preferences.

One big benefit of a dual-laser light source is that it delivers long life: a quoted 30,000 hours in this case.

Optoma UHZ58LV: key features and pricing

The PureEngine system is designed to boost the color output, contrast and the image detail for what Optoma says is lifelike color reproduction with excellent precision. That's supplemented with PureMotion processing to eliminate judder.

The specifications are impressive even among the best projectors: screen sizes of 20 to 320 inches, contrast ratio of 3,000,000:1, and good connectivity.

There are three HDMI inputs including one with eARC and one with HDMI 2.1; RJ45, RS232 and 12V trigger controls; and USB power, 3D sync, 3.5mm audio and S/PDIF outputs. The projector also features Dolby Atmos passthrough and is certified for WiSA SoundSend for outputting to WiSA wireless speakers, which could certainly help with installation.

Gamers are well catered for, with auto low latency mode and 240Hz at 1080p resolution with 8.5ms input lag.

The Optoma UHZ58LV will be available from this month, October 2025, and we've seen prices of $2,299 in the US and £1,999 in the UK. That's roughly AU$3,531.

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus: One minute review

The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus follows up on last year's Epson EpiqVision Mini EF22 portable projector, but this time, Epson is leaning far more into the lifestyle aspect of the design with a more extensive fabric wrap, colorful LED underlighting, and a funky monopod stand.

Under the hood, the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus offers a sizable upgrade over the EF22 thanks to the 4K projection system, but otherwise still uses the same 3LCD tech and has the same 1,000 ISO lumens brightness spec.

It’s nice to see the 4K resolution since larger images really benefit from it. But picture quality with the Lifestudio Flex Plus otherwise isn’t terribly impressive, with weak contrast, minor ghosting and motion hiccups, and a brightness level that really requires a dark room.

As for the rest of the package, having only one HDMI port is a limiting factor and the built-in Sound by Bose speakers provide just average sound quality. And even though the stand allows for flexible aim, it doesn’t offer anything that other examples of the best projectors with built-in stands don’t.

While the $999 price tag puts the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus on the affordable side for a 4K projector, it still has to square off against the oft-discounted price of the brighter, more colorful JMGO N1S Pro 4K and the slightly brighter, slightly more expensive, but more versatile Hisense M2 Pro.

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus review: Price & release date

• Release date: September 2025
• MSRP: $999.99 / £1,149.99 / around AU$1,536

The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus has just launched, and it lands with a retail price of $999.99. Given its newness, it’s unlikely to see any considerable discounts in the near term. This puts it in a tough spot as it has to face off against pricier rivals like the JMGO N1S Pro 4K, which has a retail price of $1,999 but has seen discounts as low as $1,099 since its launch.

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus review: Specs

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus review: Design & features

• All-in-one system
• Integrated stand with a unique lamp feature
• Quick, automatic adjustments

Epson has attempted to make the Lifestudio Flex Plus a bit more than a simple piece of tech. While the main portion of the projector is a little box that’s pretty typical of lifestyle projectors, it sits on a unique pole stand that allows for flexible aim and raises it to showcase the bottom-mounted LED lamp.

With taps on the top of the projector, the lamp switches its lighting scheme, offering some fun and colorful light shows or settling into a basic white. It’s a kind of fun gimmick, though with ambient light being the enemy of dimmer projectors, it’s also an odd choice. Even more odd, there’s no controlling the LED lamp with the remote, so you’ll have to touch the projector if you want to turn it off while watching.

The projector has a stylish design with a fabric wrap on its lower half and a wood-grain top, leaning more into accent furniture than a typical piece of tech. Still, it looks a little awkward standing on its monopod leg.

The stand is functional with a sturdy base, easy rotation, and a 105-degree vertical tilt. This lets you aim the projector straight up to project on ceilings (though it requires moving a small plastic panel on the rear that doesn’t serve much purpose other than aesthetics). The stand can also tilt down slightly if you need to project from a high-up place.

While it’s nice to have an integrated stand, this one doesn’t prove as helpful as some of the others I’ve seen lately. The Hisense M2 Pro’s stand, for instance, provides similar vertical shifting but also allows the projector to flip upside-down, which is even more convenient for projecting from high places than having the ability to tilt down, as it can avoid keystone adjustment.

The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus can make it easy to get up and running. It has automatic focus, keystone adjustment, and obstacle avoidance. This squares the image with the wall and crops it into the available space on your wall or screen. Cropping the image this way isn’t entirely ideal, as it sacrifices resolution and overall brightness in the process, but it’s quick and convenient if you move the projector around often.

Though the Lifestudio Flex Plus doesn’t have an internal battery, it does encourage portability with its small size and ability to run off a USB-C charger battery pack with 100-140W of USB PD output.

The projector features an eye-protection feature to avoid harming anyone’s eyes, pets included, if they walk in front of the projector’s path. While many projectors have similar features, on the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus, they are quick to activate and conveniently pause video playback so you don’t miss a beat.

The Lifestudio Flex Plus integrates Google TV for easy streaming, and with Wi-Fi 6, it can get a consistent, high-speed connection. Google TV was generally responsive during my testing, though it had the occasional hitch when loading up video. The system includes its own stereo speakers as well for a complete all-in-one package.

If you don’t want to rely on the Lifestudio Flex Plus’s built-in streaming and speakers, the projector’s single HDMI port supports HDMI eARC to send out audio. There’s a 3.5mm audio port on the back as well, and a USB-A port to play back local media. If you plan to connect a game console to the projector, ALLM is supported, which automatically switches the projector to a low-latency Game picture mode.

The Lifestudio Flex Plus comes with a basic remote. It has the standard Google TV control wheel, which makes navigation pretty simple. Brightness and volume controls are on their own pill-shaped buttons that make them easier to locate. There are also a few app shortcut buttons and an input-selection shortcut, though that might as well just be a shortcut to HDMI. The remote doesn’t include any backlighting, which makes it harder to use in a dark home theater environment.

• Design & features score: 4/5

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus review: Picture quality

• 4K resolution
• Limited brightness, color gamut, and contrast
• Some motion handling issues

The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus is a fine projector, but it doesn’t offer a remarkable home theater experience. With a brightness level that hits just 1,000 lumens, it’s simply not up to the task of delivering a dazzling picture, and it especially struggles with ambient light. To make the most of the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus, you’ll need to turn out the lights and get blackout curtains or use it at night.

Even in the right conditions, picture quality with the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus is still just average, though its 4K picture has impressive detail. Color looks fairly natural, though the projector’s color gamut isn’t as wide as with some triple-laser models I’ve tested in recent years. The plus side is that, with Epson’s 3LCD tech, there are none of the rainbow artifacts you’ll find with DLP projectors.

Blacks on the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus are rather elevated. When watching relatively dark movie scenes, it fails to reach very dark levels, even with active contrast enabled. This harms the overall experience as dark scenes simply lack richness, and letterboxing is all too visible.

The projector also suffers a bit from ghosting. This doesn’t rear its head much in brighter scenes, but it shows up in darker ones. Watching Warfare, it cropped up big time after the IED explosion during the team’s first evac attempt, with the soldiers moving through the explosion of dirt and sand, followed by ghosting trails that made the scene a blur.

Motion interpolation is enabled by default on the Lifestudio Flex Plus. This can be useful in some limited contexts, such as panning shots, but it makes for unnatural motion from people and inaccurate smoothing in animation. Though it’s generally better with the feature disabled, the projector can stutter from time to time during panning shots, even with just light motion.

The mixed projection experience is matched by the middling Sound by Bose speakers. They can put out enough volume to get by in a 150-square-foot room without distortion. But, they suffer from the typical TVwq speaker issue: if the volume gets loud enough to hear the dialogue, the action and music are too loud. Conversely, if the action and music are at the right volume, the dialogue becomes too quiet to hear clearly.

• Picture quality score: 3/5

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus review: Value

• High price tag
• Price is still competitive for category
• Performance equivalent to competition

The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus puts everything you need for a modest home theater into a single, $1,000 package. Its performance is generally good, and while that would have gone a long way a couple of years ago, the portable projector space has gotten incredibly competitive since then.

Rivals from JMGO, Xgimi, Hisense, and Dangbei provide a ton of new options, while older projectors have had discounts. Some of these offer similar features and higher brightness without costing much more, and that reality hurts the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus’s value.

• Value score: 3/5

Should I buy the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus

• Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions
• Presented the display with a variety of media and formats
• I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade

I tested the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, in-room lighting, as well as ambient noise that both the projector and speaker systems had to overcome. The projector was tested both with a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen. It was presented with streamed content, both HDR and non-HDR.

My testing evaluates the projector’s performance with respect to its price and competition from other models I and colleagues at TechRadar have tested.

I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.

• First reviewed: October 2025
• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

• Twin 10W Bluetooth speakers with 20h battery
• 1080p resolution, 180 inches, 650 ANSI lumens
• $799 (about £600 / AU$1,219), introductory discount available

Anker's new Nebula P1 projector solves an irritating issue with the built-in speakers of portable projectors: the best place to put the projector isn't always the best place to have speakers, especially if you're projecting from a distance.

Here's how the Nebula P1 solves that: its two 10W speakers are detachable, and because they use Bluetooth, you don't need to run any wires anywhere. They run off battery power with a claimed 20 hours of listening time, although the projector itself is mains-powered. Anker recommends its SOLIX power station if you want to take the P1 off-grid.

This isn't the first Anker projector we've seen with pop-out speakers: the X1 Pro has them too. But the P1 is considerably more affordable, with a US price of $799 (about £600 / AU$1,219) before early bird discounts. The X1 Pro is $4K plus.

Anker Nebula P1 projector: key features and specs

The Nebula P1 delivers 1080p full HD resolution and a peak brightness of 650 ANSI lumens from its LED light source, making it better suited to night-time viewing than brightly lit daytime rooms. It's designed to throw images of up to 180 inches in size and delivers a contrast ratio of 400:1.

The P1 features a built-in, dual-arm 130-degree gimbal for easy angle adjustment and stable, shake-free images, and there's the usual autofocus and keystone correction for easy setup. The speakers are IP54 water-resistant and the projector is IP33 rated.

The operating system is Google TV with Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and Prime Video on board and there are HDMI 2.1 (eARC), USB-A, USB-C and Aux out connectors. Including speakers, it weighs 5.3lbs.

The Nebula P1 is available from Anker US now.

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• BenQ launches two new projectors with 4K and HDR
• 3,000 ANSI lumens, up to 150-inch image sizes
• 5ms latency promised for gaming

BenQ have announced two new smart 4K home projectors, the TK705i and TK705Sti. With 3,000 ANSI lumens of brightness they're bright enough for use in everyday lighting, so you won't need to draw the blinds for your Netflix binge or gaming marathon – and they're set up for both of these things.

As with previous TK series projectors, the STi label identifies the shorter throw model. They're otherwise pretty much identical with Ultra HD resolution, screen sizes of up to 150 inches, the same brightness, and the same color accuracy.

The only other significant difference is that the TK705i has motorized optical zoom and the STi model doesn't.

BenQ TK705 Series: key features

Both projectors feature BenQ's Cinematic Color and HDR-PRO tech to deliver a claimed 98% Rec.709 color accuracy. They have low-lag HDMI 2.1 connections with ALLM for gaming (5ms latency at 4K 60Hz) and feature Bluetooth 5.2 as well as USB-C with 30W power delivery.

The projectors are designed for plug and play setup, with an 8-way Smart Image Adaptation system that BenQ says aligns big screens in seconds by adjusting the zoom, 2K keystone, focus and other key settings automatically.

Google TV provides built-in streaming support, with the usual high-profile streaming apps including Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube.

The one thing we don't know yet is how much these will cost: until we do, we won't know how competitive these projectors will be with the best 4K projectors. We'll keep you posted.

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• Hisense's new UST laser projector promises premium home theater up to 150 inches, for a very tempting price

• Hisense P1T is a RGB laser with 3,000:1 contrast
• 80-100 inches and 2,500 ANSI lumens
• $2,999 / already discounted to £1,799 in the UK

Hisense has launched a brand new triple-laser projector that's designed for home theater lovers "who care more about performance than about frills", and it's priced very competitively.

The PT1 Triple Laser Cinema is designed to project images from 80 inches to 150 inches, and because it's an ultra-short throw projector it can do that from just a few inches away. It delivers 2,500 ANSI lumens of brightness and has a contrast ratio of 3,000:1.

The PT1 is available in both the US and the UK. The UK model runs VIDAA U7.6 OS rather than the Google TV of the US model, but is otherwise identical.

Hisense PT1 Triple Laser Cinema: key specifications and pricing

The core of the PT1 is Hisense's Triple Laser Light, which as the name suggests uses a trio of lasers – red, green and blue – to deliver 110% of the BT.2020 color space, which is beyond the capability of conventional TV.

There's support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+, plus IMAX Enhanced certification, with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround sound for immersive audio. And naturally, there's an AI upscaler to bring lower-res images up to 4K. There's compatibility with both Google Assistant and Alexa in the US version.

One of the most appealing features of the PT1 Triple Laser Cinema is its price tag: $2,999. In the UK, the official price is £1,999 but retailers are already listing it for member prices as low as £1,699, which is very competitive among the best ultra short throw projectors.

The P1T's price makes it considerably more affordable than the same firm's very impressive L9Q Laser TV, which is roughly twice the price in both markets. That triple-laser projector is brighter – 5,000 lumens to the P1T's 2,500 – and can go larger, with a maximum recommended size of 200 inches. But if you're not living in a massive mansion with sunlight streaming in from all directions, the P1T is likely to be a better fit for both space and budget.

The P1T is available now from Hisense and authorized retail partners.

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• 1080p for visuals from 40-150 inches
• 330 ANSI lumens
• $199

If you're looking for a big-screen Roku TV experience without a big price tag, you're going to love the Aurzen Roku TV Smart Projector D1 Cube. Not only is it the first Roku TV smart projector, but it's also a very affordable $199.

This is a very big deal despite being a very small projector. Roku is the number one streaming platform in the US, Canada and Mexico, and that brand awareness means this could be a popular product. And in addition to the low price the spec is pretty impressive.

Aurzen Roku TV Smart Projector: key features

The Aurzen Roku TV Smart Projector is designed for both indoor and outdoor use (although there's no indication of a battery or IP water or dust resistance, which suggests mains-powered movie magic and not being left outside afterwards), and it delivers 1080p FHD with up to 330 ANSI lumens of brightness. It's designed to deliver visuals between 40 and 150 inches, and it includes dual 5W speakers.

There's dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2 (with private listening for headphones), HDMI, USB and a 3.5mm audio output, and it has AirPlay compatibility as well as integration with Roku's mobile app, wireless speakers and smart home system. The OS is Roku's, so you should feel instantly at home.

It should be easy to use too, with a guided setup routine, automatic focus and automatic keystone correction.

I very much doubt this little projector will be up there kicking it with the very best projectors from industry leaders, but it's considerably cheaper than our current pick of the portable projector crop, the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro. That makes this a very compelling projector proposition for big screens on a budget.

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• Epson has announced five new Lifestudio projectors
• The budget-priced lineup includes four portables and one ultra short throw
• All models feature Google TV for streaming and Sound by Bose built-in speakers

Epson has been busy lately working on a refresh of its portable projector lineup. That effort has yielded five new Lifestudio models, ranging from a compact 4K ultra short throw to a $679 Full HD projector.

The big news here is Epson’s collaboration with speaker and headphones maker Bose to create the first projectors with Sound by Bose. Along with making the new projectors an all-in-one theater-at-home solution, they will have four 'tuned with Sound by Bose' modes – Cinema, Dialogue, Music, and Standard – to adapt the sound output for a range of content.

Each new projector in the Lifestudio lineup features Google TV, a smart TV platform that's increasingly being added to the best projectors, built in for streaming.

Another first that comes with the Lifestudio lineup is that the Epson Projection Studio app is available for Android and iOS devices. This will let viewers control projector functions, such as adjusting settings and volume, and will let multiple users easily contribute to slideshows for parties and other events.

The setup of each Lifestudio projector is made easy with EpiqSense 2.0 auto-setup, which automatically adjusts focus and image alignment, along with color balance when projecting on surfaces other than a white screen or wall.

Lifestudio Grand Ultra Short Throw projector

The crown jewel of Epson’s Lifestudio lineup is the Lifestudio Grand Ultra Short Throw projector ($2,699.99). This 4K model delivers powerful brightness for the price, with a rated 3,600 lumens of white and color brightness.

The Lifestudio Grand can project a 120-inch picture from a 15.2-inch distance from the wall, and features HDR10 support and 120Hz gaming at 1080p resolution.

Lifestudio Flex Plus portable projector

Epson’s most advanced new portable projector is the Lifestudio Flex Plus ($999.99). This 4K model beams pictures with 1,000 lumens brightness and features ALLM (auto low latency mode) for gaming. It also has a swivel and tilt stand, built-in mood lighting, and a USB-C port to power the projector from a portable charger.

Other models in the Epson portable lineup include the Lifestudio Flex ($849.99), which is a Full HD portable with 700 lumens of brightness and the same swivel base as the Flex Plus. While the Lifestudio Pop Plus ($849.99) and Lifestudio Pop ($799.99) are 4K and Full HD models, respectively, both have 700 lumens of brightness.

Epson Lifestudio projectors are now available on Epson.com and at select retailers. A lineup of accessories, including adjustable floor stands and wireless mics for karaoke, is also available.

Lifestudio is grand

Epson is not a newcomer to the portable projector world – the company released its EpiqVision Flex back in 2023, and followed up with the EpiqVision Mini EF22 in 2024. Both options provided viewers looking for a compact, portable projector in the under-$1,000 range with a reliable Full HD option, and both featured built-in streaming and speakers.

But the company has really stepped things up with its new Lifestudio offerings, adding 4K options, along with built-in Google TV (with Netflix!) across the board for streaming.

A $1,000 projector with 4K resolution isn’t something I’ve seen before aside from the LG CineBeam Q, a laser projector that’s high on style and features, but low on brightness, with a specified 500 ANSI lumens. The new Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus, while priced around the same as the LG, doubles the brightness at 1,000 lumens. With Google TV built in, it will also be an excellent option for streaming.

Gaming performance was an area we found needed work in our Epson EpiqVision Mini EF22 review, and the Lifestudio Flex Plus with its ALLM feature should provide an improvement on that front. The EpiqVision Mini EF22’s built-in speakers were also found to be lacking, and I expect the addition of Sound by Bose to the new Lifestudio lineup will have a transformative effect on audio quality.

As intrigued as I am by the Lifestudio Flex Plus, the Lifestudio Grand Ultra Short Throw projector is the one I’m more excited about. This 4K model is priced well below much of its UST competition, while offering 4K resolution and a stunning 3,600 lumens brightness.

At that price, the Lifestudio Grand will provide a more affordable alternative to the Epson LS800, the best for sports option in our best ultra short throw projectors guide, a great all-around projector that’s otherwise hampered by a dated Android TV platform and Wi-Fi 5 for streaming.

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• Epson’s new laser projector with 4K 120Hz support is its cheapest gaming projector yet

Portable projectors have become more and more convenient and, well, portable in recent times. Many are still on the chonky side, especially those with higher-quality imagery and sound, but there are plenty of fantastic everyday options available that are satisfyingly compact and easy to move. One such projector that’s proving particularly convenient to me is the XGIMI Mogo 4.

With a reasonable list price of $499 / £509 / AU$1,299, there’s a lot to love about the XGIMI Mogo 4. I appreciated the simple setup process and Google TV integration, which is easy to navigate and gives me easy access to my favorite streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube.

The XGIMI Mogo 4 isn’t the smallest option in the roster of best portable projectors, but it’s compact and light enough to be easily carried between rooms. It’s powered via USB-C, with a wall adapter included in the box, and has a rechargeable battery that can last up to two and a half hours.

My favorite element of the XGIMI Mogo 4 is its versatile built-in stand. While this may not sound like the most exciting thing, it’s been a game-changer for me after being used to other well-rated projectors like the Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE.

Having the ability to adjust the angle of the projection is incredibly helpful, because while auto keystone correction and auto focus functions are super convenient, I’ve often found myself scuppered by the projection being too high or low. When facing this issue with the delightfully dinky Anker Nebula Capsule 3, I had to rely on a couple of coasters to adjust the angle, which wasn’t ideal. I will mention that there is a stand available for the Capsule 3, but it’s sold separately.

The beauty of the XGIMI Mogo 4’s built-in stand means that I don’t have to faff as much, as setting it up takes moments, and it’s so easy to reposition to the ideal angle. This means whether I want to stream content on a screen, a wall, or even on my ceiling so I can watch in bed, the Mogo 4 has me covered.

One thing I’ve often worried about when using some of the best projectors is whether their exposed lenses will pick up dust or get smudged by fingerprints whilst not in use. Sure, these could be cleaned off, but then I also worry I may scratch the lens, so I’d rather not need to take that risk.

Fortunately, the clever design of the XGIMI Mogo 4 saved me from this shallow pit of frustration. As the lens-end of the projector can be rotated down and pushed into the base, the lens is safely tucked away from dust and fingertips when not in use.

Versatility and frustration–free user experience aside, the Mogo 4 also delivers satisfyingly colorful, bright, and detailed visuals for the price, plus full and bass-rich audio, making the viewing experience highly enjoyable. So, if you’re considering investing in a portable projector, I highly recommend checking out the XGIMI Mogo 4.

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Sony Bravia Projector 7 : One minute review

The Sony Bravia Projector 7 (VPL-XW5100ES) joins Sony’s projector lineup following the Bravia Projector 9 and Bravia Projector 8. It’s the cheapest of the three but still comes in at a staggering $9,999 / £6,999 / AU$13,999. Compared to popular consumer projectors like the $2,999 Hisense C2 Ultra, that is a huge leap. But the Bravia Projector 7 is specialty hardware designed for die-hard cinema fans with plans for a robust home theater, and in that context, it’s fairly priced.

Like other higher-end examples of the best projectors, the Bravia Projector 7 is somewhat simple – it’s just a projector. There’s no Google TV or other streaming platform built in, and there’s no sound system or even audio output ports. The few ports the Bravia Projector 7 does have are a pair of 4K 120Hz-capable HDMI 2.1 inputs plus a smattering of ports used for custom installation.

Though it’s just a projector, it’s a truly excellent one. It has flexible optics with a wide zoom range as well as vertical and horizontal lens shift, making it easy to align the projection. The picture you’ll get on your screen is also stunning: bright, colorful, and with the deepest black levels I can recall seeing from a projector.

While I’d love to see a wider color gamut and support for more HDR formats, these never felt like more than minor shortcomings during my time with the Bravia Projector 7, which never failed to impress. If you’re considering a projector for a dedicated, high-end home theater, it should be on your list.

Sony Bravia Projector 7 review: Price & release date

• Release date: June 2025
• Price: $9,999 / £6,999 / AU$13,999

The Bravia Projector 7 launch trailed behind the Projector 8 and 9, and though its price also trails behind those models, it is decidedly a luxury home theater product. The Bravia Projector 7 comes in at $9,999 / £6,999 / AU$13,999.

Sony Bravia Projector 7 review: Specs

Sony Bravia Projector 7 review: Design & features

• Large footprint
• No audio capabilities or smart TV
• Flexible optics

The Bravia Projector 7 is a sizable home theater projector on the scale of the Epson LS12000 and BenQ W5800. This isn’t one of those compact lifestyle projectors, and it’s even larger than some of the ultra short throw projectors I’ve tested. The upside to this size is that the Bravia Projector 7 runs quietly, and it can still fit onto a (sizable) mantle or shelf at the back of a room, but it is better suited to ceiling mounting.

Thankfully, the Bravia Projector 7 is flexible about placement. The lens has a 1.6x zoom range, letting it shift from a modest throw ratio of 1.38 to a longer 2.21. It also has vertical and horizontal lens shift, offering 71% shifting vertically and 25% horizontally in either direction. You manually adjust focus and zoom using rings around the lens, and lens shift with a set of dials hidden under a small panel on the projector’s top.

In addition to these optical adjustments, the Bravia Projector 7 supports digital keystone, though for a projector of this caliber, it’s worth just ensuring proper alignment.

On one side, the Bravia Projector 7 includes several controls in case you misplace the remote control. There is also a series of ports, though most of these are for professional features, like networking and special triggers. Two HDMI 2.1 ports will accept a 4K 120Hz input, but these are for video input only. Neither offers eARC to pass on an audio signal. And with no other form of audio output, the projector doesn’t play well with streaming sticks or even some home theater PCs if they lack a quality audio output of their own.

The Bravia Projector 7 includes a large remote control with a fully backlit keypad. It includes buttons to access preset picture profiles, along with sharpness, brightness, and contrast. A large directional control is also built into the remote and includes a toggle to let the projector display a test pattern to help line up and focus the picture.

• Design & features score: 4/5

Sony Bravia Projector 7 review: Picture quality

• Bright and sharp picture
• Deep blacks
• Support for 4K 120Hz

Inside, the Bravia Projector 7 is built around a laser diode light source and features a native 4K SXRD optical system. While it’s still not quite on the level of triple-laser projectors for color gamut coverage, the picture is still simply stunning. As much as I’d love to see that extra bit of color, the quality is otherwise the best I've ever seen.

Blacks on the Bravia Projector 7 are simply exceptional. I can’t recall another projector I’ve seen that so thoroughly sank into darkness when displaying shadows. Letterbox bars presented by the Bravia Projector 7 looked so dim as to be indistinguishable from the surrounding walls, which were only illuminated by the light bouncing around the room from the projector itself during my evaluation. The Bravia Projector 7 has such good black levels that you will really want to invest in some light-absorbing materials or dark paint to reduce reflected room light’s impact on the picture.

The projector also gets bright enough for various uses in the daytime, even with daylight coming in through multiple windows. Cartoons, bright video games, and even web-browsing were all possible. You won’t want to watch darker content in this environment, though. But given this is a projector intended for a specialized viewing setup, I don’t think a few blackout curtains would be a tall order.

The Projector 7 uses Sony’s XR Processor for projector, and the resulting image is fantastically crisp, with the optics making even fine text appear clear from edge to edge. And that includes objects in motion. Panning shots looked fluid, avoiding stuttering and judder but also artifacts such as the soap opera effect that plagues many systems trying to smooth motion. The Bravia Projector 7 was also happy to game at 4K 120Hz, with smooth visuals and only faint ghosting, and its ALLM feature ensured any input lag was negligible.

Even though the HDR support doesn’t go beyond HDR10, the Projector 7’s XR Dynamic Tone Mapping provides features to enhance the look of HDR content, including three selectable tone mapping modes. An XR Deep Black feature also contributes by ensuring blacks look deep and highlights get maximum brightness punch. For example, when the earth ships decelerate as they approach Pandora in Avatar: The Way of Water, the picture looked simply stunning with the deep black of space contrasted with brilliant flames.

• Picture quality score: 4.5/5

Sony Bravia Projector 7 review: Value

• High price tag
• Price is still competitive for category
• Performance equivalent to competition

The Bravia Projector 7 is expensive, and you are only getting a display for the money with no speakers (or a way to output audio to speakers), and no smart platform for streaming. That may be a tough pill to swallow for some, but the Bravia Projector 7 isn’t meant for someone who wants anything less than a masterful home theater setup. And the display that you’re getting is a truly exceptional one.

There’s no getting past this being a big investment, both for the projector and for all the other elements you’ll need to make the most of the Sony Bravia Projector 7. And there are plenty of projectors that won’t look half bad next to the Bravia Projector 7 while being way less expensive.

So while it’s tough to say the Bravia Projector 7 is a great value, that still can’t undercut its greatness. And the truth is, the Bravia Projector 7 is still a bargain next to some, like the Epson QL7000, and it’s a comparably priced and worthy rival to the JVC DLA-NZ700.

• Value score: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Sony Bravia Projector 7?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Sony Bravia Projector 7

• Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions
• Presented the display with a variety of media and formats
• I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade

I tested the Sony Bravia Projector 7 at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, and in-room lighting,. The projector was tested both against a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen. It was presented with streamed content, HDR and non-HDR, and PC gameplay.

My testing evaluates the projector’s performance with respect to its price and competition from other models I and colleagues at TechRadar have tested.

I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.

• First reviewed: September 2025
• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

IFA is always an excellent place to check out the latest bits of tech, from cool concepts to the latest innovations on the market. Projectors is one area that has received a lot of love at IFA 2025, particularly the 4K portable market.

When you're thinking about the best projectors, you're looking for bold brightness, solid contrast, and accurate colors. And in today's world, it'll ideally be smart too.

Thankfully, at this year's IFA, there was no shortage of brilliant beamers, and from what we can see, there's a theme of big brightness housed in a portable size. Here are the 6 coolest projectors we saw at IFA 2025.

1. Xgimi Horizon 20 Max

Starting off strong is the Xgimi Horizon 20 Max. The most premium model in the Horizon 20 lineup, the 20 Max is a 4K, triple-laser RGB projector that supports Dolby Vision, IMAX Enhanced, and Filmmaker Mode. It's said to have a staggering 5,700 ISO lumens of brightness, far brighter than other 4K projectors such as the Hisense PX3 Pro, which has 3,000 lumens. It also carries an excellent list of features, especially for gaming, boasting a 1ms input lag time, up to 240Hz refresh rate, and VRR.

It also carries a useful digital lens shift tool that means picture adjustment is not only easy but accurate as well, resulting in no frame loss. The same is true of its optical zoom feature, which can zoom in without detail loss.

From what I saw of the Horizon 20 Max in person at IFA, it's impressive. A demo of Assassin's Creed: Shadows shows just how smooth and responsive the 20 Max is with intense gaming sequences. Its brightness, detail, and color are all superb as well, delivering a brilliant image. I even saw the lens shift and optical zoom tools in action, and they work surprisingly well.

With a $2,999.99 / £2,599.99 launch price, it's at the premium end of the portable market. But, from what I've seen, it could be a real winner.

2. Valerion VisionMaster Max

The Valerion VisionMaster Max is a 4K, RGB laser projector with up to 3,500 ISO lumens of brightness. It supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, IMAX Enhanced, and even AI picture features. Where the VisionMaster Max makes its biggest claim is that it's 'rainbow-free', meaning you're getting rich, accurate black tones.

From what I saw, the VisionMaster Max does indeed deliver deep black levels and strong contrast, even in the bright IFA showroom. It also demonstrated solid brightness and bold colors, with some white waves of the ocean delivering a nice, vibrant punch.

Due for release in October 2025, the Valerion VisionMaster Max will launch for $,4999.99, putting it at the top end of the 4K projector market. We'll be eager to get our hands on it to see if it's worth the money.

3. Anker Nebula X1 Pro

We've actually tested the Anker Nebula X1 and we loved it, awarding 4.5 stars out of 5 in our review, thanks to its crisp, 4K picture and high brightness, as well as its easy setup. We also rated its sound quality highly when the optional surround speakers were added.

Well, Anker decided to add a full sound system to the Nebula X1 that now makes it look like a party speaker. Introducing the Nebula X1 Pro. The resulting 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos system features useful detachable speakers that can be added back into the body of the main unit for easy storage. The unit also delivers 3,500 ISO lumens of brightness.

From what I saw (or heard), the X1 Pro delivers impressive sound with plenty of power that will work for decent-sized rooms. And, as expected, the X1 Pro's picture was great too, with plenty of detail and brightness.

The X1 Pro is set to launch on Kickstarter at the end of September for $,2999.99.

4. Dangbei S7 Ultra Max

The Dangbei S7 Ultra Max is another 4K beamer that supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ HDR formats. What really caught my eye with this projector, though, was its brightness: 6,000+ ISO lumens, which Dangbei claims is class-leading. Not to be outdone by Xgimi, Dangbei has gone that little bit brighter.

In person, the S7 Ultra Max delivered solid brightness in the brightly lit showroom, as well as bold colors and accurate textures. Even its black levels were pretty good.

The S7 Ultra Max is due for launch first in China and will then be heading to the US in January 2026. Dangbei hopes to bring it to Europe several months after this. We don't have pricing for this model yet, but I'll be keeping a close eye on this one.

5. TCL PlayCube

Probably one of the most eye-catching projectors at IFA is the TCL PlayCube. An ultra-portable, 1080p projector, the cubed design of the PlayCube is unique. Its body can even be moved around like a Rubik's Cube.

TCL touts this as a projector designed for camping trips. The PlayCube delivers 750 ISO lumens of brightness, roughly what you get from the best portable projectors such as the Samsung Freestyle Gen 2 and LG CineBeam Q. While not the most mind-blowing picture, it appeared solid enough in the demonstration, but really, it's the PlayCube's design that earns it a spot on this list.

Set to launch at €799, (roughly $930 / £693), it's not a cheap portable projector, but we're still curious to give this one a go.

6. Hisense M2 Pro

Next up is the Hisense M2 Pro, the brand's most portable 4K projector to date. Capable of displaying up to a 200-inch picture, the M2 Pro has 1,300 ANSI lumens, and Hisense believes it'll make an excellent projector indoors and outdoors.

The most exciting news here actually comes for our UK readers as it'll be one of the first devices to receive tuner-free Freely support. No cable required, with totally cable-free Freely support. This is set to also come to other projectors in the form of a software update at a later date.

Launching at $,1299.99 (roughly £960), it's a competitively priced 4K portable projector and another we'll be eager to test.

Honorable mention: Hisense HTP80 Tri-Chroma

Now for something completely different. It was hard not to see the Hisense HTP80, a tri-chroma projector display in Hisense's showroom, because it's 300 inches. Yep, a 300-inch image.

Not only was this image massive, but it was bright, and HTP80 is said to deliver an eye-watering 15,000 ANSI lumens via its triple-laser light source. Colors were also very bold, with footage from various soccer games showing off the display's color profile.

There wasn't any pricing or release date info about this, but I couldn't leave it out of the list. I mean, it's massive!

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• The new VisionMaster Max has interchangeable lenses, and up to 3,500 ANSI lumens of brightness
• Effective contrast of 50,000:1, and promise of deeper black levels than usual
• £4,999 / £4,349 / €4,999 (about AU$10,312).

Valerion has announced an enhanced version of its VisionMaster Max laser projector that delivers improved brightness and contrast as well as significantly improved black-level performance and the elimination of rainbow effects.

Valerion says this is the world's first lifestyle projector to feature interchangeable lenses, gigabit Ethernet and "unrivaled" black-level performance.

That latter enhancement comes via the excellently named NoirScene Dark Field Engine and promises "inky blacks and breathtaking dimensionality that would make even OLED displays jealous."

VisionMaster Max: key features

The new VisionMaster Max is capable of peak brightness of 3,500 ISO Lumens and delivers native contrast of 5,000:1 and enhanced black level (EBL) contrast of 50,000:1.

The projector is designed to throw images of up to 300 inches via its RGB triple laser, and it features Dolby Vision, HDR10+, IMAX Enhanced, Filmmaker mode and 24/48fps operation. There's a low-latency (4ms) mode for gaming, dynamic tone mapping and 110% of the Rec.2020 color gamut.

As for that NoirScene Dark Field Engine, it uses three core technologies: an Enhanced Black Level Algorithm for real-time optimization; a sealed design for the laser engine and lens to minimize stray light interference; and a six-blade precision aperture with multi-level adjustment to control light at the pixel level.

Valerion is currently listing the new VisionMaster Max for pre-order – shipping starts in October 2025 – with a price of $4,999 / £4,349 / €4,999 (about AU$10,312).

If you want some big speakers to go with your big screen, Valerion is also launching its ThunderBeat 5.1.2 wireless surround system this week to pair with the new projector.

It's a Dolby Atmos system with low latency and, and its official price is $1,298 (so we'd expect £1,299 / €1,299 (about AU$2,679). It's a very intriguing option as wireless Dolby Atmos system start to take off, and we're definitely keen to give it a try – reducing the number of boxes needed for a projector setup will only help tempt people to the world of really big screens.

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• Xgimi Horizon 20 series projectors have up to 5,700 ISO lumens of brightness
• Native Netflix plus Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Filmmaker mode
• Low latency and variable refresh rate for gamers

Xgimi has launched its "most advanced home projector line-up yet", the Horizon 20 series, alongside a new commercial projector called Titan.

The Horizon 20 Series are Xgimi's brightest projectors yet, with a whopping 5,700 ISO lumens of brightness in the flagship Horizon 20 Max via its X-Master Red Ring Lens and RGB triple-laser architecture.

The pro-aimed Titan is only marginally less bright, putting out a still impressive 5,000 lumens from its dual-laser engine. That's twice as bright as our current best projector pick, the Epson Pro Cinema LS12000.

