Projectors to play, the best | September 2021

Projectors to play, the best | September 2021

Projectors to play

Are you passionate gamers and have you decided to dedicate a corner or an entire room of your home to assemble a gaming station with all the trappings? In this case, you might consider buying a gaming projector. Contrary to what many think, in fact, among the projectors there are more than adequate devices for video games. The same manufacturers, over time, have differentiated their offer, with product lines intended for entertainment and gaming, in a specific way.

However, we must remember, however, that projectors are devices - precisely to because of their principle of operation - quite different from TV screens or gaming monitors: precisely for this reason, you need to know their characteristics thoroughly before buying one. The element that distinguishes them most is the rather high refresh rate; similarly, input lag can be a disadvantage of some models, especially among the cheaper ones, although in recent years several devices have made their debut on the market that manage it in a much better way.

In our list, below, you will find several gaming projectors divided by price range and features and inserted taking into account their technical data and above all the degree of adaptability to video games. Before starting, we remind you that if you prefer TVs, on our pages you can also find numerous guides about it such as: best 4K LED TVs, best 4K OLED TVs, best gaming TVs or best cheap TVs for PS5 and Xbox Series X / S.

Gaming projectors

VAMVO L6200, the economical YABER V6, with Wi-Fi Acer Nitro G550, optimized for Epson EH-TW750 gaming, also perfect for BenQ TH685 movies, with 8ms gaming mode Asus F1, with Harman Kardon lumens and audio Epson EH-TW5700, the most complete Epson EH-TW5820, the smartest Epson EH-TW7400, the top of the top

VAMVO L6200: cheap but valid

Average price: 200-250 euros Resolution: Full HD The VAMVO L6200 is one of the best gaming projectors, if not the best, which can currently be found in the price range of 200-250 euros, and represents the best compromise between the cost of the device and its quality: to have at least a sufficient experience, in fact, we advise you not to avoid any projector sold for less than 170-180 euros in the price list, since in that case the risk of running into devices that fit pretty bad gaming is very high. The VAMVO L6200, on the other hand, manages to do it in a more than worthy way, despite the rather low cost, and can count on a declared brightness value (well 6000 lumens) which, on paper, is truly remarkable for the reference range. The native resolution is 1080p, with support for 2K upscaling. There are also two HDMI ports, so you can connect both a device for the video source and a possible audio source (an ARC system or similar, even if the device is still equipped with an internal speaker).


YABER V6: Wi-Fi support

Average price: 300 euros Resolution: Full HD We start to go up a bit with the price, but even with the functions and quality, with the YABER V6: it is, in this case, a projector with several more arrows in its bow, such as the ability to connect via WiFi to any device connected to the home network, by mirroring the screen: of course, you will never want to use this function with your consoles or your PC, but it is still a plug-and-play feature not just, which can be useful if your notebook or smartphone is not has the necessary connections. The maximum brightness of the YABER V6 is 7500 lux, while the native resolution is 1080p, with the possibility of upscaling to 4K. There is also support for bluetooth and digital zoom (up to 50%), while the purchase of the projector during the promotional periods indicated by the company will also allow you to receive a free transport bag.


Acer Nitro G550: perfect for gaming

Average price: 700 euros Resolution: Full HD Acer was one of the first companies to decide to include a projector in a line of products specifically dedicated to gaming: thanks to this choice, the Acer Nitro G550 was born, a Full HD projector with features that, although not exactly among the top of the range, make it an excellent choice for video games. The input lag is rather low for the average of the reference category (without sacrificing too much brightness, which remains at a value of 2,200 ANSI units, according to the scale studied by the American National Standards Institute), while the integrated lamp guarantees a lifespan of 3500 hours before needing to be replaced. There is also support for different video codecs and Nvidia 3D, which makes this projector quite suitable for use with a computer equipped with the latest generation Nvidia graphics cards. Also at the level of connections the offer is excellent: it is possible to connect two incoming audio lines and there are two HDMI (the first HDCP 2.2, the second with support for MHL devices), but the VGA outputs and the old video output also remain. for almost total compatibility.


Epson EH-TW750: 360 degree entertainment

Average price: 700 euro Resolution: Full HD Epson is one of the most reliable brands in the field of video projectors, and also the new EH series, designed for entertainment (as opposed to the EB series, for work / office use) and available on the market for less than a year , is no exception. The EH-TW750 is an excellent solution for home entertainment, and can also adapt very well to video games: although it does not exceed 1080p as a native resolution, the image quality is already starting to make big steps forward compared to the proposals cheaper, which, while offering high brightness, are forced to make some sacrifices from that point of view. Do not be fooled by the brightness of "only" 3400 lux (which however allows you to extend the life of the internal lamp), since the technologies in the field are very different. Furthermore, this model can count on a refresh rate of 240 Hz and a contrast ratio of 16,000: 1. In terms of connectivity, it should be noted the presence of an optical audio output, to connect many types of home theater.


BenQ TH685: 8ms gaming mode

Average price: 800 euros Resolution: Full HD Unlike other competitors, who have preferred to push further on image quality, BenQ has focused on input lag, which has always been the Achilles heel of projectors compared to traditional screens. The BenQ TH685, the company's gaming projector, features a gaming mode that reduces the latency time to just 8 milliseconds, with a DMD response time and a refresh rate of 120 Hz. The TH685 also features an extremely short throw, which allows you to generate images as large as 100 inches from just 2.5 meters away: this makes it perfect for those who do not have too much space and can only allocate a corner of the house to entertainment and not an entire wall, but still want to throw themselves in buying a gaming projector.


