The Best Gaming Projector

Pros: 

Cons: 

Expensive, low brightness.

If you are aware of gaming monitors, you know that Acer has manufactured a number of highly acclaimed displays – ranging from high picture quality displays to blazing fast monitors that have a refresh rate of 144Hz and above.

Well, the company has ventured into creating some gaming projectors. One of them is the Acer Predator Z650.

The Acer Predator Z650 has a predominantly matte black color scheme, but the sides are painted red because this is part of the company’s “Predator” lineup of gaming products. On the front, you will find some grilles and it also has some ripple accents to further improve its aesthetics. There are other grilles that you can find on the side as well for improved ventilation.

One of the best things about the Z650 is its plethora of ports. It has an RS232 port, an HDMI 2/MHL port, an HDMI 1.4a port, a micro USB connection, an S-Video port, a VGA-in and VGA-out, and a slew of audio connection ports as well.

You will find that this is not only a great projector, but it is also great for a home theater setup as well.

The Acer Predator Z650 also provides a variety of picture modes. But, what makes this great as a gaming projector is its “ColorPurity” feature. This feature, in essence, provides more vivid and punchy colors without sacrificing detail.

Despite the feature, it is held back by its lower brightness rating. This best projector for gaming lens can only go as high as 2200 Lumens, which means that the ambient lighting should be pretty low in order for it to have its maximum visual performance.

But, what makes this a “gaming” projector is its insanely low input lag. It only has an input lag of 14ms which puts this product as one of the fastest and best projectors for gaming.

Probably, the only thing that’s holding this thing from being one of the best projectors for gaming is its lower brightness rating. But apart from that, the Acer Predator Z650 should definitely be considered if you want one of the best gaming projectors on the market.

Pros: 

1080p Resolution, robust build quality.

Cons: 

Not a lot of ports, speakers need improvement.

If you just want to try out a good projector for gaming without breaking the bank, then the Optoma HD143X is the one for you.

Optoma has been known to produce quite a number of great projectors; whether it is for corporate or home use.

The Optoma HD143X is the company’s successor to their now defunct HD lineup. This projector supports a native resolution of 1920×1080 which seems to be the current standard in gaming.

This best gaming projector makes use of the DLP technology and I am quite surprised that the company opted for fewer connectivity options as opposed to other projectors for gaming that can accommodate quite a handful.

The HD143X has only two HDMI 1.4a ports, a 3D Sync slot, a 3.5mm audio jack, 12V trigger and an USB power port so that you can plug in your peripherals such as a mouse, for example.

I have to point out that Optoma has been known to create projectors for gaming that are not only budget-friendly, but they are also pretty bright as well. This projector is rated at 3,000 lumens and it does a pretty good job of projecting the display on the wall. For maximum results, you would want to have a low ambient lighting.

It has an all-black finish which makes it look appealing and there are also vents that are put on all the sides of it for even ventilation.

On the top of the device lies the projector’s basic controls. You can also control the device using its included remote which pretty much the same controls.

Now, as mentioned earlier, one of the most important aspects of a gaming projector is its low input lag. And, I am quite happy that the Optoma HD143X provides a mere 16.4 ms input lag which should not introduce slowness or any visual distortions due to lag.

I do have to point out that because the projector makes use of a slower color wheel, rainbow artifacts will be present in some situations. Thankfully, it doesn’t come up too often to become annoying.

The lamp life of the HD143X is also rated to last up to 12,000 hours which makes the device last for more than 3 years of moderate use.

If you want a great entry level gaming projector, then the Optoma HD143X is an excellent choice.

Pros: 

Very good color reproduction, 1080p resolution, powerful brightness.

Cons: 

Rainbow artifacts in certain situations.

Another great budget best projector for gaming, the ViewSonic PJD7828HDL aims to provide a Full HD Resolution display with impressive color reproduction.

Unlike the previous recommendation, the ViewSonic PJD7828HDL sports a predominantly glossy white design. At the top, you will find the ViewSonic branding and some basic controls. On the front are some grilles for ventilation and there are also some on the sides as well.

Now, the PJD7828HDL has a short-throw lens which is great. For those of you who do not know, a “short-throw” lens will only require you a bit of space for the projector to display its full supported image. In other words, this best projector for gaming does not need to be positioned far away from the wall in order to have its full supported display which is a godsend for people who have a small room.

One unique feature of the ViewSonic PJD7828HDL is its “PortAll” feature. This feature is essentially a discreet MHL port so that you can plug in a wireless dongle such as a Google Chromecast, for example. There is also a micro-USB power port that can easily charge devices which have a micro USB slot.

The ViewSonic PJD7828HDL’s lens is rated at a maximum brightness of 3,200 lumens and it also has a contrast ratio of 15000:1. This is actually a pretty good start considering that this projector costs below $1000.

It also supports the full HD resolution or 1080p and what’s great is that because of its short-throw lens and amazing brightness, you can pretty much enjoy the full resolution with just ample ambient lighting and the projector need not be too far away to use it to its full potential.

One of the PJD7828HDL’s hallmark features is its great color reproduction. Thanks to the company’s proprietary “SuperColor” technology, this best projector for gaming is able to provide more vivid images. Mileage may vary, though, depending on the current ambient lighting and the original color from the source (game console/PC).

Despite the projector’s impressive color reproduction and brightness, the ViewSonic PJD7828HDL still suffers from the occasional rainbow artifacts because of its slow color wheel. But, that is really overshadowed by its impressive near-constant color performance.

So, how does it perform in games? The ViewSonic PJD7828HDL performs just as well as the Optoma projector above by having a low input lag of only 17ms.

As for connectivity, the ViewSonic PJD7828HDL comes with 1 HDMI/MHL port, 1 HDMI 1.4 port, and two 3.5mm audio in and audio out ports.

If you want a gaming projector that provides a more vivid display without putting a hole in your wallet, then the ViewSonic PJD7828HDL will not disappoint.

Pros: 

Very low input lag, high Contrast Ratio.

Cons: 

Low brightness, heat.

If you’re looking for a true gaming projector that provides a very low input lag of only 16ms, the Optoma GT1080Darbee definitely fits the bill.

The Optoma GT1080Darbee gaming projector sports an all-white look with some basic controls on top and some grilles on all sides of the projector. This best projector for gaming is also lightweight as it only weighs 2.5kg. You can pretty much bring this with you if you plan on gaming at your friend’s house and it even has a convenient carrying case as well.

I am impressed that the Optoma GT1080Darbee has a 28,000:1 contrast ratio. This means that the blacks look black and the whites are truly white.

It has a short-throw lens and you only need the projector to be a meter away to fully display its 100-inch image support. This is perfect for gamers who only have small rooms.

The Optoma GT1080Darbee gaming projector supports the Full HD Resolution (1920×1080) and has a native aspect ratio of 16:9. For its ports, it has two HDMI 1.4 ports with one of them having MHL support, usb port, 12v out and a lone 3.5mm audio jack for headphones of 2.1 speakers.

Visually speaking, the GT1080Darbee performs really well. With its impressive contrast ratio and vibrant color reproduction, the in-game environment will surely pop out even more when compared to other gaming projectors at this price point.

It is also a nice thing to know that the Optoma GT1080Darbee doesn’t suffer from rainbow artifacts that are present in the previous recommendations. This is a huge plus, especially considering that this best projector for gaming works best in dark or dimly-lit rooms.

One last key thing I need to note here is that the GT1080Darbee produces a lot more heat than the previous best projector for gaming I’ve mentioned.

Despite having a lot of grilles, the device just gives off a lot of heat after a few hours. In order to use this projector without fear of destroying it due to high temperatures, it is best that you use this in a relatively cool environment.

Lastly, the gaming performance of the Optoma GT1080Darbee is just absolutely amazing. With only 16ms input lag, there are no slowness or distortions present at all!

Pros: 

Great color performance, 16ms input lag, better audio performance than others.

Cons: 

Expensive, low brightness in some modes.

Most people don’t have the luxury of having big rooms for their entertainment purposes. But, what if you really want to elevate your gaming experience by using a projector? Well, the BenQ HT2150ST is something that you might want to buy if you have a rather small room for your gaming and entertainment needs.

The “ST” in the moniker stands for “Short Throw” and you essentially need only a meter’s distance away from the wall to be able to output a 100-inch display.

Now, the BenQ HT2150ST only has a brightness rating of only 2,200 lumens which again does not bode well when there is ample ambient lighting. It only works best in dimly lit rooms or in rooms where light is completely turned off.

The BenQ HT2150ST sports a predominantly white design and at the back of this best projector for gaming lies a lot of ports that can suit whatever device you want to connect to it.

It has an HDMI 1.4a port, HDMI 2.0/MHL port, an USB type-A port, an USB Type B Mini port, a VGA slot, an RS232 port, and an audio-in and audio out ports if you wish to connect an external audio system.

Speaking of audio, the HT2150ST sounds much better than other best gaming projectors in its price range. Bass is not expected to be boomy, but for the most part, it is loud without those ugly distortions and the highs and mids are quite prominent, not to mention the voice clarity is crisp as well.

Its picture quality is also impressive. I like to point out that the Cinema preset gives the best color reproduction, but it introduces a much higher input lag so you may want to limit its use only when you’re watching movies or your favorite shows.

In terms of gaming performance, the BenQ HT2150ST showed only 16.4ms input lag in game mode. When you use all other picture preset modes, you will experience a much higher input lag, though, not dramatically high that you will notice slowness inherent in high-input lag in the projector.

It is just so sad that this projector also has a lower brightness rating at only 2,200 lumens. Other than that, the BenQ HT2150ST is a great gaming projector that you can snag for under $1000.