Best Projector 2025: Build a home theatre with these tested devices

Looking for a projector that’s explicity for gaming? BenQ’s X3100i is what you’re looking for with its solid 4K HDR picture and low input lag.

There’s a range of gaming features available with multiple modes with low input, 1080p/120Hz support, an FPS Crosshair feature and BenQ’s SettingXchange, which allows you to import custom gaming modes and colour parameters that have been created by experts and professional gamers. We measured input lag at an impressively low 16ms, and at 1080p/240Hz that figure falls to 4ms.

The picture puts in a bright, colourful and punchy performance. At its maximum output, the X3100i offers 3300 ANSI lumens of brightness (cinema mode reduces it to 2000 ANSI lumens). Black levels are more grey than black, but the performance we see with the X300G is consistent with other single chip DLP projectors, so contrast doesn’t deliver on what BenQ claims the projector does out of the box. Motion handling is superb, and overall, its wide colour performance and brightness makes up for its lack of deep blacks.

The sound system is pretty good for more casual viewing, but the 2.1 channel system (device Bon Jovi’s cousin) doesn’t have the scale or power to create a soundstage that complements its big screen images. They can’t go too loud without starting to distort.

It’s been quite a few years since the W2700 was released, so we were pleased as punch to see its successor arrive in the W2710i, a projector aimed at home cinema enthusiasts that sits within the mid-range of the market.

Our reviewer observed that the W2710i follows the same living room-friendly design template BenQ has used for many years. Its reasonably compact size allows it to fit comfortably onto almost any coffee or side table, and its three screw-down feet help angle the image correctly onto a screen or wall, and we’d recommend owning or getting a screen for a projector such as this.

The W2710i supports 4K and HDR, though it isn’t necessarily native 4K as the projector uses some clever tricks to create the illusion of ‘proper’ 4K.There are plenty of features to talk about with the W2710i but the most important is that BenQ claims it covers 95% of the DCI-P3 colour range and the full coverage of the SDR Rec 709 spectrum.

It can achieve a brightness of 2200 lumens, which is an increase on the W2700 for slightly brighter images, and there’s support for Filmmaker mode to get close to viewing content as it was mastered. There’s also a special port for a BenQ Android TV smart dongle to stream media with support for apps such as Disney+, Netflix, ITVX, Amazon Prime Video, Now, Apple TV, and Paramount+. Disappointingly, there’s no support for iPlayer or Channel 4.

We found set-up to be a breeze as its optical zoom and optical vertical image shifting gives the user a decent degree of flexibility in terms of placement, while an effective auto keystone adjustment helps get the edges of the image to where it needs it to be.

The W2710i improves on the performance of its predecessor in a number of areas – and in our humble opinion it’s easily one of the best projectors in its class. Images look incredibly sharp and detailed, with good quality native 4K sources looking absolutely pristine, packed with detail and textures no HD image could give you. We also observed that its sharpness doesn’t take a hit when there’s motion to deal with, the W2710i’s 24p True Cinema option serving up one of the most natural and relaxed looking 24p experiences we’ve seen on any projector.

HDR tone mapping is good, enjoying more vibrancy and volume than we’ve seen on other similarly priced projectors, though we did notice that skin tones can look a little suntanned with the projector’s out-of-the-box settings.

The sound system developed by BenQ’s internal Trevolo division is one of the better ones we’ve come across. It’s well-rounded, less harsh and projects audio away from its body well. If you’re sitting behind the projector, we noticed that it does feel as if it comes from the screen.

BenQ is launching another projector in the TK860i that shares similar specs with the W2710I but is designed for more casual users. Look out for that review soon.

Not everyone can afford the Samsung Premiere 9, which commands a price of £5999. In which case, if you’re looking for a TV replacement in the form of a projector, the Hisense PL1 is a more affordable option at less than £1999.

We found its design less intrusive than a TV as it can sit in front of a wall, and a screen up to 100-inches possible would be our recommendation. It’s much more convenient than a long-throw projector like the similarly priced BenQ W270i, as we found you could use the Hisense in a relatively small room.

We were impressed by the picture quality of the PL1. Packing 2100 lumens of brightness, it’s not the brightest UST and so for the best performance we would recommend that you draw the curtains for a proper cinema experience.

