Valerion just unveiled two elite ultra-short throw projectors made for massive 4K visuals

• 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.

The best projectors for all budgets

➡️ Read our full guide to the best projectors
1. Best for home theater fans
Epson Pro Cinema LS12000
2. Best budget 4K projector
BenQ GP520
3. Best ultra short throw projectors
Hisense PX3-Pro
4. Best portable projector
Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen