The best gaming projectors aren't the super-expensive, super-slow, low-res chunky machines of old. Today, projectors can keep up with some of the best gaming monitors and churn out vibrant images at high refresh rates for relatively few pennies. Definitely "relatively", though, because although they're much cheaper than they used to be, they're still expensive in absolute terms.
The BenQ TK700STi is our current choice for the best gaming projector, offering an impressively low 4 ms latency at 240 Hz 1080p, or a respectable 16 ms latency at 4K. If you want something slightly better that also lasts twice as long with double the lamp lifespan, the Optoma UHZ55 is the best high-end gaming projector, which costs a little more but is well worth the money if you can afford it.
There's plenty of reason to opt for a beamy boi instead of a panel, too. Most obviously, projectors offer the prospect of a bigger screen than most TVs. But they also offer a solution for those looking to save space, and they're much more portable, too.
Jacob's been chewing through hardware for years, having headed up PCGamesN's coverage back in 2020 before living the mercenary freelance life for a while. He knows his projectors from his panels and, once he's put his glasses on, is a deft hand at assessing more than just which one's which.
The quick list
The best overall
The TK700STi has been around for a while, but it's still a stellar projector. Primarily because it offers super-low latency at 1080p with a 240 Hz refresh rate, as well as a respectably low latency at 4K.
The best high-end
This projector costs a little more than the BenQ one, but it lasts longer and offers slightly better visuals. It's not the cheapest, but for high-end quality you can ask for little more.
The best ultra-short-throw
Some unknown sorcery allows this projector to beam a crisp 4K picture on a surface that's just a few inches away, making it a great replacement for a TV. Which means it's a great space saver.
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The best home cinema
This projector makes for a great home cinema because it beams forth such a magnificently large and vibrant picture. Capable of displaying up to 200 inches, it's perfect for the big home theatre experience.
Recent updates
Updated September 04, 2024 to update our picks for the best gaming projectors and update the guide to our new format.
The best overall gaming projector
✅ You want something super-snappy: This projector not only has a low 4 ms latency at 1080p, but it has a respectable 16 ms latency at 4K, which is a little lower than most gaming projectors at this resolution
✅ You want to save space: This is a short-throw projector, meaning you don't have to have it placed half-way across the room. It works great in smaller rooms.
❌ You want a super-long lifespan: This thing's 15,000-hour lifespan is very much a product of its time. There are longer-lasting projectors these days, so if longevity is a key factor you might want to look for something else.
The BenQ TK700STi has been around a while but it's still the best gaming projector overall thanks to its snappy performance for the price. With an exceptionally low 4 ms latency at 240Hz, this thing is perfect for any gamer looking to delve into the world of beamed imagery.
240 Hz is spectacular for a projector, and even when you move up to 4K at 60 Hz you're looking at just 16 ms response, which is lower than most other gaming projectors at this resolution and should be enough for most non-competitive games.
This is technically not a native 4K projector, just to be clear. It uses Texas Instrument's XPR (expanded pixel resolution) pixel-switching tech to mimic UHD, but it does so with flair and still manages to look hella sharp.
Being a short-throw projector also means you don't have to mess around when looking for a place to put it. It works straight from your coffee table so no need to hang it overhead or tuck it behind the sofa. However, if you can manage a 6.5 ft (2m) distance, you'll be rewarded with just over 100 inches (2.5m) of screen space.
Coupled with the 3,000 ANSI lumen brightness, the BenQ TK700STi should give up a great cinematic experience even in broad daylight, although the lamp life leaves something to be desired. It's rated at only 15,000 hours, even on the most eco-friendly setting, and boy does it throw out some heat from the front right corner.
The speakers are weak, keystone calibration is a bit of a pain to get right, and working with the operating system's apps is a little finicky, but these are issues that shouldn't detract from the gaming experience once you've got everything set up. And that's what you're here for, right? A fantastic gaming experience.