XGIMI Horizon 20 Series projectors: key features and availability

There are three models in the Horizon 20 Series: the Horizon 20, the Horizon 20 Pro and the Horizon 20 Max.

All three models deliver Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Filmmaker Mode, IMAX Enhanced and lens shifting with optical zoom. They also introduce native Netflix support, low-latency gaming modes with a claimed 1ms lag, up to a 240Hz refresh, and even variable refresh rate support, plus a new pro tuning menu.

We've been very impressed with Xgimi's projectors: in our recent review of the XGIMI Horizon Ultra we called it a "4K stunner" with "staggering picture quality, great connectivity and potent smart image adaptation." So we've got high expectations for the new Horizon 20 range.

Full specifications and pricing haven't been announced just yet, but all three models and the Titan will open for pre-orders in the US and UK on 5 September. Shipping will start in October 2025.

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• The Nebula X1 Pro puts the X1 laser projector into a rollable speaker system
• 3,500 ANSI lumens and AI adjustment; two 8-inch woofers and Dolby Atmos
• $4,000 to $5,000 USD, launching on Kickstarter first in September

The question "what if we combined this with that?" has brought us many marvels over the years including the spork, jorts and the Kenwood FM Radio Toaster. And now Soundcore's Nebula X1 Pro has joined in: it's Anker's Nebula X1 laser projector combined with a Star Wars droid. I mean, a party speaker.

Anker has rolled the Nebula projector line into its Soundcore AV brand, so this projector's official name is the Soundcore by Anker Nebula X1 Pro. And Anker's product images do a pretty good job of hiding the fact that the big sound system inside the Pro means it's quite large and subsequently looks like Moff Tarkin's trash can.

What matters, of course, is what's inside. And what's inside here is both very bright and very loud.

Anker Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro: key specs and price

Anker says that this is the first portable projector with both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and it comes with dual 5.25-inch 80W woofers for some seriously bone-shaking bass. The front speakers can be used as a soundbar or as stand-alone speakers, and there are twin wireless rear speakers that come away from the body to create a full surround system.

The projector bit is the recently launched Nebula X1 with Anker's LaserForge 2.0 4K triple-laser optical engine, delivering 3,500 ANSI lumens and 110% of Rec.2020 color. The image processor delivers a claimed 5,000:1 native contrast and 56,000:1 dynamic contrast, and there's AI-powered adaptation to automatically size, focus, correct and balance the image with adaptive brightness and contrast.

The chassis comes with a retractable handle, smooth rolling wheels and IP43 water and dust resistance.

The Anker Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro will launch on Kickstarter on 23 September 2025 and pricing is $4,000 to $5,000 USD (about £2,970 / AU$6,120 to £3,715 / AU$7,655 before tax).

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Wanbo has revealed its Vali 1 portable projector, which promises 900 ANSI lumens and costs just $319 / £269 / AU$499.

The Vali 1 is a 1080p smart portable projector that has Android TV 11 built-in for streaming and can display pictures up to 130 inches. It has two 6W speakers for audio and has a flexible stand that rotates up to 200°. It also supports auto keystone correction, auto focus and auto screen fit for setup.

On paper, the Vali 1 carries a lot of the features found in some of the other best portable projectors, so why does this one stand out in particular?

Well, other than its low price, it's the claimed 900 ANSI lumens. That is double the amount claimed by some of its most high-profile rivals.

The Samsung Freestyle Gen 2, currently number one on our best portable projectors list, only has 230 specified lumens and the Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro only has 450 ISO lumens. Even the LG CineBeam Q, one of the best 4K projectors, claims 500 ANSI lumens.

If the Vali 1 could hit this number, it would be a truly remarkable feat, especially given its ultra-low price. The above projectors cost significantly more, so is there a catch?

Bold brightness claims

The 900 ANSI lumens claimed by Wanbo is certainly eye-catching and sounds almost too good to be true. Well, it turns out, it actually could be.

Projector Central tested and reviewed the Wanbo Vali 1 and discovered that it hit 422 lumens, with an absolute peak of 529 lumens in the bottom sector. That 422 lumens is 52% under Wanbo's claimed brightness of 900 lumens, a significant discrepancy and one that could undermine the Vali 1's value.

It's worth noting that 422 lumens is a typical if not respectable number for a projector of this size and price, and is in line with its rivals mentioned above.

We haven't seen or tested the Vali 1 ourselves yet, so we can't give a verdict on it. Still, this brightness gap uncovered by Projector Central is something to bear in mind.

The Wanbo Vali 1 is available at Amazon in the UK for £269 and at Amazon in the US for $319.

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• Four new 3LCD projectors for up to 300-inch images
• Two Home Cinema models and two Pro
• One of each comes with AirPlay on board

Epson has launched four new projectors, and two of them will be of particular interest to Apple users. That's because for the first time, Epson is delivering AirPlay compatibility for retail home cinema projector purchasers – something that's been available in the likes of LG's Cinebeam range for some time.

The four projectors are all 3-chip 3LCD models and they're divided into two products: Home Cinema projectors, and Pro projectors. The AirPlay models also support Miracast.

The Home Cinema projectors are the Home Cinema 1100, which has AirPlay, and the Home Cinema 980, which hasn't.

The Pro models are the Pro EX9270 wireless projector, which is the AirPlay model, and the EX3290, which isn't.

Epson's new projectors: key features and pricing

The $899 (so around £660 or AU$1,370) Home Cinema 1100 with AirPlay is rated for 3,400 lumens of color and white brightness, and the $799 Home Cinema 980 is rated for 4,000 lumens.

Both deliver 1080p Full HD resolution at sizes up to 300 inches, both have picture skew sensors, and both have two HDMI ports. They feature Epson's 3-chip 3LCD technology that delivers "outstanding" images in a wide range of lighting conditions.

The $999 Pro EX9270 with AirPlay is rated for 4,100 lumens and the $649 Pro EX3290 is rated for 4,000. Like the Home Cinema projectors they too feature the 3LCD system and can throw images up to 300 inches; the EX9270 is full HD and the EX3290 is WXGA. There are twin HDMI ports, an image skew sensor and built-in speakers, and the Pro EX9270 also has 1.6x optical zoom.

All four projectors are available now directly from Epson and from authorized retailers.

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• Epson has announced the LS9000, an entry-level model in its Pro Cinema projector lineup
• The LS9000 has a specified 2,200 lumens of white (ISO rated) and color (IDMS rated) brightness
• The LS9000 features dual HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 120Hz support for gaming

Epson today announced the Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 4K 3LCD Laser Projector. The new lower-cost entry in the company’s Pro Cinema projector lineup is making its debut this week at the Audio Advice Live show, which takes place August 1-3, 2025, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Priced at $3,999 (around £2,995 / AU$6,135), the Epson LS9000 provides a more affordable alternative to the Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 ($5,999), currently the top pick in our best projectors guide. Like that model, the new LS9000 is a 4K 3LCD model with HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG support. It also uses a laser light source rated for 20,000 hours and has a motorized lens with powered zoom, focus, and +/- 96% vertical and up to +/- 24% horizontal lens shift.

With 2,200 lumens of white (ISO rated) and color (IDMS rated) brightness, the LS9000 isn’t as powerful as the LS12000, which is rated for 2,700 lumens of white brightness. But like that model, it features 4K 120Hz support on its dual HDMI 2.1 ports for gaming (eARC and ARC are also supported).

Epson’s ZX Picture Processor performs real-time frame interpolation and picture enhancement on the LS9000, which also features a powered lens cover that slides into place when the projector is powered off. A memory zoom option lets you use the projector with ultra-wide 2.35:1 screens, and it also supports third-party anamorphic lenses for use with the same.

A cheaper Pro Series? We’ll take it

At CEDIA Expo 2024, Epson debuted the Epson Q-Series, a trio of 4K laser projectors aimed at the high-end residential market. What distinguished these from other Epson projectors was the Q-Series’ high brightness specifications, starting at 3,300 lumens for the QB1000, with up to 10,000 lumens for the flagship Epson QL7000.

Such high light output makes the Q-Series a perfect option for open-format media rooms or living rooms, where some degree of ambient lighting is preferred.

With 2,200 lumens of brightness, the new LS9000 is aimed more at traditional dark-room home theaters, where the projector’s two-speed Dynamic Contrast adjustment will allow it to project crisp 4K movies with powerful contrast (Epson’s contrast ratio specs cite over 2.5 million to one).

The LS9000’s dual HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 120Hz support also make it a great option for gaming with next-gen consoles or PCs. And at $3,999, Epson’s latest is a more reasonably priced gaming projector than other models in its lineup, and it’s also one that should capably do double duty for movies.

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• The best 4K projector: top home theater beamers
• Back-to-school portable projector guide
• The 7 best projectors at CES 2025

• The Optoma Photon Go is now on-sale in the US for $999 / £899
• Delivers 60 to 100-inch images at under 10 inches from the wall
• 650 lumens, 8,000:1 contrast and 1.5 hours of battery life

It's all gone a bit Alice in Wonderland at Optoma, which has managed to get a triple-laser projector to drink a shrinking potion. The Optoma Photon Go is barely bigger than a chunky book, but it can project rich images in 1080p Full HD, at up to 100 inches even while sitting under a foot from the wall – and has a punchy stereo speaker system inside.

The Photon Go is now available in the US and Canada after a European launch earlier this year, and it's being marketed as a home or outdoor projector thanks to its easily transportable size and relatively light weight. It's 9.92 x 6.18 x 2.44 inches and 3.79lbs; for metric users that's 25.2 x 15.7 x 6.2cm and 1.7kg.

It's certainly small, but the specification isn't.

Optoma Photon Go projector: key features and pricing

The Photon Go is an ultra-short throw projector delivering 1080p resolution and contrast of 8,000:1. Its throw ratio is 0.18:1 and it's capable of delivering a 100-inch image from just 10 inches away. The minimum image size is 60 inches.

The triple-laser RGB light source delivers up to 650 lumens of brightness, Optoma says, and it's expected to last for 20,000 hours.

The Photon Go has automatic focus and keystone correction, Google TV for streaming, HDMI 2.0, USB (C and A) and a 20-watt stereo sound system, and its TSA-compliant battery is good for 1.5 hours of playback.

It's an impressive specification for such a small device, and while the battery life is on the short side it's nothing an external power bank can't fix.

It's a really interesting option among the best portable projectors – it's rare for them to be ultra short throw, so this might be just what you're looking for, if you want to create a huge image anywhere without worrying about having enough distance from the screen.

The Optoma Photon Go is available now with an MSRP of $999. In the UK, it's £899.

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As students in the US, the UK, and around the world prepare to head back to school for the new academic year, thoughts might be turning to getting the best tech setup, like a new laptop, a new smartphone, or a portable projector.

While TVs are great, there's something special about using one of the best projectors and seeing something across an entire wall, whether that be in a bedroom or outside on the garage.

As someone who bought a projector during uni and spent many happy hours watching movies and playing games, I can thoroughly recommend trying it out, if only to unwind after a long day of studying at the library.

Projectors, including the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen, XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro, LG CineBeam Q, and Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K, offer big images on the go, with some, like the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro, doing so at a very reasonable price.

Whether you live alone or with flatmates, a projector can really make a room feel special, and it helps as a starting point for hosting movie and gaming nights.

Portable projectors offer the convenience of being able to move your home cinema anywhere, including outside when the weather is nice.

What is a portable projector?

Portable projectors are, well, portable: many of them are either easy to move around and some have a built-in rechargeable battery for operation on the go.

Of course, they still need to be placed on a sturdy base and away from the elements, but you could theoretically use a portable projector anywhere.

Many of the best 4K projectors are effectively chained to where they were first installed, with the payoff being cinema-quality playback. The Epson Pro Cinema LS12000, for example, does it all and will dazzle you, but it isn't that useful for spontaneous outdoor movie nights.

The Anker Nebula Mars 3 is a great example of a quality portable projector, offering up 1080p (Full HD) projection in a portable, handheld case. On the larger side, Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K is perfect for moving around a house without losing any picture quality or power.

How much should I spend?

The answer really depends on two things: your budget, and how much you're going to use the projector. Projectors are a product where you could easily spend into the thousands, but there are also many good options at lower price ranges.

Our recommendation for anyone on a budget is the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro, which is also in for a shout of being the best portable projector full stop.

With 1080p projection, HDMI and USB-C inputs, up to 200-inch screen sizes, Google TV OS, and a really portable body, the MoGo 3 Pro (around £430 / $449 / AU$690) is hard to look past.

Also worth considering is the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen, which is our pick of the bunch thanks to its super compact design, a built-in Gaming Hub, and more, all for around £390 ($799 in the US at the time of writing, but regularly discounted to $599 during sales events like Amazon Prime Day).

For those unconcerned about budget, the LG CineBeam Q is an incredible 4K portable projector with a stylish design and amazing picture quality. And the BenQ GP520 is ideal for gamers due to its low input latency.

Both come in at between £750 / $746 and £1,110 / $1,499, respectively, at the time of writing, so a fairly hefty premium on the 4K ultra-portable models.

Features to look for

Portable projectors come in a lot of shapes and sizes – perhaps even more so than their non-portable projector counterparts – but there are some common things to look out for when you're making a purchase.

The first is resolution. Getting the highest resolution possible is pretty key across TVs, projectors, and monitors, and portable projectors are no different. 1080p should be the minimum, and 4K the ideal, although you will pay a premium.

Brightness is also really key, as this is what will help the picture pop, and will also help if you're using it in a sunny or light room. Measured in lumens, you want the highest number possible, and preferably specified in ANSI or ISO lumens, which is a standardized measurement system used by manufacturers.

Smart features, are also something to look for and could help avoid having to plug in an external streaming device to stream a movie right from Netflix or Disney+. Many projectors in 2025 use Android TV OS or Google TV.

Battery life, or a lack thereof, should be fairly high on the list, especially if you plan to use the projector outdoors and away from plug sockets. Many models offer enough battery to beam a full movie, although the more compact the size, the smaller the battery, and so watch for this.

Audio, whether that's built-in speakers or via external speakers, and the inputs (HDMI, USB-C, and so on) are things to consider, too. Some portable projectors come with mini-HDMI ports as opposed to full-size, and therefore require different cables from the ones you might have at hand.

Back to school use cases

For many people, going to college or university represents the first time they have independence, both over their actions and of their spaces. Getting a projector is therefore a pretty fun way to exercise this right.

Streaming movies and TV shows is probably the most common use case for a projector, and many come with built-in smart features to access all of the major streaming services. You can, of course, also connect a laptop or game console.

Gaming is another big use case: playing games on a huge, wall-sized display is a lot of fun. When the Spider-Man game came out on PS4, I spent many nights swinging around the city, rendered huge on my living room wall.

For those seeking a "work" justification, a projector will come in handy for showing PowerPoint slides to your academic colleagues during group presentations, as well as displaying useful YouTube videos and tutorials.

The adventurous among you might even want to try and write an essay at wall size, although from personal experience I can say this is challenging and probably best left to your laptop screen or a quality monitor.

Do you need a projector screen?

If you plan to use your projector inside, then likely no: a white wall will do just fine for most casual setups, especially on a student budget. A cheap roll-out screen might improve your setup, but you likely won't get a picture as big as on a wall.

For those planning to project outside – and being able to take your projector outside is one of the joys of having a portable model – a screen might come in handy, and there are even some inflatable options that are easy to set up and later break down.

Connecting sound

Sound is really important, especially for movies, and while many portable projectors come with built-in speakers, you're likely going to want to upgrade.

Most models come with Bluetooth, meaning you can easily link them up to the best Bluetooth portable speaker from JBL, Sonos, Bose, or whoever else. The best wireless headphones are another option for solo viewing or gaming.

Some projectors also offer a line-out or HDMI ARC port to connect directly to a hi-fi or soundbar, although this will mean your speakers and projector will need to be relatively close, or at least as close as your cable allows.

Other considerations and FAQ

When choosing a portable projector for student life, there are a few extras to keep in mind. Wi-Fi is essential if you’re using built-in streaming apps – university halls and shared houses often have patchy internet, so check if your projector supports offline downloads via USB or consider a portable hotspot.

Noise is another factor: many cheaper projectors have fans that can be quite loud, which might be distracting in a small room. Look for models with low decibel ratings if that’s a concern.

Lamp life matters too. Most LED projectors promise 20,000–30,000 hours, easily lasting through your degree.

If your space is tight, consider one of the best ultra short throw projectors, which are pricey but can produce a large image from close to the wall.

• Can I use my projector during the day? Yes, but you’ll need to darken the room as sunlight will still overpower even bright models.
• Do I need a warranty? It’s wise. Accidents happen in shared flats, so look for extended cover.
• What about repairs? LED projectors don't need replacement bulbs, but it’s worth checking service options just in case.

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Nebula X1: two-minute review

The Nebula X1 is the latest projector from Anker, a company that built its projector reputation by releasing the Capsule and Mars series, some of the most consistent, well-performing 1080p portable projectors available. A few years ago, Anker dipped its toes into the best 4K projectors category with the Nebula Cosmos Max, an oval-shaped, pixel-shifting LED projector designed to live on a shelf or ceiling mount. Since then, Anker upgraded from an LED light source to a laser one, and leaned back into the portable idea with the 2,200-ANSI lumen Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K, which has a carrying handle and rectangular shape.

Now, Anker has stepped things up again. The new Nebula X1 is a 3,500-lumen triple laser 4K DLP projector with its 14-element all-glass lens on a unique motorized gimbal, which is designed to ease setup in virtually any situation while delivering a sharp, properly aligned image. Built-in liquid cooling keeps temps down without excessive fan noise. It also has Dolby Vision HDR support, is ISF certified, and uses the Google TV smart TV platform.

The X1 includes a retractable handle for portability and has four built-in speakers (a 15W full-range woofer and 5W tweeter on each side) with a front-firing passive radiator. For improved sonic performance, two wireless speakers can be paired with the projector, and wireless microphones can turn a movie night into a karaoke night.

All of this performance and flexibility comes with a price, though, as the X1 on its own is $2,999, with the optional external speakers and microphones adding to that base price (not to mention a projection screen). But for movie nights, both inside and outside, the Nebula X1 delivers an excellent experience with an effortless, consistent setup process that will have you watching movies within minutes.

Nebula X1 review: price and release date

• First available: May 2025
• Price: $2,999 / £2,999 / around AU$4,500
  

The Nebula X1 is available now for $2,999 / £2,999 / around AU$4,500 through the Nebula website or Amazon. The external speakers, sold in a pair, cost $699. An accessory pack is available that includes two speakers, two microphones, and a carrying case that holds all of it for $999.

There aren’t any projectors at the same price point that offer the same type of performance and portability. The triple laser Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 is the most similar, although it is more suitable as a single-room home theater projector rather than a portable one. Other triple laser projectors around its price are of the ultra short throw (UST) type, while other, less expensive portable laser projectors use a single laser.

Nebula X1 review: Specs

Nebula X1 review: design and features

• Incredibly easy and accurate setup
• Quiet operation thanks to liquid cooling
• Innovative motorized gimbal for optical engine

The shape of the Nebula X1 is similar to the Cosmos 4K and Cosmos 4K SE projectors in the Nebula line — a tall rectangular box with a handle. The X1, though, is larger than its cheaper cousins, and its handle can be hidden in its body, out of view, by pressing it down (it can be just as easily extended by pressing on it again). When powered on, the X1 illuminates a Cylon-esque red line on its top, and capacitive volume, auto adjustment, and back buttons appear around the tactile navigation toggle.

Some projectors, such as the Hisense C2 and JMGO N1S 4K, have a gimbal stand to manually position the projector image toward the screen from a lower vantage point. The Nebula X1 takes it to a whole new level by having the built-in gimbal motorized and attached to the optical engine itself, thereby angling just the optics and not the entire projector.

On startup, the X1 scans the wall for a projection screen or unobstructed space for the image by moving the gimbal up and down across its full 25-degree range. When a screen is detected, the Nebula’s Intelligent Environment Adaptation tools adjust the image to fit the screen size and aspect ratio. If, for some reason, the auto setup didn’t properly adjust the image, there’s a button at the top of the remote (and on the projector) that will run spatial adaptation again.

In my weeks with the projector, I only needed to do this a couple times, and all but one of those was because I didn’t have the projector situated far back enough for the scan to cover the entirety of my 100-inch Elite Screens CineTension 3, resulting in the screen space not being filled properly. Scooting the projector back a few inches and running the setup process again fixed the user-error issue. The image fit isn’t totally pristine and can extend into a screen’s masking or frame by a few centimeters, but that’s still mightily impressive for an automated system, and, quite honestly, about as good as you’ll get doing it on your own.

While the usable image is sized well to the screen, there is some dim light bleed to the borders of the unaltered projected image size (that is, the full size before taking any auto setup into account). It’s only noticeable when the adjusted picture goes to black, or if you’re specifically looking for it while watching content. And if you’re projecting onto a freestanding screen outside, it’s of no consequence, because that light bleed disappears into the space around the screen.

It’s important to note that if you simply short-press the power button to turn off the Nebula X1 when you’re done, the gimbal will not immediately return to its default position — a short press puts the projector in standby mode. In fact, it will take close to 30 minutes for it to return, and if you unplug the projector to put it away, the gimbal will stay in that position until you turn it back on. You need to long-press the power button and select Power Off, which will shut down the projector and cause the gimbal to move into its vertical, default position within six seconds. The projector is then ready to be unplugged and put away safely. The instructions point this out when discussing the power button on the projector, but not when using the remote, so it’s easy to miss.

Instead of relying solely on fans to keep the internals cool, the X1 has a liquid cooling system — touted as an industry first — to keep things running at an optimum temperature, with a large fan exhausting the heat out the back of the projector. The liquid cooling makes the X1 one of the quietest projectors I’ve come across. Be aware that if you plan to sit directly behind the projector, you’re in for a warm evening.

On either side of the projector, behind the built-in grilles, are two speakers — a 15W woofer and a 5W tweeter — with a single passive radiator at the front. When paired with the two optional wireless speakers, the projector acts as the subwoofer in the 4.1.2 configuration.

The IR remote control is small and light, with backlit buttons that glow when the remote is picked up. There’s a built-in mic for use with Google that can be activated with a microphone button. The most prominent button is the four-way nav with the select button in the middle. Below it is the home button flanked by volume (up and down), settings, and the back button. Just below those are four quick buttons for YouTube, Netflix, and Prime Video, and volume mute.

The up and down volume buttons are laid out horizontally (with down on the left side and up on the right), instead of being oriented vertically, as is the setup on most remotes I come across. It’s a minor gripe, but I found myself hitting the back button (which is located directly above the volume down button) on numerous occasions when I intended to raise the volume.

• Design and features score: 4.5/5

Nebula X1 review: picture and sound quality

• Incredible detail from the 14-element, all-glass lens
• Accurate colors in Movie mode
• Gaming requires careful projector setup

The Nebula X1 has nine different picture modes – NebulaMaster, Standard, Vivid, Sport, Movie, Game (with two sub modes I’ll talk about below), Conference, ISF Day, and ISF Night.

As might be expected, Movie and the two ISF modes are the most accurate. I measured peak HDR brightness on a 10% white window pattern at 188 nits in both modes. The Nebula X1's native contrast ratio in the same was 1,656:1, and its dynamic contrast was 11,482:1.

What was not expected is that every mode, including the ISF modes, has some degree of MEMC (Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation), commonly referred to as motion smoothing or the ‘soap opera effect.’ With some content, the motion smoothing introduced artifacts when set at Middle or High. Low was more acceptable and could be beneficial when watching sports, but in general, I suggest you turn it off immediately.

NebulaMaster mode, according to information on the Nebula X1 site, dynamically adapts the image based on projection size and ambient lighting, while also using decontouring algorithms to reduce posterization artifacts (also known as banding). In my room, the image in this mode leaned heavily blue in both SDR and HDR, which was confirmed by my measurements. Some prefer an image with a cooler color balance, but for my taste, it was a bit too much. The mode also tended to slightly boost black levels in darker images.

Out of the box, Movie and the ISF picture modes were my preferred picture modes for all of my viewing. Colors, particularly skin tones, were far more accurate. Grayscale and colors could be dialed in even further in Movie mode with 11-point white balance correction, and a color management system for adjusting hue, saturation, and color brightness (luminance), plus offset and gain. (An ISF calibrator can unlock these options for the ISF picture modes, as well.)

The X1 performed admirably in dark scene torture tests from Dune and the opening scenes at Sapper Morton’s home in Blade Runner 2049, with some detail being visible in the dark shadows on the little home’s walls near the piano and in the kitchen. The X1 also delivers a good amount of brightness that allows the image to still have some pop while viewing in a backyard where there’s uncontrollable light pollution. Just wait until the sun goes down for the best experience.

But perhaps the most impressive performance aspect of the X1 was its detail. The 14-element, all-glass lens produces a gorgeously detailed 4K image, even with the picture adjustment processing to fit the image to the screen, which can introduce clarity issues towards the edge of the image. The X1’s picture looked crisp from corner to corner.

There was one issue I encountered during testing with the eARC port (HDMI2). I planned to watch a Blu-ray on my disc player connected to HDMI2, but the projector would only recognize the disc player as an audio source, and the video would default back to Google TV. When I contacted Anker about this, they said, “We are aware of this issue and will optimize this functionality in future software updates.”

When it comes to any gaming that requires a decent reaction time (which includes the vast majority of games), the projector needs to be in the Game picture mode with the Extreme setting active. This disables the keystone correction and delivers the best input lag, which I measured at 18.3 ms. But as you can imagine from that sentence, if you’ve been relying on the auto-adjust features to watch movies and TV shows, the moment you put it in this mode, the image becomes skewed and no longer fits your screen. If you use Game mode with the Standard setting, the keystone correction stays on, but the input lag shoots up to 142.1 ms with a 4K/60 signal, far too high for any serious gaming.

This scenario requires you to do a proper setup without the use of one of the best parts of the Nebula X1 – the auto adjustment. The lens needs to be level with the bottom of your screen, and it will take some time to play around with positioning to get the image to square up with your screen.

The built-in speakers can play impressively loud, although audible distortion can be heard from around 90 percent and above. But I wouldn’t recommend listening at that level anyway. As I listened in my living room, the maximum volume I set was between 50 and 60 percent, and usually lower. Dialogue was clear, and while it’s not the fullest and most robust sound I’ve heard (these are small woofers, after all), it was plenty to deliver a nice experience.

Adding the wireless speakers brings the sound performance to another level. The left speaker connected quickly, while I needed to turn the right speaker on and off several times before the connection happened. Naturally, having the ability to widely set a left and right channel with side-firing speakers increased the soundstage with a convincing phantom center, and the projector becomes the subwoofer. The upfiring Atmos speakers do a bit to add some height to the sound, but it’s not a convincing Atmos canopy with sounds flying overhead like you get from the best Dolby Atmos soundbars or discrete speakers with DSP. And if you use them outside, without a ceiling to bounce the sound off of, the effect is minimized.

Still, for a more immersive experience, I recommend getting the wireless speakers. Their relative ease of use, setup flexibility, and solid performance are a welcome addition to the Nebula X1. And if you purchase the accessory pack, they fit nicely in the carrying case along with the projector, remote, power supply, and (presumably) microphones. (I did not have the microphones on hand to test them.)

• Picture quality score: 4.5/5

Nebula X1 review: value

• Top-of-the-line portable projector
• More expensive than competitors
• Best experience requires additional speakers

When compared to other portable projectors, or even those that aren’t as portable, the Nebula X1 delivers incredible performance and, more importantly, a great movie-watching experience no matter where you set it up. There’s no need to take 10 minutes getting its height or angle perfectly correct for a squared-up image. Just put it down, point it towards your screen, and in a few dozen seconds it’s set to go. With the addition of the wireless speakers, the sound performance greatly improves without needing to set up (and plug in) a separate sound bar.

The $2,999 price tag, though, puts it hundreds of dollars above the portable competition, and more in line with lifestyle home theater projectors such as the Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 and UST projectors like Samsung’s The Premiere 7 and the Hisense PX2-PRO. And then the accessory pack adds another $999.

That said, the performance and versatility of the Nebula X1 make it a top choice for a movie enthusiast's backyard projector, and one with the flexibility to serve as an indoor everyday projector as well.

• Value score: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Nebula X1?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if… 

Also consider...

How I tested the Nebula X1

• Tested in multiple situations
• Measured with Calman calibration software
• Evaluated with SDR and HDR content

I primarily tested the Nebula X1 in my living room on a 100-inch Elite Screen CineTension 3 ISF-certified retractable screen with a 1.1 gain screen material. I also briefly brought it outside and projected it on my garage door to test brightness after the sun had set. To test grayscale and color accuracy, I used an X-rite i1 Pro 3 spectrophotometer, Murideo Seven-G 8K pattern generator, and Calman calibration software by Portrait Displays. Input lag testing was done with a Leo Bodnar 4K lag tester.

Subjective testing included watching hours of content through the Google TV streaming platform using the Disney+, Hulu, and Max apps, as well as 4K Blu-ray discs played on an Oppo UDP-203 disc player. Games were played with an Xbox One X console.

I’ve been testing and reviewing projectors, TVs, and other displays for a couple of decades, and am an ISF Level III certified calibrator.

First reviewed: July, 2025

• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

I, like many of you I’m sure, love nothing more than curling up on the sofa to watch a movie. Perhaps unlike you, however, I also have an unshakeable need to watch said movies on a huge TV – ideally something from our guide to the best TVs – and with a full surround sound system to get the most enjoyment out of them. Why do things by halves?

Until recently, I was ‘making do’ with a 77-inch LG G4 OLED. It’s a phenomenal screen that made me fall in love with my movie collection all over again. But after a while, it began to look small. I needed something bigger. Something better.

To get a huge screen experience at home without spending the equivalent of a house deposit, a projector is your best bet – it’s perhaps the closest we can get to an ‘authentic’ home cinema experience.

I recently wrote our Hisense C2 Ultra review and found it to be outstanding when it came to color reproduction, sound and, perhaps most importantly, size, as I was able to project an image larger than 80 inches onto my wall. If I’d had it set up in my main room with my Sonos home theater system, I could have easily asked myself the question, “Have I achieved peak home cinema?”

The answer, as it turned out, was no. That’s because I’ve recently taken delivery of an 83-inch LG G5, one of the best OLED TVs money can currently buy. Thanks to its sheer size (I reckon I could still fit the 97-inch model in my viewing space), combined with its new, super-bright ‘four stack’ tandem RGB panel, the G5 has ruined projectors for me entirely.

Big screen, bigger brightness

Having previously owned the G4 OLED released in 2024, I wasn’t sure how LG could improve upon what I thought was the best screen I’d personally ever seen. But when I heard the rumors that the South Korean company had produced a new type of OLED panel, comprising individual blue, red and green layers to create light, and resulting in much higher brightness, boy, was my interest piqued.

As the measurements in our LG G5 review prove, it’s the brightest OLED we’ve ever tested, measuring 2,268 nits on a 10% HDR window in Filmmaker Mode. We tested the 83-inch version of the Samsung S95F, which shares the same panel as the LG model, and recorded a slightly higher reading of 2,388 nits. However, this measurement was taken at a Samsung event rather than in our own testing facilities.

What this means in real-world speak is that the LG G5 is highly adept at displaying HDR content, and it gives TV shows and movies a much greater sense of depth, as it’s able to better distinguish between light and dark areas of a picture. My colleague James Davidson has previously written a deep dive explaining just how good the G5 handles various content. From black-and-white movies such as Oppenheimer through to eye-popping color films like Elemental, and I couldn’t agree more when he says it’s “a truly picturesque TV”.

I normally have the brightness turned up to the maximum 100 setting, but there have been times, particularly when my room is especially dark, that I’ve had to turn it down. Leaving it at 100 can sometimes be retina-searing!

Projector brightness is measured in lumens, and so it’s trickier to compare. It’s claimed to get a rough equivalent, you can multiply the number of nits by 3.426 to get the brightness figure in lumens. In the LG G5’s case, taking the 10% window figure of 2,268, that would mean a projector would need to measure 7,770 lumens to be comparable.

While projectors do exist that can reach, or surpass, this figure, they’re usually reserved for large event spaces and not intended for home use. Therefore, a home projector simply can’t match the capabilities of the LG G5, making the TV a far better option for movie buffs like me.

Defence against reflections

Another area where the bright panel of the LG G5 has projectors beat is dealing with ambient light. This one might not come as that much of a surprise, but it’s something worth noting when deciding on how to kit out your main room for the ultimate viewing experience.

Your opinion on screen reflections may differ from mine. You may want to banish them entirely, or you may be OK with the odd reflection on the screen if the overall picture quality makes up for it. I’m in the latter camp, and find the LG G5’s combination of brightness – which does a fine job more often than not of combating reflections – anti-reflective coating and overall picture quality to be more than satisfactory.

I'm not in any way going to say there are no reflections in the G5's screen, because there are, they just don't bother me that much.

If you need to banish reflections completely, then a TV such as the Samsung S95F will be more to your liking. It employs a second-generation Glare-Free screen to dissipate light reflections across the screen into a haze-like effect.

James Davidson has also previously compared the anti-reflective capabilities of both the Samsung S95F and LG G5 side by side, so you can more easily determine exactly how both screens fare against pesky ambient light.

In my opinion, the way the Samsung TV deals with light results in too much of a grey tone across the screen. I can’t deny it does a better job overall with reflections, as I’ve never been able to see myself in the screen – something that can happen with the LG.

More often than not, though, I’m not watching TV in a super bright room (I often find it surprising that a lot of people do watch TV with all the overhead lights on, to be honest). Sure, there’s light coming in through windows from outside during the day, but when day turns to dusk and then to night, I have a few smart lights turned on around my room, and usually they’re set to minimum brightness. In these instances, Samsung's Glare-Free tech becomes redundant, and in my mind, it allows the LG G5 to truly shine.

With a projector, you’re going to struggle quite a bit in daylight conditions, although I did find the Hisense C2 Ultra did a decent job of combating ambient light during my review. At night, the situation naturally improves, but the fact remains it still can’t quite match the super-bright levels of the LG G5.

A stronger connection

The final reason why the LG G5 – and any TV for that matter – beats out a projector for my home cinema viewing is the fact that it allows for a neater solution when connecting external devices.

My soundbar sits below the TV with the connecting HDMI cable running through the TV's stand to the eARC port. Everything is tucked away nicely and tidily, and other external devices are hidden in the unit that the TV sits on.

If I wanted to set up a projector – let’s say, behind my sofa and viewing position – I’d have to run a long HDMI cable across my floor to reach the soundbar. No, thank you.

This does only apply to certain projector styles, however– i.e. long-throw projectors.

I’ve previously tested the Xgimi Aura 2 ultra-short throw (UST) projector and was pretty amazed by how well it performed. A UST projector could sit on my same TV unit and project an equally large image (or larger) onto the wall. But it needs dark lighting conditions to really come to life, and it uses the inferior Android TV operating system, which didn’t give me access to some streaming apps. LG’s webOS 25 OS, meanwhile, is virtually flawless in my opinion – I’m not such a fan of the new Magic Remote, however.

I did concede that the audio performance of the Aura 2 was far more impressive than expected, delivering a powerful, detail-rich sound with effective object placement. For authentic surround sound, it can be connected to an external system, which I imagine would be just as tidy a solution as what a TV provides.

With projectors such as the Hisense C2 Ultra, however, I would’ve most likely set it up on my coffee table in the center of the room. While it can project a large image from a short distance, my unit would have been too close for it to perform to its full potential. But then, where would I put my bottle of wine at night? It’s not a compromise I’m willing to make. The TV stays!

Peak cinema

Since owning the LG G5, I have been more excited than ever to watch a wide variety of movies and TV shows. I’ve even invested in a Sony UBP-X700 4K Blu-ray player and begun building my disc collection to take full advantage of the screen’s technological wizardry.

For me, I’ve hit peak cinema… at least until the LG G6 comes along.

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Whether for aesthetic reasons or to cut down on screen time, having a TV in the bedroom isn’t for everyone. I didn’t factor a TV in when I designed my bedroom, as it wasn’t worth sacrificing the space when I’ve already got one in my living room, but after a while, I found I missed having the option to curl up in bed and binge-watch my comfort shows on Netflix.

Having not always had the luxury of separate living spaces, I’d put a lot of work into curating my bedroom into a calming and visually pleasing environment, so the idea of sticking a big black rectangle in the middle wasn’t going to do my zen any favors. Therefore, I knew I had to think of an alternative solution that could cure my content cravings without taking up valuable space.