Asus F1: 1200 lumens and Harman Kardon audio

Average price: 850 euro Resolution: Full HD Just like Acer, Asu s has also launched for some time in the production of projectors suitable for entertainment and gaming: one of the most recent examples is the Asus F1, a projector that, in a body characterized by dimensions rather contained (weighs "only" 1 .8 kg) manages to include a respectable technical data sheet. The resolution, which stops at Full HD, is accompanied by a refresh rate of 120 Hz with auto-focus support, which allows you to never lose sharpness when viewing fast-moving images. The 2.1-channel audio is handled by Harman Kardon: great news, in case you don't intend to connect the projector to an external system.


Epson EH-TW5700: versatile and complete

Average price: 900 euro Resolution: Full HD With the Epson EH-TW5700 we begin to enter the high-end market, where almost everyone projectors are able to adapt without too many problems or sacrifices to be used with video games. The EH-TW5700, given the cost of less than 1000 euros, can easily be called one of the best gaming projectors in terms of the ratio between cost (not exaggerated) and performance. The 3LCD technology, which maximizes the rendering of the entire color spectrum with a brightness similar to that of white, makes it a perfect device for both watching movies and playing games, also thanks to the remarkable contrast of 35,000: 1. The internal lamp is designed to last: according to Epson, even watching a film a day - so using it for an average of two hours - you can reach 11 years of life without having to replace any parts.


Epson EH-TW5820: the “smart” projector

Average price: 1000 euro Resolution: Full HD The Epson EH-TW5820 is the big brother of the TW-5700, of which it represents, in fact, an enhanced version. Here too we are talking about a high image quality FHD projector, with a refresh rate of 240 Hz and 3LCD technology. The main feature that distinguishes the EH-TW5820 is the contrast ratio, which doubles the previous one bringing it to 70,000: 1, a value more than adequate for most users, which allows to obtain a visual quality without compromise, without for this having to make the room almost completely dark. Unlike the EH-TW5700, moreover, the EH-TW5820 includes support for Android TV, which acts as a real operating system and allows you to navigate the projector features and take advantage of the wide possibilities of connection to all devices. home (smartphone, notebook, console, PC) in a much easier way.


Epson EH-TW7400: the top of the top

Average price: 2150 euros Resolution: 4K Finally, we arrive at the best of the best: the EH-TW7400 is the projector to choose for those who want a truly enthusiast end device, able to offer only the advantages derived from a similar experience, without any element being sacrificed in order to have them. Of course, the price to pay for such a device is almost prohibitive, but it is still lower than many high-end or very high-end TVs: if you are thinking of buying a projector that really has it all and you can afford it, don't think twice: we are talking about one of the best gaming projectors around, able to adapt in an incredible way to the task. The resolution here rises to 4K (achieved thanks to lens interpolation) and the image quality is truly stunning for a home projector, with a contrast ratio of 200,000: 1 and support for HDR and 3D. . Epson also offers a very complete ecosystem that allows control via the official app for iOS and Android, which acts as a remote control.


How to choose the best gaming projector

Choosing a projector with features that make it suitable for gaming can be a difficult task if you don't know enough information and don't know for sure what data to watch. To help you in your choice, we have therefore thought of a series of tips capable of guiding you and giving you the best advice on a gaming projector suited to your needs and pockets.

Brightness

A projector of quality must mainly be evaluated for its ability to reproduce images in a sharp way: for this reason, it is important that the brightness is as uniform as possible, without more or less shaded areas, and that it remains constantly on good values. Some projectors are certified according to the ANSI scale (the one studied by the American National Standards Institute): in that case, this is an important, but not fundamental, parameter. In any case, do not be fooled by the "declared" brightness, but learn to evaluate it according to certain criteria, including the type of lamp mounted on the projector itself.

Input lag

Se brightness is a fundamental feature in an absolute sense, input lag is for gamers, who need to use a device that does not suffer excessively from excessive latency between the execution of commands and their actual application on the screen . For some time, in the past, projectors have suffered from problems related to input lag, but in recent years several models specifically intended for entertainment and gaming have made their way into the market: in this guide, we have tried to be the as specific as possible, recommending some of the latter.

Features and connections

A good projector can also be recognized thanks to its versatility, which allows it to be connected to as many devices as possible for be exploited to the fullest. Therefore, it must have a sufficient number of audio / video connections: HDMI is an obvious option, but not all projectors have support for ARC and / or MHL standards (in the first case for better audio management , in the second to connect a smartphone more easily), then check their presence or absence and compare them with your needs (the projector could also be used for work).

Video formats

A Another non-trivial feature are the video formats and codecs supported by the projector, which extend its versatility in terms of software compatibility. The presence of the most common and universal formats (Nvidia 3D, Dolby Vision, etc.) can be an important evaluation parameter for the purchase of a projector, especially if it is high-end (in that case it is important that nothing is missing) . In some cases, however, you may have to deal with some limitations, related for example to the support of proprietary technologies connected to some families of video cards, (eg. Nvidia G-Sync or AMD FreeSync), which could limit a little the functions of your projector on a PC.







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