If that's what you're looking for, look no further. BenQ really hit it out of the park with this one because there's a heck of a lot of gaming power behind this little projector.
The best high-end gaming projector
✅ You're a competitive gamer: If you've a need for speed, and your machine can make use of that 240 Hz refresh rate with high fps, the Optoma UHZ55 is one of the fastest beamers we've tested.
✅ You have the space for long throw: The Optoma UHZ55 needs to be positioned between 1.2 and 8.1 m away from the projection surface.
❌ You're planning to use the built-in speaker: The speaker is weak and tinny to the point of being quite painful, especially if you're sitting right next to it.
❌ You can't place the projector head-on: The Optomoa UHZ55's keystone doesn't work in gaming mode, so make sure you have somewhere to put it.
If you're looking for something decidedly spectacular and you don't mind paying a little more for the luxury, the Optoma UHZ55 is the best high-end gaming projector.
This thing is almost the entire package, only really lacking in areas that you'd likely want to reserve for third-party solutions anyway, such as audio. In all the key areas, though, the UHZ55 really shines. Especially for gaming.
We're talking up to a 240 Hz refresh rate and as low as 4 ms latency, which is about as good as it gets for a projector and should deliver a mighty snappy gaming experience. In Katie's review of this Optoma projector, she found it to deliver stellar performance with no noticeable latency even at 4K.
Snappiness is only one half of the picture, but the other half is just as impressive because the image quality is superb. Thanks in part to its adjustable focus, the Optoma UHZ55 delivers perfectly sharp visuals. It's bright, too, with its 3,000 ANSI lumens allowing for use even with the curtains open.
The slightly cheaper BenQ TK700STi above shares almost the same specs and looks almost as good—but not quite. One thing that's particularly great about the UHZ55 is that it's a better value proposition overall thanks to having double the rated lifespan at 30,000 hours.
It's not perfect, however. Keystone correction resets when in gaming mode, so you need to make sure you have room for this thing to face pretty much head-on. Tinny speakers and a custom Android OS that lacks the full Google Play cornucopia also hold it back somewhat.
But if you're paying for a high-end projector for gaming, you'll probably be using your own speaker setup anyway and the packaged OS will mean little given you'll be hooking it up to your gaming PC. In which case, the UHZ55 will be ideal. Just make sure your PC can churn out the frames needed to make the most of the projector's 240 Hz refresh rate before you go dropping a couple of grand on it.
Read our full Optoma UHZ55 review.
The best ultra-short-throw gaming projector
✅ You want to save space: You don't need a whole lot of room for a UST projector like this one because it can sit right where your TV would.
❌ You want the absolute best gaming experience: This thing is plenty snappy at 6 ms, but its refresh rate maxes out at 60 Hz.
The XGIMI Aura 4K UST might not be the newest projector on the market, but it's the best ultra-short-throw projector you can buy right now.
If you're wondering what an "ultra-short-throw" (UST) projector is, it's quite simple. It's a projector that throws the image a very short distance—as in, inches rather than feet. The purpose? Essentially, it acts as a replacement for a TV that's placed next to a wall.
God only knows what sorcery allows such projectors to throw images such a short distance, but the end result is impressive: A crisp and sharp image mere centimetres from its source. This lets you save space by ditching the giant physical TV and replacing it with a smallish box. Which, of course, is much more portable than even the flattest of flat screens.
The XGIMI Aura specifically can create a "screen" that's up to 150 inches on the diagonal while sitting less than 18 inches from the wall it's beaming onto. While the extreme angle required for such close positioning does cause very slight blurriness in the top corners, this is slight and only at the fringes. For the most part, the image this thing generates is incredibly—perhaps even miraculously—sharp.
It's better for gaming than some other options, too, thanks to a very low 6 ms latency. Just bear in mind that it maxes out at 60 Hz. If you want more, you might be better off ditching the hopes for a UST device and opting for the BenQ or Optoma above.
If you want a home space-saver to replace your TV, though, the Aura 4K UST is a respectable choice and is well worth a look.
Read our full XGIMI Horizon Aura 4K UST review.
The best home cinema gaming projector
✅ You want a blazing bright, big screen gaming display: The Ultra delivers a stunning 4K HDR image, and even when heavily keystoned, it's able to offer up a low latency gaming experience.
✅You want a compact home theatre: With a wide variety of inputs and some genuinely impressive speakers, it's practically all you need for a simple home theatre.
❌ You're expecting streaming nirvana: There are a host of apps and services not supported by the frustrating Android TV and manufacturer licensing issues built into the Horizon Ultra.
Yes, projectors have their practical uses, but come on, when thinking "projector" who doesn't also think big cinema screen? And which of us hasn't been to the cinema and thought, "I wonder what it's like to play games on that thing"? If it's that kind of thinking that tickles your fancy, the XGIMI Horizon Ultra is the best home cinema gaming projector.
What makes for a good home cinema projector? Primarily, two things: screen size and image quality. But secondarily, you probably also want a box that looks the part, too, as it'll likely be on display in your home theatre setup.
This thing delivers on all these fronts. First and foremost, it's capable of creating a sharp image at up to a whopping 200 inches on the diagonal. Of course, to achieve such a large image means having the space to keep the projector at a distance and somewhat head-on from the wall, but I'd expect no less for a home cinema.
The Horizon Ultra doesn't just make for a big screen, however. It also makes for a stunning visual experience thanks to its 2,300 ISO lumens and Dolby Vision HDR. If you're looking for the cinema experience, this is it. Of course, just like at a real cinema, too much sunlight can ruin the deal, so don't expect miracles on that front.
You might not need to spend too much time setting things up to achieve such a great image, either, thanks to its auto-focus. But if tinkering to get things just right is your thing, in his testing our Dave did find the Horizon Ultra to have great colour calibration and keystoning.
It also looks the part for a home gaming cinema, don't you think? It reminds me more of a centrepiece Vox amp than a projector, which makes sense given this thing packs fantastic-sounding 12 W Harman Kardon speakers that are much better than the 5 W tinny ones you usually get with projectors.
Unfortunately, the Horizon Ultra only goes up to 60 Hz and its latency is rated at 17 ms. But there'll always be trade-offs between image size and quality and snappiness. If you're going for a home theatre with a giant projector screen, you can't expect 240 Hz and 4 ms, at least not with current projector technology at anything like a reasonable price.
If it's that home cinema experience you care about, the XGIMI Horizon Ultra has you covered in pretty much every relevant way.
Read our full XGIMI Horizon Ultra review.
Also tested
Gaming projector FAQ
How do I choose a gaming projector?
If you're looking to do online competitive gaming, look for a gaming projector with a high refresh rate and low latency. That way the information you need can reach your eyes faster, and it won't feel like your character's moving through sludge when you try to react.
If competitive games aren't your thing, you can settle for a higher latency—it's generally only perceptible above 60 ms for your average gamer. A higher refresh only becomes relevant if your hardware can pump out more than 60 fps, otherwise, a 60 Hz projector is fine.
The gaming projectors on our list achieve 40ms or lower—some significantly so. Many gaming projectors are backed by impressive sound systems, a vibrant colour range, high resolution, and long lamp life. All these things should be considered carefully when choosing a gaming projector, depending on which features matter most to you.
You should also make sure you have space for your projector where it'll need to go. If you want it behind you, or overhead, a long throw projector will be best. If you're looking for one to pop on the coffee table, a short-throw projector will work great. Of, if you want to put it up against a wall, you're going to want an ultra-short throw projector.
Are projectors worth it for gaming?
Nowadays, yes. There are plenty of gaming projectors with speedy refresh rates and low latency, and even 4K projectors so you can get up close and inspect the fine details. If you want to play your games on a larger screen size than you could ever dream of, a projector is the perfect solution. Of course, consider your space and what features matter to you before you dump your TV and replace it with a gaming projector.