The concept of using a portable projector to watch shows in bed wasn’t new to me, as I’d racked up plenty of hours watching movies on the Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE. Sadly, though, as impressive as that projector is, it proved impractical for bedroom use as it was a bit big and loud for the shelf above my headboard and, as I’m yet to find a tripod that can handle its weight, it just wasn’t the bedfellow I was looking for.

Thankfully, I found the perfect alternative in the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 1080p Mini Google TV Projector, which has a list price of $529.99 / £499.99 / AU$1,599, so it doesn’t cost any more than a decent budget TV. The Nebula Capsule 3 uses the same Google TV operating system that I found so effortless to use with the Cosmos 4K SE, but this time in a conveniently compact package.

Below, you’ll find the reasons why I believe the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 1080p Mini Google TV Projector makes for an amazing alternative – and one reason why opting for a projector over a TV may not be the brightest move.

Highlights

Perfect placement isn't paramount

Finding space for a TV set can be tricky, but choices are far from limited when it comes to finding a home for the Anker Nebula Capsule 3.

Its dinky diameter of just 3.1 inches / 78mm makes it conveniently compact and easy to fit on shelves or tabletops, and it has a super convenient tripod mount thread on the base, so it’s easy to find a place for it even if surface space is limited.

And for those times when it isn’t possible to get the angle of the projection spot-on, the Nebula Capsule 3 will automatically adapt its settings to ensure it projects a well-focused image within the space provided, adjusting the keystone positions and avoiding any obstacles along the way.

I can go big and go home

The beauty of a projector like the Nebula Capsule 3 is that I can change the screen size to suit what I’m watching, and I can do so in a matter of moments.

This means that it’s super easy for me to go from watching TV on a 49-inch projection on the wall at the side of my bed to a projection of around 80 inches on my free-standing projector screen, if I’m in the mood for some big-screen entertainment, simply by rotating the Capsule 3 90 degrees and waiting for the settings to auto adapt based on the new position.

Pleasantly portable projection

Whether you’re staying at a friend's or going camping, the compact dimensions and light weight of 1.9lb / 850g combined with a built-in rechargeable battery make the Capsule 3 satisfyingly easy to pack up and take away.

These features can prove useful even if you don’t plan to take it away from home, especially if your bedroom is anything like mine, with its awkwardly located power outlets. While the 15,000 mAh battery only allows for about two and a half hours of screen time, the USB-C charging cable does mean that one of the best power banks could be used to stretch this duration a bit further.

Low light

Night owls get the best view

Despite the space-saving and versatility on offer from the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 1080p Mini Google TV Projector, you’re going to be sacrificing deep blacks and the details in darker scenes if you opt for one over one of the best TVs.

This issue isn’t uncommon, even amongst some of the best projectors on the market, but it’s something to keep in mind if you want your shows to look picture-perfect when watching in the daytime without efficient blackout blinds.

With that being said, this hasn’t been a deal breaker for me personally, because as comfy as my bed is, it’s not my primary place for watching shows in the daytime. And during the times I’ve needed to curl up when it’s still light outside, I’ve learned that I can tolerate the picture looking a little washed out when the compromise is that I essentially have a pocket-sized 50-inch TV.

When we wrote our XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro review, which led to it being crowned as our favorite budget option among the best portable projectors, we noted three flaws: it didn't have a built-in battery, the speakers were weak, and it couldn't hold up well in bright conditions.

The last of these isn't unique to the MoGo series, and you have to pay a lot more for brightness that can stand up to sunlight, so that's fair enough.

The other two, however, are solvable problems – and in the MoGo 4, XGIMI has not only fixed them, it's made a better, tighter portable projector all around, based on my time with it so far.

This is far from a full review, but the improvements to the MoGo 4 were obvious to see just from my early time testing it. This is such an impressive portable entertainment device for its $499 / £509 / AU$1,299 price.

I pulled the MoGo 4 out of its box at home, and because of its new built-in battery, it was up and running within a handful of seconds, pointing at a convenient white wall. The design is actually even slicker than the last version, but still with the same smart 'fold-away' cylinder shape that protects the lens when you're not using it – and this is all despite adding the battery.

XGIMI says the battery should last for about 2.5 hours, and I haven't put this fully to the test yet (obviously, we'll check for our full review), but one thing I noted immediately is that being on battery power doesn't diminish the performance.

Sometimes with high-power devices that switch to batteries, you see some slow-down in the smart TV software or in other areas – but one of the elements that impressed me early here is how slick its Google TV integration is.

It responds instantly to every button press on the remote, so scrolling around is completely frustration-free – and there are some expensive options among the best TVs that I can't say that about.

During setup, the automatic keystone correction and focus didn't seem to kick in right away. Instead I had to hit the focus button on the remote early on to make the setup screens look clear, and the keystone fixing started working suddenly when I got to a certain point in the process.

After that, the keystone correction activated every time I moved the projector – even if I just wobbled it a bit too much. This again worked incredibly quickly – in under a second each time, it had a stable new picture.

The other element I noticed during this time, even before getting anything playing on it, was that the sound seemed to be massively improved. And once I fired up some movie images, it was clear that this is the case – the MoGo 4 sounds ridiculously good for speakers built into a small projector frame.

I tested the MoGo 4 in my spare room, where I have a TV with a Sonos Ray soundbar set up – my partner was confused about the type of projector it was, because she was convinced I must have connected it to the Sonos Ray given the sound she was hearing from downstairs.

The sound is full, it's wide, it's bass rich, and dialogue remains clear. Obviously, it still has the potential problem that if it's behind you, it'll sound behind you – but I had it in front and to the side of me, and I felt like I was getting a satisfying movie experience just by taking this thing out of its box, pointing it at the wall, and firing something up. No extra equipment, not a single cable involved.

The picture quality itself is very similar to the MoGo 3 Pro, and capable of producing really rich colors, good detail (though this is an HD projector, not 4K), and enough brightness to be clearly watchable even with a decent amount of ambient light – I had a (not particularly bright, but still normal) light on in the room, and it was perfectly watchable overall.

As you'd expect, dark tones are the problem, especially when projected onto a wall instead of a screen that can help with it. With ambient light, it's not really capable of anything you'd call 'black' – in the image below, the jellyfish is supposed to be on a black background, not a see-through one – but I don't hold this against it, because it's a problem with all portable projectors.

Watching brighter scenes, I was totally pulled in by the combination of the solid colors and rich sound, on a 65-inch-ish screen that I'd just instantly thrown up from about six feet away.

Given the quality of the viewing experience, and the convenience of the battery-packing design and elements such as having a full-size HDMI port, and a mini-remote that's attached to it (so you can leave the regular Google TV remote at home), I think this looks like a real winner for the price.

There is a more expensive laser version coming too, which is about 25% brighter, and that XGIMI says it's the most compact laser projector to date. I'm looking forward to seeing what that can do.

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Sitting outside in the warm weather watching movies sounds almost too good to be true – but achieving a great outdoor home cinema isn't a wild dream in 2025.

Modern projectors, portable screens, and powerful wireless speakers are all pieces of the puzzle that make creating an outdoor cinema experience possible, and without breaking the bank if you buy smartly.

The best projectors like the Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 can achieve high-def 4K projection at up to 130 inches, or nearly 11 feet, which might even be enough to make your local Vue or Odeon jealous.

And for anyone who doesn't have the space for a larger projector, the best portable projectors like the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen, which can hit a staggering 100 inches on a wall, are well worth considering.

To help you find the right kit, we're taking a look at the best projectors for outdoor use, as well as the best projector screens and audio options that blend amazing sound with portability and convenience.

The best projectors for outdoors

Finding the right projector for your setup is the first, and perhaps most important, part of the journey, and the right one depends on your outdoor area, as well as your budget and general preferences.

Taking a step back, some key specs to consider are brightness (measured in lumens), whether to go for 1080p or 4K, and laser vs. LEDs.

Let's take a look at each in turn.

• Brightness: Measured in lumens, the brightness of your projector will make a big difference if you're using it after dark. Aim for at least 3,000 lumens if you're planning to screen movies at dusk. In general, portable projectors that can pump out 500 to 1,000 lumens work well after dark.
• Full HD vs. 4K: Many of the best projectors (and especially those that draw power from the mains) can work in 4K, and those who want to project movies as big as possible will want to spend a little extra to get the extra pixels. Having said that, 1080p is likely to be fine for many, and most portable projectors tend to use it.
• Laser vs. LEDs: Laser projectors typically offer higher brightness, better contrast, and longer lifespan than LED models, making them ideal for outdoor setups, though LED projectors are often more compact, affordable, and energy-efficient.

In terms of the actual purchase, the first thing to consider is size: Where is the projector going to go? How sturdy is where you're putting it? How big do you want the overall screen? Do you have access to mains power?

If you have a large, solid table and the ability to run cables out to it then your options are pretty broad and you can focus on high-end models like the Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 or LG CineBeam Q, both of which work up to 4K.

The Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 is a 4K laser powerhouse and will match the needs of even the most ardent, hard-to-please cinema enthusiast, offering exceptional brightness, contrast and HDR support.

The only issue for some might be price – around £4,000 ($5,400) at the time of writing – but anyone wanting best in class should look no further.

LG's CineBeam Q, while not at the low end of the spectrum, is a more affordable 4K option that balances portability, colour accuracy, and smart features, retailing for around £700 ($950) at the time of writing.

It's also worth considering the BenQ X3100i, which sits somewhere between the Epson and LG projectors while offering up to 200 inches – yes, 200! – of projection real estate, for a truly unrivalled outdoor cinema setup.

What's the best portable projector?

For many people, lugging a heavy, wired projector out to the garden might seem like a little too much work, and so a portable, battery-powered model is the way to go.

Those who are looking for a more portable setup should consider the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen, which we rated as the best, as well as the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro and LG CineBeam Q, the latter of which also supports 4K.

All of these models are great, but TechRadar's ultimate pick for outdoor cinema-ing is the Anker Nebula Mars 3, a sleek projector that works up to 1,000 lumens, can project from 30 to 200 inches, and supports 1080p.

Probably the best thing about the Nebula is its rugged design: you can really put this thing through its paces without worrying about scratches and dents, making it ideal for outdoor use when anything can happen, especially with kids around.

In our testing, we found the built-in battery lasted the entirety of a two-hour movie at 50% volume with a little over 20% charge to spare.

Retailing at around £670 ($900) at the time of writing, down from its usual £900 price tag, the Anker Nebula Mars 3 is our pick to get the projection party started.

Do you really need a projector screen outdoors?

Unless you have a perfectly white, blemish-free wall, getting a projector screen is always going to make movies pop that little bit extra.

There are three types of screens: tensioned fixed-frame screens, foldable or pop-up screens, and inflatable screens, all of which have their own pros and cons.

A tensioned screen is the best option for anyone looking to get a "pro" look, since the surface area is held taught and still. The downside is that these kind of screens are less portable and are harder to store – whether that matters is down to your own personal preferences and setup.

Foldable screens are much easier to store and are ideal for compact setups, but the surface area can have a fold down the middle, making the movie watching experience slightly less ideal. Each model is different, of course, so make sure to check if you care about this.

Finally, inflatable screens are best if you want to go really, really big and can then fold down into a much smaller box.

The best option is really down to your own setup and needs: if you want to go big – like meters big – then an inflatable is the best, while a tensioned screen is perfect for cinephiles who want the highest clarity and picture quality.

Top wireless speakers for outdoor movie nights

What's a movie night without great sound? Not very good, in our opinion.

Once you've settled on getting the right projector and finding a suitable screen, a portable speaker should be the next port of call.

It's worth noting that some projectors, like the Anker Nebula Mars 3, do come with built-in speakers and while these might be fine in a pinch, they don't really compare to even a budget Bluetooth speaker.

We recommend looking into wireless speakers for the simple reason that they uncomplicate part of the setup and also make it safer due to a lack of wires. Most portable speakers can last hours and hours in 2025, and many come with rugged (and even waterproof) designs.

Given our specific use case, it's worth choosing models with low latency, to ensure speech matches the movie, and stereo pairing, for the best cinematic sound.

The JBL Flip 7 is a great option, offering punchy, detail and full-scale sound, great battery life, and a hardy design for around £120 at the time of writing.

For Sonos fans, the Sonos Roam 2 and the Sonos Move 2 are both great options, boasting big sound, integration into Sonos' ecosystem, and long battery life. The Move 2 does get very loud, so please keep your neighbours in mind.

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 is our final pick, from the brand that has really come to dominate the wireless speaker market in recent years. Rich and clear sound is coupled with solid battery life and a durable design, making it ideal for cinema nights when camping.

Setup tips and FAQ

Now that you've chosen your preferred projector, screen, and speakers, summer 2025 is going to be filled with movies and fun, for friends, family, and even solo.

But there are a few last things to consider.

Electricity and water don't mix, so be sure to use outdoor-rated power cables and extensions to avoid getting a nasty shock (pun intended). Additionally, choose level ground and align your projector without overusing keystone correction. To get the best internet speeds, use a Wi-Fi extender or hotspot.

Light impacts the movie experience a lot, as anyone who has a TV by a window can tell you, and so make sure to wait until sunset for the best viewing.

To close out, let's do a quick FAQ.

• Can I use these projectors in daylight? Not really. Dusk or later is best as even the brightest models struggle in full sunlight.
• Is a screen really necessary? Yes. A screen really improves contrast and colour uniformity, especially with 4K projectors.
• Will Bluetooth audio stay in sync? Often, yes. But low-latency support is important. Make sure to test in advance or use wired audio if needed.
• Do I need internet to stream outdoors? Only if you’re using streaming services. Some projectors support USB or HDMI playback offline.

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Hisense C2 Ultra review: Two-minute review

The Hisense C2 Ultra is an impressive 4K projector that delivers sensational visuals, boasts impressive sound output and features a user-friendly operating system that provides access to the best streaming services. While it requires mains power, it’s small and light enough to be considered portable, which means not only can it be considered one of the best 4K projectors, but one of the best portable projectors too.

Key to the C2 Ultra’s success in projecting excellent images is its triple-laser projection system, which combines red, blue and green light sources. This system can not only go incredibly bright – Hisense says it’s rated for a peak brightness of 3000 ANSI lumens – but also covers a wide color spectrum, 110% of the BT.2020 color space, to be precise. Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG HDR formats are all supported, and it's IMAX Enhanced.

The results are outstanding, with content appearing vibrant and punchy, and contrast levels are good too, giving images great depth. It’s not only in bright, colorful scenes where the C2 Ultra excels though, as it also serves up deep blacks and is more than capable where shadow detail is concerned. If you were ever of the notion that a projector still isn’t a genuinely viable alternative to a TV, particularly outside of home movie nights, then the Hisense C2 Ultra bucks that trend in a big way.

What took me most by surprise upon my first use of the C2 Ultra was the audio performance from the built-in 2.1 channel speaker system tuned by JBL. I had the unit set up in my spare bedroom on a stand, just to the right of the bed and my viewing position. When I was watching movies, the sound appeared to be coming from the opposite wall and not blasting straight in my ears as I had expected, resulting in a much more immersive experience. The speaker system can go loud while still retaining a good amount of detail. Dialog comes through clearly, while the subwoofer can go low, which helps a lot during high-octane scenes such as explosions or rumbling car engines.

I think it’s a good-looking unit too and one that’s impeccably built. The main projector housing can not only be moved around a full 360º to suit your specific viewing position, but it can also move upwards to a maximum of 135º to project images onto higher surfaces.

The C2 Ultra’s Vidaa OS is by far the most accomplished projector operating system I’ve personally come across. Not only is it intuitive to use right out of the box, but it also provides access to virtually all of the main streaming apps you’re likely to want. Android-based projector systems can often fall foul of not offering such wide support and often require workarounds to get some of the more popular apps. Hisense’s OS also offers a number of picture adjustment settings to help you achieve the best overall image.

Finally, it’s a great option for gamers. Not only is it ‘Designed for Xbox’ certified, but it features a 240Hz gaming mode to help with particularly fast-paced gaming action.

Its list price may initially make you think it’s expensive, but considering its capabilities rival most TVs and the fact it can project an image up to 300 inches in size, then it suddenly presents itself as a certified bargain.

Hisense C2 Ultra review: Price & availability

• Release date: October 2024 (March 2025 in Australia)
• Price: $2,999 / £2,499 / AU$4,499
• Can already be found with discounts

The Hisense C2 Ultra was announced in October 2024 and went on sale in the US and UK at the same time, but didn’t arrive in Australia until March 2025. At launch, it was listed at $2,999.99 in the US, £2,499 in the UK and AU$4,499 in Australia.

However, it’s already received discounts worldwide, so you can now feasibly expect to pay around $2,499 / £2,299 / AU$3,999. I’ve also spotted select retailers offering the option of a free projector screen with the purchase of a shiny new C2 Ultra, should you wish to go down the ‘full’ home cinema route.

The C2 Ultra is more expensive than two of our favorite portable 4K projectors, the BenQ GP520 and Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K. However, the Hisense machine is objectively brighter than either of its competitors, offers greater gaming and HDR support and is more forgiving in where it’s positioned thanks to its gimbal design.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Hisense C2 Ultra review: Design & features

• Semi-portable design
• Excellent Vidaa OS software
• Good selection of connections

The Hisense C2 Ultra is the replacement model to the C1, but you would only really know that based on the model number. Design-wise, the two projectors are worlds apart. Where the Hisense C1 was a boxy affair, the C2 Ultra is much sleeker with rounded corners and a circular base that plays home to the speaker system’s subwoofer.

The main projection unit is mounted onto a gimbal stand that allows you to move and tilt it in virtually any direction you wish. Hisense says it can tilt up to a 135º angle, but technically it can swing to a full 180º and still project an image. I can only assume the company doesn’t expect owners to want to look directly above them to view content, with the 135º angle being more comfortable.

It is a portable projector, although the term portable should be used loosely. Not only does the C2 Ultra rely solely on mains power to work (the cord integrates a power brick too), it is still quite a sizable unit. At least, it’s sizable when compared to truly portable lifestyle projectors such as the Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro and Samsung The Freestyle, which both adopt a much smaller, cylindrical design that allows them to be slipped into a bag.

The main projector housing measures 9.7 x 7.1 x 9.7 inches (24.7 x 18.3 x 24.7 cm), but with the stand included, the total height increases to 11.3 inches (28.6cm). And coming in at a relatively lightweight 6.3kg, I can’t see many people having too much issue moving it around.