HDR support includes HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision; the latter helps the projector deliver a sharp image, with excellent colour vibrancy and motion handling. While projectors can’t match TVs for HDR output, we found the PL1 gives it a good go. It can’t manage deep blacks, reaching dark grey instead but for most dark content, the PL1 should look fine.

The system’s stereo sound system is serviceable enough for news but anything more challenging and you should consider adding additional speakers.

As the market surrounding the best portable projectors continues to open up, we’ve seen more standout devices in this category over the last few years, but at the time of writing it’s the Epson EF-22N that shows just how far these miniature entertainment hubs have come.

Aside from its smaller stature, what helps the EF-22N’s portability, particularly when needed to be used in the great outdoors, is the 360-degree swivel base that makes it incredibly easy to find the right level of framing without needing to constantly move the projector from place to place. The charging port is also conveniently located in the base of the device, so the power cable won’t get tangled up as the projector moves.

When it is set up, you can enjoy all of the smart features and apps that Google TV has to offer on the Epson EF-22N. This includes access to key streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus, although irritatingly we were unable to access iPlayer or Channel 4 due to licensing issues. Still, there’s plenty on offer here and it’s handy to know that you don’t need to throw an extra device like the Fire TV Stick 4K Max into the mix.

In spite of its portable ambitions, the Epson EF-22N is still able to reach some impressively high levels of brightness, up to 1000 ISO lumens to be exact. At that level, it’s easy to make out plenty of detail in whatever it is that you’re watching. Even in darker scenes, the visuals never became muddy in our testing, so you’ll never be taken out of the immersion due to lacklustre visual quality.

While the Samsung Freestyle is still a better portable option for those tied to a budget, we can’t recommend the Epson EF-22N enough if you have the money to spend.

We’re onto the second generation of Samsung’s Freestyle projector and it’s arguably even better than the original.

Like the Freestyle 2019 version, this new model looks not unlike Luxor Jr. of Pixar fame, dressed in a white finish with its cylindrical shape and adjustable stand. Like before, the stand can be adjusted from 90 to 180 degrees, allowing for an image to be projected on a wall or even the ceiling.

It’s in the features area where the new Freestyle begins to diverge from the old Freestyle. There’s support 21:9 for screen ratios as well as Samsung’s Gaming Hub for cloud gaming. The Smart Edge Blending combines the images of two Freestyles into, a image we found to be even bigger and brighter than using one by itself. It also increases the minimum screen size from 100-inches to 130-inches that allows users to get the full benefit of the 21:9 ratio.

The micro-HDMI input can accept HDR signals and supports ARC for adding a soundbar. There’s a USB-C port for connecting to the power adapter or connecting the projector to an external battery. Its wireless support includes Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3 and Apple AirPlay 2. Wi-Fi offers access to the Tizen-powered smart platform where you can find streaming apps such as Disney+, Netflix, and Apple TV+.

There’s built-in Bixby and Alexa voice assistance along with SmartThings support, which like before is an app that we found makes set-up and installation very simple. The Smart Calibration feature allows images to be calibrated with a smartphone, accurately compensating for colours if you’re watching on a non-white coloured wall or surface.

Our reviewer measured the amount of the noise the projector produced from two feet away, and found it matched the original with only 25dB of noise. In general we found picture quality to be very good with images that look clean and detailed, and though the projector is limited to 1080p resolution, we did not see any distracting image artifacts when the projector downscales content from 4K.

It is slightly brighter than the original at 550 lumens, which is not as bright as the Yaber K2S‘ 800 ANSI lumens, but we found its tone mapping to be very good, producing HDR images with plenty of pop. Unfortunately, the Freestyle 2023 does suffer from limitations such as weak blacks, contrast and possible colour fringing (rainbow effect) for some people.

It’s a decent option for gaming with a 40ms gaming lag (better than the original), and the built-in speaker system spreads audio in all directions, and we found it could go loud without distorting or losing its composure.

The new Freestyle takes what made the original good and adds a few more useful features and refines the overall performance. This is a fun, hassle-free smart projector that’s easy to use for big screen viewing in your home. The original Freestyle is still available at around £499, though the Samsung has recently reduced the price of the new model to £699.