Projector Blog : What is the Best Projector for Gaming?

With the release of the Xbox Series X and Playstation 5 (PS5) gamers now get to experience the latest game with a brilliant 4K HDR resolution. Due to the relatively small size of a home television, you are unable to experience the true detail of the 4K resolution until you pair your game console with a 4K gaming projector. Rather than the typical TV sizes of 50-70” you are able to project image sizes up to 300” with most good quality projectors. Imagine yourself playing Halo, Call of Duty, God of War, or Forza up on a 3+ metre wide UltraHD projection screen at home… truly amazing!

Projectors are better for the eyes! When viewing a projector you are viewing reflected light, which is considerably better for the eyes. When viewing a TV you are looking directly at the light, which tends to cause more eye strain... particularly after a long gaming session. Gamers usually find they can play for longer with minimal eye strain on a projector.

When researching for the best gaming projector for you the first thing to decide on is ‘Resolution’. If you have the latest Playstation or Xbox then a 4K projector is definitely recommended. With a 4K gaming projector you can experience a high detail image, just as the game maker designed. If you are on a lower budget or using a slightly older console then a FULL HD (1080p) projector would be perfectly fine.

Input lag is a common term in the gaming world. Basically, it defines the length of time a display takes to display changes ie. The time it takes from when you press a button on your controller to when you see the required action appear on screen. Input lag is so minimal on modern devices it appears almost instant however sometimes when playing really fast games you may notice a very slight lag. Most projectors with a gaming mode can achieve an input lag between 4 and 9ms.

What does a Gaming Mode do?

Many gaming projectors will feature a “gaming mode”. When enabled the gaming mode turns off some of the ‘image processing’ or ‘image enhancements’ that may be running in the projectors background, in order to speed up response times as much as possible. Some projectors even go further with Enhanced gaming modes, these can reduce resolution and/or turn off features such as Keystone Correction in order to speed up response even more.

Brightness is measured in ANSI Lumens. Most modern projectors will feature at least 3000 ANSI Lumens, which is perfectly acceptable for gaming in subdued lighting conditions. If you wish to play games with your room lights on you would be best to look for a projector with 4000+ ANSI Lumens, although keep in mind if your room is very bright your contrast won’t appear as detailed.

Contrast is measured in a ratio, usually appears looking something like, 10,000:1 or 500,000:1. Generally the bigger number the better. A higher contrast will make your blacks blacker and will help you see more detail in those darker scenes. There is no standardised way of measuring contrast so it can be difficult to compare ‘apples with apples’ and a brand may measure differently to another brand. As a general rule the DLP projectors will be better with contrast, these are from brands like Optoma and BenQ. The other type of projector technology is called LCD, these usually have slightly enhanced colour… although it always depends on the model.

Most high-quality projectors from the big brands can be used for gaming without too much issue. For those players who love fast paced gaming we suggest considering a projector that features a Gaming Mode. At time of writing Optoma and BenQ both have some great quality 4K projectors designed for gaming, Optoma also has a selection of FULL HD gaming projectors with considering too.