The whole unit is finished in a gun-metal gray color that shines pleasantly in the light. It features a number of ventilation panels on the front, sides and underside, while a large grille dominates the rear of the unit to help ensure everything remains cool when the projector is in use. The ventilation system certainly works as I noticed barely a murmur from the fans during use.

Sitting above the rear ventilation grille is a series of connections, including two HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which supports an Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and eARC for connecting to an external soundbar or home theater system. The other can be used to connect, say, a media streaming device. You’ll also find 2x USB-A 3.0 inputs, a 3.5mm audio out and a digital optical audio out, along with an Ethernet port for a more stable, wired internet connection. However, thanks to Wi-Fi 6E support, I never had any major issues streaming wirelessly.

On the front is where the true magic happens. The projector lens is protected by a thin layer of what I presume to be glass, helping to prevent the lens itself getting covered in dust and debris. You will still, however, likely want to give this protective layer the occasional wipe to keep it clean – there’s no motorized cover as you’ll find on the likes of the Xgimi Aura 2.

There are also a few sensors to aid with autofocusing and to facilitate an eye-protection feature that will automatically switch the light off when it detects someone in front of it to prevent it shining into their eyes. It’s incredibly sensitive, which you may or may not think is a good thing. I ultimately left it turned off during my testing and made a conscious effort to not look into the light whenever I walked past it.

One of the standout features of the lens is its optical zoom capability, which promises to retain image quality if you zoom in or out – making the image smaller or larger – without needing to move the main unit. If you have the projector set up at a far distance opposite your projection surface, for example, which would naturally cause the image to be large, you can zoom in to decrease the size while not affecting the quality.

For the most part, I imagine the majority of owners will simply rely on the autofocus and auto-keystone adjustment settings (and potentially the manual adjustment settings) to get the best picture. I was projecting onto a white wall but, whenever I ran the auto keystone adjustment, the results were less than satisfactory. The image was totally skewed, meaning I had to go into the manual four-point adjustment settings to fix things up. I would like to believe that the same issue wouldn’t occur if you’re projecting onto a dedicated screen, but I didn’t have one to test this out.

Hisense’s Vidaa OS is used on the C2 Ultra, which I found to be exceptional. It was also a pleasant surprise, considering the company’s own, rather excellent PX3-Pro uses the Google TV OS instead. The home page is clearly laid out, albeit chock full of ads, and all the major streaming apps are supported, along with a plethora of others for those who wish to seek out less-mainstream content.

The Hisense C2 Ultra has impressive high dynamic range support, including Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG and IMAX Enhanced. It also supports 3D images and audio, but you’ll need optional 3D eyewear to take advantage.

Full control of the C2 Ultra is done via the remote control. The previous C1 did have onboard buttons, but they’ve seemingly been dropped this time around. The remote is a good one, boasting a satisfying weight and premium feel. Buttons are clearly laid out, although I would have preferred the settings button to feature the more widely used cog icon, as opposed to what could be mistaken for a shopping list. It supports voice control and features quick keys for Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video and Disney+.

• Design & features score: 5/5

Hisense C2 Ultra review: Picture & sound quality

• Excellent color and brightness
• Comprehensive HDR support and 240Hz mode for gamers
• Superb sound output

The Hisense C2 Ultra produces fantastic images from its tri-color laser projection system that will not only give you a true home cinema experience, but which can comfortably rival many of the best TVs to make it your sole media viewing device.

Despite it claiming a peak brightness of 3,000 lumens, it naturally performs at its absolute best when the room is as dark as possible, but I found that even with some ambient light coming into my test room, I was still able to watch unaffected.

I even turned the overhead lights on to see how it fared, and while color and contrast took an obvious knock, the image was still bright enough for me to be able to watch. I wouldn’t expect many people to use the C2 Ultra in such bright conditions, but it’s good to know it is truly capable of holding its own against pesky light.

The C2 Ultra’s vast array of HDR support options makes recently released movies such as Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and even older, remastered movies such as Blade look fantastic in Dolby Vision, as well as TV shows such as Fallout in HDR10+. It will even support IMAX Enhanced content from Disney+, but I wasn’t able to test this since I don’t have a subscription – the price increases became too much to justify!

I was especially impressed with animated movies – the triple-laser system in combination with the C2 Ultra’s wide color support meant they were presented with outstanding color. I should note that the images included with this review don’t quite do the picture quality justice – you have to see it in reality to be impressed. The images are plagued by a peculiar pink hue that’s definitely not present in the image projected onto the wall.

The C2 Ultra supports screen sizes from 65 to 300 inches and I managed approximately an 80-inch image for my testing. The larger the image gets, the higher the likelihood of a drop in picture quality. This is where the optical zoom can come into play, allowing you to make easy adjustments rather than having to physically move the whole unit closer to the screen or rely on digital zoom, which can often not yield good results.

Gamers also have reasons to get excited about the C2 Ultra as it features a dedicated game mode to help lower input lag, and it can enable a 2K/240Hz mode for super-smooth gameplay. It’s also ‘Designed for Xbox’ – the world’s first mini projector to lay claim to the title, says Hisense – meaning it will automatically apply optimum settings regardless of game genre when it detects a signal from an Xbox console.

I don’t own an Xbox, so I couldn't test this, but I was able to enjoy smooth gameplay from my PS5, with the fast movements of Spider-Man 2 being handled with expert authority.

Audio performance is another highlight in the C2 Ultra’s repertoire. Its 2.1 channel JBL system kicks out a surprising amount of bass, vocal clarity and immersion, aided by the fact it supports Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X 3D sound formats. If the content you’re watching is encoded with Dolby Atmos, then you won’t get a true reproduction, owing to the lack of physical channels, but the performance is better than what I’ve heard from many TVs. Just note, while I was certainly impressed with the overall performance considering the projector’s size, it’s not the widest soundstage, nor is there a genuine sense of height – compared to other projectors I’ve tested, however, it comes out on top.

Of course, owners wanting a more authentic home cinema experience will want to add a fully-fledged theater system or one of the best soundbars, but casual users should find little to fault.

• Picture & sound quality score: 4.5/5

Hisense C2 Ultra review: Value

• Versatile with placement
• Pricey, but packed with features

The Hisense C2 Ultra isn’t the most affordable projector at $2,999 / £2,499 / AU$4,499, but given the fact I’ve already seen it come down in price since launch, I think it makes for a compelling investment. It’s more affordable than Hisense’s own PX3-Pro, although that projector has the benefit of being an ultra-short throw model, potentially making it easier to place in your room.

However, given the C2 Ultra’s default, relatively short 0.9:1 throw ratio, you can get a decently large image from a short distance. Plus, the fact it has an optical zoom and a wealth of picture adjustment settings should make it easy for anyone to set up in their room.

Then factor in its comprehensive HDR support, truly stunning images, impressive audio delivery and an intuitive interface, and there’s no doubt that it’s not only a remarkable projector, but a worthy rival to TVs.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Hisense C2 Ultra?

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How I tested the Hisense C2 Ultra

• Tested at home in a variety of real-world viewing conditions
• Watched a variety of content including streaming and 4K Blu-ray

I tested the Hisense C2 Ultra at home in a variety of real-world conditions, which saw it being faced with in-room lighting, natural light coming into the room and with no light at all. It was tested against a bare white wall for the duration of the review period, with an 80-inch image being achieved. I also tested the optical zoom function to see if and how it affected image quality.

I watched a range of 4K HDR and HD content from built-in streaming services, as well as using the 4K Blu-ray player in the PS5.

First reviewed May 2025

JVC DLA-NZ700 projector: two-minute review

The JVC DLA-NZ700 is a new mid-range projector from the brand, combining its existing BLU-Escent laser light source and redesigned D-ILA 4K chipset into a more compact and lighter body.

The result with the JVC DLA-NZ700 is a highly capable beamer that builds on JVC’s success with the previously released DLA-NZ800 and DLA-NZ900, while allowing its lineup to more effectively compete with the best projectors in terms of price.

The new lens may combine plastic with glass, but it still delivers a crisply detailed image, and the picture accuracy is superb with both SDR and HDR. The latter really impresses thanks to JVC's proprietary dynamic tone mapping, along with support for HDR10, HLG and HDR10+. The laser power setting also offers more precise control for dialling in brighter HDR without fan noise.

What is most remarkable about the NZ700 is that, despite its lower price, it delivers a brightness and contrast performance that matches the earlier, and more expensive, NZ8. It even includes a colour filter to cover the DCI-P3 colour space, along with the Deep Black function and Balanced dynamic laser mode. There’s also an effective remote, redesigned menus, and flexible installation.

Of course, JVC has dropped some features to shave off costs, although most probably won’t miss the lack of 8K or 3D support. On the other hand gamers will bemoan the lack of 4K 120Hz, along with a rather high input lag. Otherwise, this affordable and feature-packed native 4K HDR projector will give any other high-end beamer a run for its money.

JVC DLA-NZ700 projector review: price and release date

• Price: £9,499 / $8,999 / AU$14,999
• Release date: May 2024
  

The JVC DLA-NZ700 (DLA-RS2200) is the mid-range model in the brand’s revised line-up of 4K laser-powered projectors. It’s available now and retails for £9,499 / $8,999. The NZ700 replaces the outgoing DLA-NZ7 (DLA-RS2100), and sits between the equally new DLA-NZ500 (DLA-RS1200) at £6,499 / $5,999, and the higher range DLA-NZ800 (DLA-RS3200), which costs £15,999 / $15,999.

JVC DLA-NZ700 projector review: Specs

JVC DLA-NZ700 projector review: design and features

• World's smallest native 4K projector
• New 80mm hybrid lens
• Gen2 Frame Adapt HDR

The JVC DLA-NZ700 sports a completely new design inside and out, resulting in a more compact chassis that, along with the NZ500, makes it the world’s smallest native 4K projector. The NZ700 is noticeably smaller and lighter than its predecessor, especially when they’re placed side by side.

The NZ700’s size and weight have been reduced by utilising a new optical unit and 80mm hybrid lens. However, the build quality remains excellent, and the NZ700 is still finished in matte black, making it ideal for dedicated home theatre installations. It measures 450 x 180 x 479mm (18 x 7 x 19 inches) and weighs in at 15.2kg (33.5lb).

At the rear are a pair of HDMI 2.0 inputs that support bandwidths up to 32Gbps and are limited to 4K 60Hz (which isn’t great news for console or PC gamers). The HDMI ports can also handle HDCP 2.3, and high dynamic range – specifically HDR10, hybrid log-gamma (HLG), and HDR10+.

The provided remote is the same slightly tweaked version included with the NZ800 and NZ900, with its more luminescent light button, and small bumps on the on/off and enter buttons – all of which make this well-designed controller very easy to use in a fully blacked-out home cinema.

The JVC DLA-NZ700 incorporates the same third-generation D-ILA 4K chipset introduced on the NZ800 and NZ900. The new design is more efficient, allowing for brighter images, deeper blacks, and improved uniformity. As a result, despite using the same laser light source as earlier models, the NZ700 has a claimed peak brightness of 2,300 lumens and a native contrast ratio of 80,000:1.

In addition to the improved black levels offered by the upgraded D-ILA chipset, the NZ700 has the new Deep Black function with its revised algorithm to further enhance contrast without crushing shadows. In addition, the dynamic laser control includes the new Balanced setting for pictures that appear punchier without introducing the brightness fluctuations seen on earlier models.

The NZ700 has the improved sliding scale control in the laser power sub-menu, allowing for more granular adjustments as you gradually boost brightness without a sudden increase in fan noise, thus enabling the creation of more useful settings for HDR. There’s also the new “Vivid” mode that JVC added previously for watching SDR sports or gaming in a room with some ambient light.

The NZ700 retains the BLU-Escent laser diode light source with its claimed minimum 20,000-hour lifespan and greater consistency. Other features include motorised focus, zoom and shift controls, which makes installation easier, plus there are lens memories for different aspect ratios on a 2.35:1 screen. There’s also a Filmmaker Mode, along with ISF-certified calibration controls.

JVC’s tone mapping remains state-of-the-art, with the latest proprietary Gen3 Frame Adapt HDR dynamically analysing HDR10 content on a frame-by-frame basis to optimise the image, while 18-bit gamma processing results in smoother and finer gradations. However, JVC has dropped the Theatre Optimiser, which enhances tone mapping based on your screen’s size, shape and gain.

In addition to the existing analysis of an incoming HDR signal, the NZ700 now reads the Display Mastering Luminance (DML) metadata that tells the tone mapping the peak brightness of the display on which the content was originally mastered. This is useful because the more metadata the tone mapping has to work with, the better the results in terms of the displayed HDR images.

The NZ700 has a revised menu system compared to the NZ800 and NZ900, with a new main Setting Menu Select page. Here you choose between Picture Settings, HDMI Settings and Installation Settings. Once you’ve selected the Settings you want to adjust, you’ll find all the related sub-menus for those particular settings available, and you can move between them.

• Design and features score: 4.5/5

JVC DLA-NZ700 projector review: picture quality

• Detailed and cinematic 4K delivery
• Impressive HDR tone mapping
• Wide colour gamut filter

The JVC DLA-NZ700 is nothing short of a revelation, and delivers a performance that I could immediately see was comparable to the NZ800 I reviewed previously. There are similar components, such as the D-ILA chipset and laser light source, but I hadn’t anticipated the new lens producing such a sharp image, nor did I expect the black levels to be quite so impressive.

My first impressions were confirmed during testing, with the NZ700 delivering a contrast ratio of nearly 50,000:1, which is better than the earlier and more expensive NZ8. The laser brightness approaches the claimed 2,300 lumens, although you only hit these peaks in the Vivid mode, and in the preferable Filmmaker or calibrated Natural mode, this is closer to around 1,700 lumens.

The out-of-the-box SDR accuracy is excellent with the white point close to the industry standard of D65, an even greyscale, and colours hitting their saturation targets for BT.709, but this can be improved through calibration. I was able to get reference accuracy using the built-in controls, and anyone spending nearly nine grand should really get their new NZ700 professionally calibrated.

This accuracy also extends to HDR, with the NZ700 covering 97% of DCI-P3 with its colour filter in place. What’s even better is the filter only reduces the brightness by about 15%, although if you’d rather not use the filter (and with HDR10+ you don’t have a choice), then the brightness increases, but the gamut coverage now drops to around 83% of DCI-P3 instead.

The NZ700 may be more affordable, but it still includes JVC’s class-leading HDR tone mapping with the beamer not only accurately tracking the PQ curve standard, but also using dynamic tone mapping to get the best out of content based on the available metadata and real-time analysis of the HDR signal. The ability to read the Display Mastering Luminance also helps in this regard.

The Deep Black feature remains a useful addition, bringing slightly more detail out of shadows while keeping the blacks suitably inky. The Balanced dynamic laser setting is also useful, adding greater depth at the low end while also boosting the brightness at the other end without any ‘pumping’ in the image itself. The superior tone mapping ensures the highlights are also free of clipping.

This NZ700 is equally impressive with motion handling, producing smooth pictures that are free of blurring and unwanted artefacts. The projector may be limited to 60Hz, but the motion with games remains excellent, although the responsiveness suffers due to the lack of a low-latency mode. As a result, this projector’s input lag measures 51ms, which is probably too high for serious gamers.

When it comes to SDR content, the NZ700 is a fantastic performer, producing detailed and natural images that enjoy added depth thanks to the impressive contrast ratios. Watching Samsara on Blu-ray reveals a remarkably detailed image, and any concerns I had about the new 80mm lens using a combination of plastic and glass were dispelled by the finely rendered images on display.

Moving on to HDR, the NZ700 continues to dazzle with a spectacular delivery that retains all the fine details in the snowy landscapes of The Revenant. The colours of The Greatest Showman burst off the screen during the musical numbers, and the rain-soaked neon-lit streets of Gotham are bathed with beautifully rendered blacks, deep shadows and nuanced colours in The Batman.

The dynamic tone mapping is very adept at optimising the performance of the NZ700, and the resulting HDR is often comparable to high-end video processors that cost more than the projector itself. When able to use the dynamic metadata of HDR10+, the results are equally impressive, and the kinetic and colourful Motorball sequences in Alita: Battle Angel are brought vividly to life.

• Picture quality score: 5/5

JVC DLA-NZ700 projector review: value

• Exceptional value for money
• Has no direct competitor
• The sweet spot in JVC's projector line-up

The JVC DLA-NZ700 represents remarkable value, especially when you consider it offers much of the same image quality and feature set as the more expensive DLA-NZ800. Yes, you lose support for 8K 60Hz, 4K 120Hz and 3D, plus there’s no low latency mode, but in terms of overall picture performance there isn’t a significant difference between the two, making the NZ700 a great choice for film fans looking to save a few bucks without compromising on contrast and HDR tone mapping.

The NZ800 has a direct competitor in the form of the Sony Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES), which is priced at £15,999 / $15,999, while the flagship DLA-NZ900 goes up against the Sony Projector 9 (VPL-XW8100ES), which costs £25,999 / $31,999. However, the NZ700 currently has no direct competitor, and while it’s more expensive than the NZ500, Sony VPL-XW5000ES and Epson EH-QB1000, when you consider its performance and features, it may well be the sweet spot in the JVC projector line-up.

• Value score: 5/5

Should I buy the JVC DLA-NZ700 projector?

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How I tested the JVC DLA-NZ700 projector

• Measured with Calman calibration software
• Evaluated using SDR and HDR content
• Reviewed in a dedicated home cinema

As with all my TV and projector reviews, I use a combination of subjective viewing and objective measurements against the industry standards. For projectors, I also do all my testing in a dedicated home cinema with a completely blacked-out environment and high-quality screen.

The subjective testing is based around watching a variety of familiar scenes, primarily sourced from 4K and 1080p Blu-rays, plus the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark 4K disc. Any test scenes have been specifically chosen to evaluate a display’s black levels, contrast performance, colour accuracy, upscaling, image processing, motion handling, and HDR tone mapping.

For the objective testing, I measured the NZ700’s brightness, greyscale and colour gamut in SDR, before doing the same in HDR. I also evaluated the accuracy of the HDR tone mapping, along with the colour gamut coverage for DCI-P3. To do this, I used a pattern generator and colour meter combined with Portrait Display’s Calman calibration software. I measured the NZ700’s input lag in milliseconds using a specialised Leo Bodnar tester.

