Best Projector 2026: Top picks for enthusiasts and newcomers

Sony has long been one of the go-to names in the world of home theatres, but never has that brand appeal felt more fitting than with the Sony Bravia Projector 9 – this is a true beast of a machine that builds upon the outstanding feature set of its predecessors, but kicks things up a notch in all of the key areas you’d want to see. So long as your budget can match it, there is no better projector right now.

In terms of the raw image, you’re getting a crisp 4K resolution that really goes above and beyond in making the latest films and TV shows look their very best. The image is made even better thanks to the Sony XR for Projector chipset  which is able to deliver a billion colour tones and, from our testing, can cover 95% of the DCI-P3 colour spectrum. This means that you’ll be getting an image that pops with colour, exactly what you want in a darkened cinema room.

That chipset also does an incredible job when it comes to upscaling content that sits below the 4K threshold, so if you want to catch a bit of classic Hollywood or even chuck on some home movies of holidays past, you can do so and still enjoy them as if they had been shot with more modern cameras. Visual fidelity isn’t the only selling point here as the Projector 9 is a far more capable gaming machine than its predecessor.

There’s now support for 4K gaming at 120Hz which is a big win for anyone playing the on latest high-end consoles who wants an unparalleled experience. With that kind of speed in tow, fast paced titles like Forza Horizon 5 or Hades 2 just feel even more immersive to the point where it’ll have you wondering how you ever made do with 60Hz.

Input lag is also incredibly low so you won’t have to worry about feeling disconnected from the action during a frenetic online match. As a final point worth noting, the Projector 9 is very easy to set up so if this is your first projector of any kind then you won’t have to worry about getting bogged down by a complicated installation that could otherwise hamper your enjoyment.

As much as we love the Sony Bravia 9 Projector and would still recommend that to anyone who has a fairly sizeable budget in tow, there’s no denying that the next option down is also a spectacular feat of engineering. Available for slightly less than its full-fat sibling, the Sony Bravia 7 Projector is an impressive piece of kit.

Although it’s not quite as expensive as the Bravia 9, the Bravia 7 Projector still boasts the same 4K resolution which is a big win on value for money, and as ever it means that you’re getting a level of quality that really elevates the experience of kicking back and catching your favourite films. It’s hard to quantify but when you see it for yourself, the idea of ever going back to 1080p seems preposterous.

Helping to give the image quality an extra boost is the 2200-lumen laser light engine which is wonderfully bright and paves the way for some outstanding colour contrast, although there’s also one of Sony’s XR Processor Projector chipsets on board which can handle the upscaling process of old content with ease. Even things you’ve shot on an old camcorder can have a new lease of life here.

Just like with the pricier Bravia option, gaming performance here is top-notch. You’re also getting a 120Hz refresh rate which is just begging for a high-end PC or something like the PS5 Pro to make the most of. What’s surprising is that with all of this tech built into the Bravia 7 Projector it still manages to run at a fairly silent level, so you won’t have to crank up the volume in order to drown out the noise of internal fans at work.

Depending on the type of content you want to watch, it’s possible to quickly swap between a standard 16:9 ratio and a 2.35:1 alternative which is better suited for films shot in IMAX. The main allure of opting for the Bravia 9 is the higher 3400 lumens count for a brighter image, but given what you’re getting with the Bravia 7, it’s hard to imagine anyone feeling hard done by except for home theatre purists.

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.

You know as well as we do that if you’re serious about building a true home entertainment system for films, games and TV shows that’s built around one truly outstanding projector, then you’re not going to skimp on your investment. Case in point, a price tag of £3999/$5999 is likely to deter some buyers, but for those who value the finer things in life, the Optoma UHZ68LV is worth every penny.

Just look at the UHZ68LV and you can tell that this is a projector that does not mess around, something that’s only confirmed once you switch it on and see the unbelievable brightness that’s achieved by its dual laser light engine. Colours end up being so right from the brightness available that even if you have plenty of natural light seeping in from a nearby window, you’ll still get a good view of what’s on.

What really helps is the PureEngine Ultra processor working tirelessly under the hood to optimise what’s being shown at all times. This ensures that whether you’re watching an old Hollywood classic or a new must-see show, you won’t be missing out on any of the included details that the filmmakers want you to see.

