Best Gaming Projector 2019 – Buyer’s Guide
“It’s not about the game, it’s about the size of the game”
For a gamer looking to enhance his game playing experience, the option of playing video games on a Projector is a cost-effective and attractive alternative to a Television. Gaming projectors provide a more immersive gaming experience. The large-scaled displays make even the biggest TV screens appear small.
Although this article focuses on the best gaming projectors available in the market today, you should know that these are equally good for use as Home Cinema Theater.
OPTOMA GT1080
OPTOMA GT1080 is the best gaming projector you can buy under 1000$. It has a splendid list of features.
This short-throw projector is a perfect fit for small rooms. It can be positioned in small places with hassle-free installation. It spews out a Full HD image of 100” diagonal from a separation of 4 feet only.
The White Brightness rating of 2800 ANSI lumens, is adequate for use in rooms with ambient lighting.
Input Lag
This projector has one of the fastest response times. The input lag is only 16ms when used in the preset Game Mode. I have really enjoyed playing CS:GO on the Optoma GT1080. When you couple life-sized characters with a low input lag projector, the gameplay is amazing. Furthermore, it is a lot easier to play since the shooting targets appear large.
Zoom
You will not find a zoom lever on this device. However, it comes with the option of digital zoom. In case you don’t know, digital zoom works by shaving off pixels in the image. As a result, the image appears pixelated.
For any Short Throw Projector, if you want a bigger image without losing sharpness and focus, it is best to adjust projector placement from the screen.
Contrast
Contrast is one of the most important metrics of picture quality. A projector with poor contrast displays washed-out images.
However, this projector has one of the best contrasts of all the projectors included in our review list. The darks are deep black. This results in sharp details, especially in dark scenes.
Motion Artifacts
All DLP projectors are vulnerable to the Rainbow Effect. However, some people are more sensitive to the Rainbow Effect as compared to others.
I personally did not notice any Rainbow Effect with this projector. User reviews on Amazon suggest only a small fraction of people experienced Rainbow Effect whilst others did not.
If you fall into the overly sensitive category, then I advise you to choose an LCD projector.
Smartphone/Tablet Connectivity
A Smartphone or Tablet screen can be shared with the projector using an MHL cable. You can even use MHL to connect and power the HDCast Pro (sold separately).
Pros
- Super quick response time: 16ms for gaming
- Low Fan Noise
- Great Contrast
- Portable: weighs only 2.65kg
- 3D compatible
- Smartphone/tablet connectivity using MHL
- Connectivity: 2 x HDMI (1.4a 3D support) + MHL v1.2, Audio Out 3.5mm, 12V trigger, 3D-Sync, USB service2
- Long Lamp Life 5000 hours
- Integrated Speakers
BENQ HT2150ST
This projector is a very close runner-up behind Optoma GT1080. My only reason for putting Optoma as #1 is because of the dark scenes where Optoma does slightly better than BenQ. Otherwise, both projectors are on par.
If you are looking for great color performance and seamless transition as you play your favorite video games then you should definitely get the BenQ HT2150ST for your gaming needs.
With an input lag of just 16ms in gaming mode, this projector ensures optimum responsiveness for the best gaming experience.
Designed to be used in small rooms, this powerful short throw projector delivers over 100 inches of a display from a separation distance of just one meter. Its brightness level is rated at 2200 ANSI lumens which is bright enough to ensure that the images on display are sharp, clear, and detailed. It also ensures that the images on display are bright even when the ambient lighting is moderate.
The BenQ HT2150ST is built in a compact design that is easy on the eye. It is also light in weight and this makes transporting and installing it very easy. It has several ports for effective connection to the various gaming consoles or a PC. They include two HDMI ports, two USB ports and an audio jack for connecting to external sound sources.
This is a Full HD 1920 x 1080p projector. The images are remarkable, the colors are great, the contrast is good, and a well-defined focused image is projected across the screen. Great for use as Home Theater and Gaming.
Pros
- Great Color Output
- Very low input lag in game mode
- HDMI connectivity: 2 ports
- White Brightness 2200 ANSI Lumens: Good for use in rooms with ambient lighting
- Low Fan Noise
- Good Lamp Life
Get one of these monsters today for the best gaming experience.
ACER H6502
Another great option in our list of good gaming projectors, the Acer H6502BD takes your favorite games or movies and displays them on the big screen with rich details, bright, natural colors and amazing contrast.
Acer’s eColor Boost 3D technology and wall-color compensation allow you to project on just about any surface, including painted walls. ColorSafe II helps prevent color decay, which means a longer use of your projector and better quality over the lifetime of your projector. No fear of strange color tints after a couple of months.
The Acer projector includes special installation utilities that make setup super simple and also gives you power-management solutions for added energy savings.
ACER H6502 SPECIFICATIONS
Projection System: DLP
Contrast Ratio: 20,000:1
Brightness: 3400 ANSI Lumens (Standard)
Resolution : Native 1080p 1920 x 1080 / Maximum WUXGA 1920 x 1200
Input / Output Ports : DMI/MHL Connectivity
Lamp Life: 3500 Hours (Standard), 5000 Hours (ECO), 6500 Hours (ExtremeECO)
Connectivity: HDMI, MHL
If color and size are kings for your gaming or movie viewing experience, the Acer H6502BD might be the projector for you.
Pros
- LumiSense Technology: auto-adjusts brightness levels and color saturation according to ambient light in the room.
- 33 ms input lag is great for use as a gaming projector.
- Auto Ceiling Mount feature: which automatically flips the image if the projector is turned upside down.
- Supports 3D videos.
- MHL connectivity: Projects Mobile phone and Tablet display on to the screen
OPTOMA HD42X
The Optoma HD142X has an excellent picture quality. The product is moderately priced at just over 500$.
Optoma HD142X input lag is only 17ms. Gamers are, therefore, able to enjoy faster response times when playing games online and offline. Its Full HD 1920 x 1080p resolution guarantees clear and sharp images for your gaming obsession. With a brightness level of 3000 ANSI lumens, this projector supports lights on viewing. The lamp on the projector has a lamp life of 8000 hours. This translates to years of use without having to replace the lamp.
You can use the various HDMI ports on the projector to connect to your PC or gaming console. The Optoma HD142X boasts of a powerful internal speaker for your sound needs. It is lightweight and portable.
This projector supports 3D content from 3D sources such as the latest gaming consoles and 3D converter boxes. Just make you have your 3D glasses on for the best viewing and gaming needs.
Pros
- Low input lag for gaming
- Auto power-off feature shuts the projector off whenever it is not in use
- Portable
- 3D compatible
- Fairly Low Priced (close to 500$)
- Great Contrast
VIEWSONIC PJD7828HDL
It is one of the best short throw projectors you can buy at this price.
It supports full HD 1080p resolution. The images produced are of high quality and the projector input lag is well within range for it to be considered a very good choice for a video game projector.
Just like I said earlier for small-sized rooms a short-throw projector proves to be the ideal choice. You can get a super-sized image projection from only a couple of feet away from the screen.
This projector packs 3200 lumens of brightness for bright images, with clear details and is also suitable for rooms with ambient light.
CONCLUSION
When it comes to gaming, the bigger the display the better. Flat-screen TVs and computer monitors for gaming are limited in this regard. Gamers looking for the ultimate gaming experience can definitely opt for projectors as an excellent alternative for their gaming needs.
Projectors were guilty of delivering poor picture quality sometime back but the advancement of technology has improved projector picture quality by leaps and bounds. Gaming Monitors although affordable cannot match the immersive gaming experience of a projector. Hopefully, this guide will help you pick the best projector for your video gaming needs.