First reviewed: May 2025

I recently had the opportunity to review the flagship model in the Epson’s new ‘Premium Residential’ Q Series of projectors, the QL7000. I had plenty to say in my Epson QL7000 review, but the highlight was undoubtedly its unmatched brightness.

You see, projectors generally provide low brightness compared to the best TVs, and any ambient room light will lessen the dynamic range of pictures, blunting the impact of highlights and raising black levels so that shadows end up lacking detail.

For most owners of the best projectors, watching a movie, TV news and sports means dimming the lights or darkening the room completely.

Home theater enthusiasts go to great lengths to create ‘blackout’ conditions for viewing, painting rooms a dark gray and adding treatments to walls and windows to prevent any stray light from reducing the contrast of the projected image.

Pricier examples of the best 4K projectors such as the JVC DLA-NZ800 and Sony Bravia Projector 8 top out at a relatively modest 2,700 lumens brightness.

The Epson QL7000, in contrast, has a specified 10,000 lumens brightness, a level that you typically see in professional projectors used for large entertainment venues.

Yes, the QL7000 is the brightest projector I’ve ever tested, and by a significant margin, with its projected image easily viewed in daylight. So surely it's a home run, right?

The benefits – and limits – of brightness

As I noted in my review, “Even when watching in a bright room with light streaming in from windows, the crisp, clear 4K image beamed by the QL7000 had a true window-on-reality quality.”

That’s not something I’ve ever come close to being able to say about any other projector I’ve tested, and the QL7000’s stunning brightness made watching the NBA basketball playoffs on the big screen an incredible treat.

Bright as it may be, the Epson QL7000's black levels and shadow detail came up short in my testing. Although the projector’s powerful brightness elevated its contrast ratio to 68,000:1 (with its laser light output set to 30%) – a great result – shadows lacked the inky quality you can get from top home theater projectors, and that ultimately made movie watching less satisfying than sports viewing.

I haven’t personally reviewed the JVC DLA-NZ800 projector mentioned above. But I have seen it, plus its even more expensive NZ900 big brother demonstrated at trade shows, and the deep, well-defined shadows both models deliver set a very high home theater projector bar.

In TechRadar’s JVC NZ800 review, this section struck me as particularly apt: “Moving on to HDR, the NZ800 proves to be a stellar performer, delivering all the specular highlights of the sun-bleached desert landscapes of Dune Part Two, pulling out every detail in shadows during the nighttime action of The Crow, and reproducing the rich and saturated colours of La La Land, helping to replicate the Technicolor musicals to which it pays homage.”

Of course, if you were to watch those same movies on the NZ800 in a bright room rather than the fully optimized, blacked-out conditions I experienced it in, the picture would quickly lose the powerful contrast that brought out detail in blacks, and made La La Land’s colorful costumes pop on the screen. And sports? Forget it.

Picking nits

The recent DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives, a motion picture and theater industry trade group) HDR specification calls for theater projection systems to provide a peak brightness of 300 nits. That level is substantially less than what the Epson QL7000 is capable of (I measured 1,005 nits on a 10% white HDR pattern in Natural mode with 100% laser light output setting, and 1,340 nits in Dynamic mode).

If a movie theater projection system were to meet the DCI specification (many don’t), it would provide around the same peak brightness as top home theater projectors from Sony and JVC. So, even with a projector designed for home, you’re getting an equally bright, and in many cases brighter, image than what you get in a movie theater.

But brightness isn’t everything when it comes to picture quality – contrast and black detail are equally important.

In an optimized home theater setting, fastidiously controlling the environment allows for the light emanating from the projector to be the only source of light hitting the screen, which maximizes black levels and perceived contrast.

This gives home projectors another leg up on theater projection systems, where contrast is necessarily limited by the mandatory lighted exit signs located near the front of the room.

The Epson QL7000's super-bright picture makes it an impressive projector that's uniquely suited for daytime viewing of sports. However, for movie fans, contrast and shadow detail are arguably of greater value when it comes to getting the best overall picture quality.

And, given the right viewing conditions, even a projector with an average brightness level can get you pretty close to perfection.

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Epson QL7000: two-minute review

The Epson QL7000 is a projector designed for situations where you normally wouldn’t use a projector: well-lit rooms free of the dark furniture and gray walls typical of home theater environments.

What makes the Epson QL7000 uniquely qualified for such situations is its brightness, which goes far beyond what you get with the best projectors and even matches some of the best TVs. The QL7000 has a specified 10,000 lumens brightness, where a typical home theater projector tops out in the 2,500 to 3,000 range. That’s one of the reasons why the QL7000 costs $29,999 (around £22,400 / AU$47,000), though there are other good reasons as well.

The QL7000 is a 'body-only' projector that needs to be outfitted with a separate lens. Epson offers a range of special lens options, including long-throw ones that let you position it far from a screen, and ultra-short-thow ones that let you install it super-close. This level of installation flexibility is unique for a consumer-grade projector, especially one as small and lightweight as the QL7000. It also has an attractive case design that will let it fit in with your living room’s decor.

The QL7000 uses a laser 3LCD light engine, along with pixel-shifting, to display 4K images. Epson’s 32-bit QZX Picture Processor is used for upscaling and other types of processing, and it supports the HDR10 and HLG high dynamic range formats (but not HDR10+, a format we’re seeing increasing support for in projectors).

A pair of HDMI 2.1 ports on the QL7000 support 4K 120Hz and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), making Epson’s projector, which also has a low 19.6ms input lag, a great option for gaming. But the real draw of the QL7000 is watching sports – its super-bright picture can easily hold up in rooms with the lights on, and games of all sorts have an incredibly immersive quality on a big screen (up to 300 inches max, in this case).

The QL7000 also looks great when you dim the lights for movie time, and with a variable laser light output adjustment, you can create a separate picture mode optimized for more traditional theater-style viewing. Epson’s high-lumen projector lacks the black level refinement seen in some of the top 4K projectors, but with such powerful brightness reserves aided by a dynamic contrast feature, movies watched on the QL7000 pack a strong visual punch.

Ultimately, the QL7000 is a specialized projector designed for multi-use environments, and it serves that purpose brilliantly. Between the projector itself and the separate lens, you’ll pay quite a bit to experience its stunning brightness in your home, but for some, it will be well worth the cost.

Epson QL7000 review: price and release date

• First available: March 2025
• Price: $29,999 (around £22,400 / AU$47,000)
  

The flagship model in Epson’s Q Series projector lineup, the QL7000 lists for $29,999 (around £22,400 / AU$47,000). Prices for Epson projectors generally remain consistent over time, though discounts are occasionally tied to sales events. This price is for the QL7000 projector body only, with four lens options available at extra cost.

Other Q series models include the Epson QL3000 (6,000 lumens, $14,999) and Epson QB1000 (3,300 lumens, $7,999).

Epson QL7000 review: Specs

Epson QL7000 review: design and features

• Compact and stylish for a high-lumen projector
• Multiple lens option, including ultra-short-throw
• Dual HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 120Hz and ALLM support

The Epson QL7000 represents a departure from the massive, industrial look of typical high-lumen projectors. It’s not only smaller and lighter than such models, but it has a stylish, angled case that’s available in black or white. This sets it apart as a projector that can blend in with a living room setting rather than dominate.

The QL7000 is a “body-only” projector that requires a separate lens. Epson sells a range of lenses, which allow for everything from long-throw to ultra-short-throw installation options. For this review, the company sent me a middle-throw option with a 1-1.6 zoom, +56 to -56 vertical shift, and +16 to -16 horizontal shift.

A laser 3LCD light engine in the QL7000 uses separate red, green, and blue imaging chips and employs pixel shifting to display a 4K image. Light output is specified at 10,000 lumens (white and color), around four times as high as typical home theater projectors, and the QL7000 also supports Epson’s contrast-enhancing UltraBlack technology.

The QL7000 uses Epson’s proprietary 32-bit QZX Picture Processor for upscaling, frame interpolation, and dynamic HDR tone mapping. HDR support includes HDR10 and HLG, but not the HDR10+ format supported by some home theater projectors, including the Epson QB1000.

Gaming features on the QL7000 include two 40Gbps HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 120Hz support and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). A 3.5mm audio output is also provided (like other high-end projectors, the QL7000 lacks built-in speakers), along with dual USB-A, Ethernet, and RS-232C ports. There is also support for Crestron, Control4, and other home automation systems.

The QL7000’s setup features include horizontal and vertical lens shift, keystone correction, and point correction. Since I installed the projector on a table for my testing, the setup was simple, with the trickiest part being inserting the lens into the projector’s front. Four adjustable feet are provided for leveling the projector during setup, though most QL7000 installations will use a ceiling mount.

A full-size, fully backlit remote control comes with the QL7000. The buttons are large and well arranged, but the functions seem mainly aimed at installation, with no controls to make quick adjustments to basic picture settings like brightness and contrast.

• Design and features score: 5/5

Epson QL7000 review: picture quality

• Incredibly bright HDR images
• Impressive HDR tone mapping
• Very low input lag for gaming

First, let’s look at some measurements. With the QL7000 set to Natural mode (the most accurate picture preset) and a 100% laser light output setting, it measured 1,005 nits on a 10% white HDR pattern. It also measured 1,340 nits in Dynamic mode, which is the one I ended up using for most of my picture evaluation after calibrating the grayscale and color points. For the sake of comparison, the DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives, a theater industry trade group) digital cinema specification calls for 300 nits brightness for projectors to properly display HDR.

Contrast ratio in Dynamic mode with Dynamic Contrast on and the laser light output set to 30% was 68,000:1. With laser light output set to 100%, that number was boosted to 253,600:1, an excellent result that many competing projectors, particularly DLP-based ones, would struggle to match.

The QL7000’s UHDA P3 color space coverage was 83.7% in Natural mode, and BT.2020 coverage was 61.8% in the same mode. Those numbers aren’t nearly as impressive as high-end home theater projectors like the JVC DLA-NZ800, which is capable of full P3 coverage, or certain triple-laser ultra-short-throw models like the Hisense PX3-Pro that can fully cover BT.2020. Even so, colors looked punchy on the QL7000.

Input latency tested with a Bodnar 4K Input Lag meter was 19.6ms with the QL7000’s Image Processing menu option set to Fast. That’s an excellent result for a projector, and combined with the QL7000’s ALLM feature, it sets the QL7000 apart as a great option for big-screen gaming.

The most exceptional aspect of the Epson QL7000’s picture is its stunning brightness. Even when watching in a bright room with light streaming in from windows, the crisp, clear 4K image beamed by the QL7000 had a true window-on-reality quality.

A main benefit to all that brightness is getting to watch sports on a very big screen. When I first saw a demo of the QL7000 at the 2024 CEDIA Expo, Epson had paired it with a 200-inch screen in a well-lit room, and the football games they were showing looked clear and bright. For my setup, I used a much more modest-sized 92-inch matte white, 1.1 gain Stewart Filmscreen Cima screen, with the projector’s lens surface situated at a 10-foot distance.

As luck would have it, both the NBA playoffs and the Stanley Cup playoffs were happening during my time with the QL7000. No shortage of sports to watch! Viewing in the daytime with room lights on, the QL7000’s exceptionally bright picture made a Pacers vs Bucks match look incredibly realistic, with the Pacers players' bright yellow uniforms retaining their rich yellow hue even in my brightly lit room. With a typical home theater projector, the same image would have had washed-out-looking colors, but that was not at all the case with the QL7000.

The same held for a Capitols vs Canadiens match, with the large, bright projected image giving me a rink-side seat. The red hue of the Montreal players’ uniforms popped against the rink’s icy, white surface, and the QL7000’s excellent motion handling made fast-action plays look completely solid.

With the lights in my room dimmed for movie viewing, the projector’s picture benefited from reducing its laser light output to 30%, which provided more balanced contrast. Watching a 4K Blu-ray of Dune, in a scene where Paul Atreides is tested by the Reverend Mother, her veil came across as a solid black, and there was good overall detail in the dark background.

The projector’s somewhat elevated black level – not unexpected in a model designed for high light output – caused some shadow details to be obscured. However, both lowering the gamma setting to -1 in the Advanced menu and setting black level to 0% in the Dynamic Contrast menu helped somewhat in this regard.

Watching a reference scene from the Bond film No Time to Die that I use to test motion handling, a panning shot across a craggy hillside cemetery showed only minimal judder and motion blur. With the QL7000’s Frame Interpolation mode set to Low, those artifacts completely disappeared, and there was only a slight motion smoothing penalty seen in the picture.

As a final test, I watched a few scenes from The Elephant Man on 4K Blu-ray. The QL7000 presented the film’s black-and-white image with excellent uniformity – there was no sign of tinting or variable brightness across various sections of the screen.

• Picture quality score: 4.5/5

Epson QL7000 review: value

• Provides a larger picture than biggest-screen TVs
• Picture brightness a match for some TVs
• Unique option for bright-room viewing

At $29,999 (around £22,400 / AU$47,000), the Epson QL7000 crosses over into the money-no-object realm for projectors, making value almost a moot point. Its main benefit is in projecting a 4K image onto screens as large as 300 inches, and with a level of brightness that’s so powerful you can watch during daytime hours with room lights on.

You can now buy super-bright mini-LED TVs in the 100-inch range for substantially less, a reality that would put something of a dent into any consideration of the QL7000’s value. But 100 inches pales in comparison to 300 inches, and yes, people actually exist who want screens that big.

• Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the Epson QL7000?

Buy it if...

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How I tested the Epson QL7000

• Tested at home, in a room with controlled lighting
• Measurements were made using Calman color calibration software
• A 1.1 gain Stewart Filmscreen Cima matte white projection screen was used for evaluation and measurements

When I test projectors, my first step is to use them for casual viewing to assess the out-of-box picture presets. The next step is to select the most accurate-looking preset (typically labeled Movie, Cinema, or, in the Epson QL7000's case, Natural) and measure the white balance (grayscale), gamma, and color point accuracy using Portrait Displays’ Calman color calibration software. The resulting measurements provide Delta-E values (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what’s shown on-screen) for each category, and allow for an assessment of the projector’s overall accuracy.

Along with those tests, I make measurements of peak light output (recorded in nits) for both standard high-definition and 4K high dynamic range using a 10% white window pattern. Coverage of DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color space is also measured, with the results providing a sense of how faithfully the projector can render the extended color range in ultra-high-definition sources. The final measurements are contrast ratio, which is the ratio of the brightest white to the darkest black that the projector can display, and input lag, which is measured using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI input lag tester.

First reviewed: May, 2025

• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

Finding a good outdoor projector for summer parties can be challenging. Bright sunlight can really hamper picture quality when viewing outdoors during the day, and while some projectors can handle the outdoors in the evening, the picture can still look a little washed out as it’s never truly pitch black outside.

What can help with this? Super-high brightness, of course. So, when Anker announced its new 3,500 ANSI lumens Nebula X1 portable 4K projector, which it touts as an ‘outdoor projector’, it caught my interest. Not only because Anker has produced some of the best portable projectors, but because its predecessor, the Anker Nebula Mars 3, is a solid outdoor projector, though comparatively dim with its 1,000 lumens rated brightness.

Another thing that caught my attention was the Nebula X1’s bespoke, wireless speakers (part of its optional accessory kit), which promise a more immersive audio experience than what we’re used to getting from the best projectors. With summer approaching here in the UK, I was glad to get a chance to see the Nebula X1 in person.

A bold, bright image

I caught a demo of the Nebula X1 in a screening room in London’s Soho Hotel. While the demo itself was short, it was clear that the projector’s 3,500 ANSI lumens made a difference in the demo video, primarily showing forests, natural landscapes and animals.

The greens of the trees and forest looked punchy and vivid, and the contrast was surprisingly powerful, giving the trees greater perceived depth. The balance of light and dark between a leopard’s yellow fur and black spots created the same sense of depth. The picture was crisp with the right level of sharpness, making textures look mostly natural.

Although we didn’t get to see the Nebula X1 outside or with Dolby Vision HDR content (which the Nebula X1 supports), it was still clear that the projector would do a decent job in brighter viewing conditions.

Wireless speakers add more

While the Nebula X1 can be used with the best soundbars, the company developed wireless speakers to pair with it. The speakers, each of which contains a 40W amp plus up and side-firing drivers powered by 2 x 20W, create a 4.1.2-channel surround sound system with the X1 itself serving as a subwoofer. This was demoed at the event with a Dolby Atmos video.

The sound was immediately surprising. I was sitting a few rows up and back from the projector and speakers, and even then, surround effects such as a chirping bird in a jungle and heavy rainfall seemed to come from behind and above me. There was a solid sense of bass in the soundtrack’s rumbling thunder as well. Finally, the system sounded clear regardless of what was played through it, adding another layer to the Nebula X1 experience.

The speakers themselves are small and extremely portable, which made the sound they produced during the demo all the more surprising. These could be a game-changer for those looking to up the quality level of their outdoor movie nights.

The party projector to beat, but at a cost

A pair of wireless microphones is included in the X1’s accessory bundle, one of which was used to give the presentation I attended. Their real purpose, however, is for karaoke, adding to the projector’s summer party vibe.

Of course, the X1 is not just all about outdoors and summer parties (which come later in the year for our Australian readers). From what I briefly saw and from what I’ve come to expect from Anker’s projectors, it will still make a great addition to a home theater setup.

Cost is something to consider here, however. The Nebula X1 is by no means cheap for a portable projector, launching at $2,999 / £2,199 (roughly AU$4,695) for the projector itself and $999 / £499 (roughly AU$1,564) for the accessory bundle, meaning you’ll be paying $3,998 / £2,698 (roughly AU$6,260) in total for the full package. (There is a package offer for $3,298 in the US until June 20th, one month after the X1’s May 20th launch date.)

That makes the X1 a pricey ‘portable’ projector, one that’s in line with the Hisense PX3 Pro ultra-short-throw (UST) projector, and even a top-end OLED TV in a 65-inch screen size. But the X1’s optional speakers, and features such as Dolby Vision HDR support, almost put it in its own category.

While we haven’t fully reviewed the X1, based on my first impressions, it could be an excellent all-around projector for outdoor parties and indoor movie nights. We’ll have to see how it fares when we get one in and put it through our usual tests.

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BenQ GP520: One minute review

The BenQ GP520 is a promising projector for those on a tight budget. At $1,499, it provides a much cheaper alternative to the Hisense C2 Ultra and JGMO N1S Pro 4K. While there are plenty of other examples of the best projectors that can compete near its price, the BenQ GP520 has a solid edge where brightness is concerned. An LED light source lets it hit a high of 2,600 ANSI Lumens, and that’s plenty to provide a pleasing image even if you don’t completely black out your viewing space.

The GP520 beams a sharp and modestly colorful 4K picture and supports HDR10+ high dynamic range. In the right viewing conditions, it can look downright great for a projector at this price, and even has solid motion handling.

BenQ rounds out the GP520 with a potent pair of speakers that will do the job when you don’t have time to sort out a better sound system, and it has integrated Google TV for streaming. The projector is small and easy to move about, making it viable as a go-anywhere all-in-one theater system. While there are plenty of ways the GP520 could be better, it’s a great option for those on a budget.

BenQ GP520 review: Price & release date

• Release date: October 2024
• Price:$1,499 / £1299 / AU$ 2,199

The BenQ GP520 is a recent entry to the market and comes in at a modest price. At $1,499, it’s a small bargain next to the BenQ W2720i, and is cheaper than the BenQ X300G and BenQ X3100i in the company’s gaming projector lineup. It doesn’t have the gaming chops of those latter projectors, but it delivers a big, bright 4K picture for the money.

BenQ GP520 review: Design & features

• Compact, all-in-one design
• Multiple tripod holes for mounting
• Google TV

Like many recent mainstream home projectors, the BenQ GP520 has a simple, boxy design. With a compact, gray case and a blue accent around the lens, it looks a lot less like office equipment than other BenQ projectors. Inside, it packs an LED DLP projection system, dual 12-watt speakers, and the Google TV streaming platform. It’s a compact projector that’s easy to move and set up in new positions.

While some competitors have started including gimbal stands for angling their projectors, the GP520 has simple rubber feet that can extend to make small angle and tilt corrections. That said, the GP520 is equipped with tripod holes on the top, bottom, and rear for adaptable setups. You’ll want a rather sturdy tripod to secure this projector, though.

The GP520 will automatically configure its picture for new setups, including keystone and autofocus adjustments, and even framing and obstacle avoidance. Aside from focus, these are all digital adjustments that reduce the resolution of the 4K picture.

The BenQ GP520 runs the Google TV smart TV system, and while this provides plenty of functionality for finding and streaming content, the hardware running it isn’t so capable. After making a selection or trying to access a menu, the OS will hang up for one or several seconds. For instance, trying to access the picture settings menu from the main menu, the delay was long enough for me to be convinced the system had glitched (it didn’t).

Around back, the GP520 offers up a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports (one with eARC), a 3.5mm audio output, two USB-A ports (one for service only), and a USB-C port. That last one is special, as it not only supports 20 watts of charging power for a connected device but also serves as a DisplayPort input.

The back of the projector also features a small vent for exhausting heat, and while plenty of heat comes out of the back, the fans are not very loud. On top, it has buttons for volume, Bluetooth pairing, and power. The sides of the projector are covered in large grills that allow air to flow in and sound to come out of the speakers. While the GP520 is compact, BenQ uses a large and heavy external power brick that could get in the way of a convenient and tidy setup.

The remote included with the GP520 is basic and feels a bit cheap, but it does the job. It has the typical Google TV layout with a circular navigation dial, a microphone button for voice controls, and quick buttons for home and back. Interestingly, it includes a zoom control to quickly shrink the image down and blow it back up, and also has a dedicated button to automatically adjust keystone and focus. Thankfully, the remote has a shortcut button to change inputs, making it much quicker to jump from the somewhat slow Google TV operating system to any other input without getting bogged down in unresponsive menus.

• Design & features score: 3.5/5

BenQ GP520 review: Picture & sound quality

• Crisp, bright 4K picture
• Color is a bit lacking
• No gaming features

The BenQ GP520 puts on a good show, beaming a picture with 2,600 lumens of brightness. In a well-lit room, you’ll want to stick with content like cartoons and TV, but if you can draw the curtains and dim your space, the GP520 is good for movies. Enemy of the State had great visuals and solid contrast on my 100-inch screen, even with light slipping through my blinds during the day. Black levels weren’t incredibly deep, but it still looked good.

Watched in these same conditions, a 4K Blu-ray of Dune looked excellent in the GP520’s HDR10 picture mode. The picture had sharp detail, and there was also detail in dark shadows, such as fabrics and the Harkonnen armor. Occasionally, the projector exhibited judder during panning and tilting shots, but it was very subtle. There’s also an Auto HDR picture mode, but this shifts to a cooler color temperature and introduces the soap opera effect along with other odd motion artifacts.

Elevated black levels seen on the GP520 can be a little distracting when it displays letterboxed movies or larger areas of black, but contrast is nonetheless quite good. The GP520 performed well in Paul’s duel with Jamis toward the end of Dune. I’ve seen other projectors struggle greatly with this fairly dark scene, but the GP520 presented it clearly and brought out plenty of detail, including in Jamis’ face.

The GP520 falls a bit short on color, though, with its LED light source only covering 81% of the DCI-P3 color space. That leaves plenty of room for improvement, but such improvement will generally come from more expensive triple laser projectors, like the JMGO N1S Pro or Hisense C2 Ultra. This won’t hold the GP520 back with some movies, such as the aforementioned Enemy of the State, but it loses a little punch with content that benefits from especially vibrant color, like Cyberpunk Edgerunners.

The speakers on the GP520 pack a punch for a system of this size. The balance is a little crisp, putting a lot into the mids and rolling off the bass. Sub-bass is absent, so you’ll miss some meat from movies, TV, and games.

While the projector can run games with a reasonably low latency, it can’t switch to 1080p display and bump up the frame rate like some of its competitors. Regardless of resolution, the refresh rate is capped at 60Hz.

• Picture and sound quality score: 3.5/5

BenQ GP520 review: Value

• Brighter than similar options
• Affordable price for a 4K projector
• All-in-one design enhances value

The BenQ GP520 may not be the best projector around, but it’s offering an excellent value. For one thing, it’s a complete package with integrated speakers and a streaming software that lets you power it up and start watching without any extra gear. It’s also offering solid performance for the money, with a picture that’s plenty bright, crisp, and with HDR10+ support. It could use a bit more color richness, a deeper black floor, and the option to increase refresh rate at lower resolutions, but for straightforward movie and TV watching, it’s quite good.

At $1,499, the BenQ GP520 sits in a proper place, steering clear of some of its more colorful triple-laser competition but offering better brightness compared to similarly priced projectors.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Should I buy the BenQ GP520?

Buy it if...

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Also consider

How I tested the BenQ GP520

• Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions
• Presented the display with a variety of media and formats
• I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade

I tested the BenQ GP520 at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, in-room lighting, as well as ambient noise that both the projector and speaker systems had to overcome. The projector was tested both against a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen. It was presented with streamed content, HDR and non-HDR, and PC gameplay.

My testing evaluates the projector’s performance with respect to its price and competition from other models I and colleagues at TechRadar have tested.

I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.

For a more detailed explanation of how we test TVs at TechRadar, check out the link.

• First reviewed: April, 2025
• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

• Anker reveals the Nebula X1 4K projector
• Features include 4K resolution, Dolby Vision HDR support and 3,500 ANSI lumens
• The X1 is touted as an 'outdoor projector'

Anker has revealed the latest 4K projector in its Nebula range, the X1.

Anker, makers of some of the best projectors, such as the Anker Nebula Mars 3, says the X1 is its highest-performing projector yet. The X1 follows in the footsteps of Anker's Cosmos range, which has delivered some of the best portable projectors, including the Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K.

The 4K-resolution X1 uses an RGB triple laser light engine and is said to deliver 3,500 ANSI lumens. It's capable of displaying images up to 300 inches in size and its NebulaMaster technology is set to offer a 5000:1 native contrast ratio and 56,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Anker says it's the "perfect backyard projector for daytime and night-time use".

The X1 has four side-firing internal speakers powered by a total of 40W, and a separate pair of wireless speakers is an available option. These speakers have 8 hours of battery life and are USB-C rechargeable.

As an added audio feature, the X1's built-in speakers can be switched to subwoofer mode when combined with the wireless speakers, creating a 4.1.2-channel audio system.

From a design perspective, the X1 can tilt up to 25 degrees, allowing for easy placement on a wall, table or floor. It also features AI Spatial Adaptation, which uses real-time auto focus, auto keystone, auto optical zoom and auto screen fit. There's a built-in micro gimbal for added adaptability, and it comes with a carry handle for easy portability.

The X1 will also support Wi-Fi streaming with Google TV built-in for access to the best streaming services such as Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus.

Another new feature is its liquid cooling system, which Anker says will limit fan noise to 26dB (at a distance of 1m).

The Anker Nebula X1 will be available from May 21, starting at $2,199.99 / £2,199.99 (roughly AU$4,595 directly converted). An accessory bundle, with the two wireless speakers, a carry case and two wireless microphones designed with karaoke in mind, is available for $999.99 / £499.99 ($667 / AU$1,042 directly converted). Both will be on sale at Amazon and Nebula in the US and Nebula in the UK.

The ultimate summer projector?

The headline of Anker's release of the X1 is that it is perfect for the outdoors day or night, its 3,500 ANSI lumens brightness putting it in the same category as the likes of the Samsung Premier 9 and Epson QB100, both of which we classed as 'super-bright'.

Although the X1 sounds like it will be super-bright, even the brightest and best 4K projectors can still struggle with outdoor daytime viewing, as the lumens required to project a decent image in brighter viewing conditions can be a real challenge.

However, 3,500 ANSI lumens is indeed very bright, and with the added benefit of Dolby Vision HDR, the X1 could produce images bright enough for outdoor viewing.

Admittedly, it's not a cheap projector, but compared with other portable projectors with similar specs, such as the JMGO N1S Ultra 4K, it's competitively priced for what it offers.

With the display specs listed and the option for an audio upgrade, plus two wireless microphones for anyone who fancies a bit of karaoke after their movie night, the Nebula X1 really could be the ultimate portable and outdoor projector cinema package. I'll be keen to get my hands on it and see how it fares.

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• The Dangbei N2 mini is available now, priced at $179 / £159 )about AU$330)
• 1080p, 200 ISO Lumens, up to 120-inch display
• 'AI' auto picture adustments, 190º tilt for easy projection anywhere

Dangbei's new entry level LED projector, the Dangbei N2 mini, delivers 1080p HD and has native apps for Netflix, YouTube and Prime Video – plus a built-in gimbal and automatic picture adjustment tech (with the obligatory claim of 'AI' powers) that should make it easy to place it anywhere and get a well-aligned display.

It's also very keenly priced, with an introductory offer of $179 / £159 (about AU$330). That's roughly 20% off the normal list price, and it's less than half what you'd pay for our current best portable projector pick, the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro.

Dangbei N2 mini: key features

The most obvious difference between the N2 mini and more expensive models is brightness: where the XGIMI is 450 ISO Lumens, the N2 mini is rated at 200 ISO Lumens, so this isn't one for brightly lit spaces. But it's exceptionally portable, weighing just 3.78 lb (1.72 kg), and it comes with a host of automatic features for easy setup and operation. There's also a 6W speaker system with Dolby Audio support.

The recommended display size is 100 inches, but the N2 mini is capable of projecting from 40 to 120 inches.

The integrated gimbal enables smooth and accurate positioning on floors, walls or ceilings and the power port is base-mounted to avoid interference. The optical system is sealed to keep dust out, which Dangbei says delivers 30% longer life – although it doesn't say what that lifespan actually is. Bluetooth is 5.2 and the N2 mini has Wi-Fi 6.

The N2 mini has nearly 300 apps to choose from, and the pre-installed Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube apps are all given their own buttons on the remote.

The Dangbei N2 mini is available now.

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• Aurzen first debuted its tri-folding compact projector at CES 2025
• After a Kickstarter, it's now up for sale on Amazon and already seeing a discount
• With the ultra-portable Zip projector, it can show content horizontally or vertically

The 2025 Consumer Electronics Show might be long over, but in about four months since then, one of the wildest products we saw on the show floor is well up for order and shipping soon.

The Aurzen ZIP is a tri-folding ultra-portable projector, making the like of the Samsung Freestyle seem downright clunky. It impressed us in a brief demonstration at the show, mostly for the sheer novelty and it’s up for order right now on Amazon.

It’s priced at $399.99, with Prime members scoring free shipping, but if you pick the Gold color you can clip a coupon on the page for $20 off.

That brings the cost for this compact projector down to $379.99. Though, if you’re set on Grey you’ll need to pay the full price of $399.99.

Aurzen’s ZIP lets you cast a 720pHD screen on nearly any surface from an integrated DLP projector. It promises up to 100 ANSI lumens of brightness and even has stereo speakers built-in, though considering the size, we wouldn’t expect super-powerful audio.

It even packs a solid amount of connectivity, including Bluetooth 5.4 for screen mirroring or connecting to another audio service. Still, through a Wi-Fi dongle, you can utilize CastPlay to communicate with other devices and cast content.

Even neater, though, is that the ZIP can cast content horizontally, which makes it great for watching movies, TV shows, or even a sports game, but the versatility is upped as it can also show vertical content in the 3:2 format.

This means you can connect your iPhone or Android to watch TikToks, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram Reels on the big screen. Err, wherever you opt to put that big screen. There is a built-in gyroscope to let it make that switch from horizontal to vertical or vice versa as well. An Apple-esque feature list on Amazon lists that the Zip features Auto Keystone – which should mean you get a clear picture – and ‘Zero-Lag Focus.’

Even with a laundry list of features, don’t go into the Aurzen Zip thinking it’s going to deliver the best picture possible. It's almost certainly a step below the Samsung Freestyle.

Rather, this will be excellent for the traveler or someone who is on the go and wants to take in content – horizontal or vertical – via a bigger view. Maybe, you’re on the road and want to lie in bed and watch a show on your ceiling.

It also speaks to the design here, which is the really neat part – the Zip is a full tri-folding design for a projector that weighs in at just 9.8 ounces or 280 grams. When closed, it’s a bit bigger than a Post-it note at 3.1 x 3.1 x 1 inch, and you can get it to project the perfect view by tilting the top panel, which contains the projector and top controls.

You can watch our first look at the Aurzen Zip from CES 2025 above, and let me know in the comments if you end up adding this to your cart. Again, it’s available on Amazon for $399.99 in Grey, but if you get in Gold, you can clip the $20 off coupon on the page to get it for just $379.99.

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• 180-inch screens from just 4 metres away; designed for up to 200 inches
• AI-powered optimization of compressed streaming video
• HDR-PRO with HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+

BenQ has announced two new 4K projectors as part of its Home Cinema Series: the premium W5850, which is designed for theater-grade large screens; and the W4100i, which promises cinema-grade visuals for home theater rooms to rival the best projectors.

The 2,600 lumen W5 is "designed for the ultimate cinematic experience". It's capable of up to 200-inch screens with a shorter throw ratio of 1.0 to 1.6. That enables it to deliver a 180-inch display from just four meters away.

The W4100i has a 3,200-lumen LED light source, Android TV and AI Cinema Calibration mode, which BenQ says ensures "cinema-grade visuals" from streaming content.

BenQ Home Cinema Series: key features

Each of the Home Cinema Series projectors meets key industry standards including 100% DCI-P3, and Delta E<3 (with high-end models such as the W5850 achieving Delta E<2).

There's BenQ's own HDR-PRO technology, which enhances contrast through multi-stage processing – Global Contrast Enhancer, Local Contrast Enhancer, and Dynamic Black – and the tech supports HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+.

There's built in noise reduction to enhance compressed streaming content, and the latest version of BenQ's AI Cinema Mode. This is a real-time image composition analyzer that dynamically adjusts HDR, color saturation and sharpness, significantly improving the appearance of the compressed video content from the major streaming services.

AI processing is big among the best TVs, but hasn't made an impact on projectors much yet – that's clearly starting to change.

Connectivity includes HDMI 2.1, SPDIF and eARC with support Dolby Atmos and 7.1 surround sound. There's also a low-latency Fast Mode that promises a fast 17.9ms response time for movies, sports, and games.

We only have UK pricing so far, with the BenQ W4100i set for a £2,999 (about $3,890 / AU$6,225) price, while the W5850 is set to cost £4,599 (about $5,960 / AU$9,550).

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• JMGO N1S 4K is a new portable 4K laser projector
• 1,100 lumens, and up to 200 inches at a 1.2:1 throw ratio
• $1,299 / about £1,005 / AU$2,155

If you're in the market for one of the best portable projectors, one of the most tempting models is the LG Cinebeam Q with its 120-inch, 4K projection and $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,499 price tag at launch (now largely available under £1,000/$1,000). But it's just got some serious competition in the form of the similarly priced JMGO N1S 4K.

Like the LG, it produces big images from a small footprint. But it's capable of projecting 4K at up to 200 inches compared to the LG's 120 inches. Okay, that's not quite the double we mentioned in the headline, but it's close enough – it's a lot of inches for a compact beamer.

JMGO N1S 4K: key features and price

This is a portable player measuring just 7.3 x 6.5 x 7.5 inches (18.5 x 16.5 x 19.1 cm), but there's no battery so you'll need to find somewhere to plug it in. Because it doesn't need to worry about battery life, it's impressively bright, putting out a claimed 1,100 ISO lumens – the LG Cinebeam Q, for comparison, is 500 ANSI lumens.

You might notice there's a difference there – ISO lumens versus ANSI lumens. But a rating in ISO lumens is generally brighter than ANSI lumens, so actually the difference appears (on paper) to be even wider than it first looks.

The sound system is decent given the small size of the devices, cramming in 10W speakers and a small bass unit, and the N1S is compatible with both Dolby Audio and DTS-HD.

You can adjust the projection angle up to 127 degrees using the stand that doubles as a handle, and there's promised 110% coverage of BT.2020 color, a 1,600:1 full on/full off contrast ratio, and HDR10.

There's MEMC motion smoothing, an HDMI 2.1 port with eARC, and it runs Google TV with support for both Google Assistant and Google Cast. For gamers there's 1080p 60Hz support with a reasonable 17ms input lag.

Officially the N1S 4K will retail at $1,299 in the US and €1,399 in the EU (roughly £1,006 / AU$2,155). But at the moment it's being discounted heavily for US users with a price of just $999. It's unclear whether that's a permanent price adjustment or just a limited-time offer.

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