While the projector can easily please the home theatre crowd, it also works brilliantly well when it comes to gaming. The combined metrics of 4K resolution running at 120Hz, along with super-low latency to prevent input lag, all go above and beyond to create an immersive experience like no other. It’s exactly the type of projector you’d want for detailed and paced titles like Forza Horizon 5 or Returnal.

There are three HDMI ports (one of which is HDMI 2.1) so you have more than enough room to plug in a games console, streaming stick and a soundbar if needed, although we found the audio clarity to be quite good by default. Plus, with the twin lasers having a lifespan of up to 30,000 hours, you won’t need to upgrade to a different projector until long into the future.

The Samsung Premiere 9 is an ultra short-throw laser with smart features make it more accommodating and accessible to those looking to ditch the TV and get an even bigger screen experience.

As an ultra short throw projector it can be placed close to a wall for the space conscious, and while it’s large for a projector, aesthetically its soft rounded corners and white colour can see it disappear in the right room.

It doesn’t come with a built-in tuner like the LS9PT predecessor did, which is disappointing, but it would appear that Samsung is putting the emphasis on its Tizen interface with the likes Netflix, Prime Video and iPlayer, as well as its free-to-access TV Plus service. HDR support equals HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+. Once again for a Samsung product, Dolby Vision is noticeable by its omission.

With 3450 ISO lumens of brightness, the Premiere 9 delivers big, bright images with both SDR and HDR content. Blacks can, however, be more of a dark grey, but the real impressive aspect about the Premiere 9 is the range and variety of colours that it can display. Motion handling is also superb, delivering smooth movement when it is activated.

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.

As tempting as it can be to have a full-on projector that remains stationary for the purpose of building a home cinema, if you have lifestyle that’s a bit more on the go, or you like to enjoy entertainment in different rooms of your abode, then a portable projector makes a lot more sense. There are plenty of great options out there but one of the absolute best that we’ve tested is the BenQ GV50.

With a built-in handle, the GV50 is meant to be carried around, so if you fancy moving a film from the living room to the bedroom then you absolutely have the freedom to do so here. Similarly, if you want to have a more cinematic experience in your gaming room, when the projector isn’t in use for movie night, you can always hook up the GV50 to your console of choice and enjoy a massive screen for your next playthrough.

You’re getting crisp, 1080p video from this projector, which does a great job at unearthing the finer details in all types of entertainment. You don’t even have to worry about the longevity of the device as it uses a laser light engine, pacing the way for a full 30,000-hour lifespan. In terms of battery life, you can get up to 150-minutes of use on a single charge, which is more than enough for most blockbuster films.

One of the best things about this projector is that it comes with Google TV built-in as its default operating system. If you haven’t yet experienced the joys of Google TV, simply know that it does a great job at centralising all of the content that’s available to you via your various subscriptions, and it gives you a quicker means of diving back into any films or TV shows that you’re currently watching.

Far too often with portable projectors, the speaker quality can take a hit in order to keep things compact, but this issue does not exist with the GV50. With a 2.1 speaker configuration, we were surprised not just by how clear the audio was, with plenty of attention paid to dialogue, but also its ability to get quite loud without losing that fidelity.

Usually, whenever you shop around the budget-end of the market (and this goes for all products, not just projectors), there’s an implicit understanding that you may be getting a couple of key features that are crucial to the visual experience, but the design and build quality won’t be turning heads compared to pricier options. Well, it seems like the Danbei Freedo didn’t get the memo on that one.

Despite its comparatively affordable price tag of £449, the Freedo boasts a wonderfully sleek aesthetic that makes it resemble a podcast microphone when in use or a smart speaker when packed away. Given that one of the nicer aspects of owning a projector is that you don’t have to look at a blank black box when it’s switched off, it’s nice to also have it fit seamlessly with your decor when you would rather just read or listen to music.

Of course, because the Freedo is such a small projector, and it has a built-in battery, you can easily move it from room to room – great for watching shows in the bedroom – or take it with you to the great outdoors and enjoy a film under the stars during your next camping trip. It doesn’t have to be a short flick either, thanks to a runtime of up to 2.5 hours on a single charge.

Shifting over to the picture quality, there’s plenty to love about this portable projector. With a crisp 1080p resolution, you can pick up on plenty of detail in just about anything you plan on watching, and the peak brightness of up to 500 lumens also goes a long way to ensuring that you’re never squinting at what’s happening. There’s a nice degree of contrast too, so you can really feel the depth of the setting, whether that be a real location or a CGI-constructed world.

When it comes to deciding what to watch, the use of Google TV as the projector’s operating system is a big win. Google TV does a great job of offering up quick access to all of your favourite apps, alongside an eye-catching carousel of new content that might take your fancy. There’s a lot to love here, and the projector is certainly a go-to option for anyone who appreciates style and portability in equal measure.

JVC has quite a few projectors available so to simplify things a bit, just know that the JVC DLA-NZ700 is designed for the enthusiast crowd who might be shopping with a mid-range budget (comparatively speaking). Even though this isn’t the most high-end projector within JVC’s range, you’d be hard pressed to find fault with it once you switch the thing on. The type of image quality you can get with this projector is just stunning.

What really sets the NZ700 apart from so many of the other projector we’ve tested over the years is its HDR performance. Thanks to its Gen2 Frame Adapt HDR feature, the NZ700 is able to analyse every scene frame by frame to make sure that each one is optimised to the fullest, so you’re always treated to a rich and vibrant image that’ll have you absorbed completely.

Complementing that HDR processing is the fact that this is a native 4K projector, so there’s tons of detail to go with every image you see. This is brilliant for animated films where there are tons of fun details to find in the periphery, and it’ll make any future movie nights with the kids feel like a true trip to the cinema from home.

If you don’t have a cinema room that’s fully blacked out with no external light creeping in then fear not as the powerful BLU-Escent laser diode is able to reach a peak brightness of 2300 lumens, which almost makes it feel as if you’re getting the same experience that you would through a traditional backlit television.

In fact, the NZ700 also does a great job in more dimly lit scenes courtesy of an 80,000:1 contrast ratio, which can go a long way towards making horror films feel even more immersive. If things do get a bit too tense however, you can quickly pause a film with the backlit remote that’s bundled in.

If you know next to nothing about projectors but you’re looking to buy one that features high-end features and an easy-to-understand set-up process that makes the installation of a home theatre as simple as possible, then the ViewSonic LX700-4K is definitely the option for you.

On the quality front, there’s very little here to leave you wanting. The LX700-4K, as its name implies, is able to output content at a 4K resolution, so there’s no detail lost when enjoying the latest films and TV shows, plus the HDR performance kicks it up to a whole other level.

With support for HDR10 and HLG, this projector is able to emit a jaw-dropping image at all areas of the screen. This is brilliant if you’re enjoying an animated film with the family as younger viewers will marvel over the vibrant colours found in these fictional worlds. Part of this is achieved thanks to a super bright 3500 ANSI lumens, which still lasts for a whopping 30,000-hour lifespan for tons of entertainment.

As mentioned, the LX700-4K is one of the easier projectors to set up, partially due to the intuitive remote that comes with the device. You have instant controls for zooming and focusing the image, so it doesn’t take a great deal of work to find the point that works best for your screening room.

If you also like to mix things up with a bit of gaming then you’ll appreciate the smooth motion handling which keeps you locked in with every step of the action. The incredibly low latency also works in tandem with fast-paced titles like first-person shooters, so you’ll never be at a disadvantage when playing online.

There’s no way around it, at £24,999/$25,999 the JVC DLA-NZ900 is a sizeable investment and one that’s really meant for the true home theatre aficionados out there who obsess over the tiniest details and really getting that cinema style experience from the comfort of their living room or dedicated cinema room. If your budget does stretch to cover it however then you will not be disappointed.

In terms of resolution, you’re definitely future proofed with the NZ900 as it can support 8K at 60Hz and a faster 120Hz refresh rate when outputting at 4K. With these resolutions available, you’re getting the best of both worlds when it comes to both film and gaming.

The ability to output at 8K means that even older, classic Hollywood films can appear at their best, making it feel as it you’ve gone back in time to watch them when they first appeared onscreen, while the super fast 120Hz refresh rate is just the ticket for high-speed games like Forza Horizon 5 or Marvel Rivals.

If you’ve ever bought at the lower end of the projector market then you’ll know that brightness can sometimes be an issue, but the NZ900 has no such problem. JVC’s BLU-Escent laser diode can crank up the brightness to 3300 lumens which is just mind-blowing, and ends up being a true visual feast for the eyes.

Even with such high levels of brightness to hand, the NZ900 can still deliver on the lower end with a contrast ratio of 150,000:1. That type of performance is just on a whole other level, producing truly inky blacks that give so much depth to every single frame. Trust us when we say that this is a level of cinematic luxury like no other.