Don’t have enough space in your room for a gaming setup?
When we think of a projector, the first thing that comes to our mind is a huge dedicated room and the complicated installation process.
But those days are gone because of short throw gaming projector.
A short-throw projector comes with a wide-angle lens that offers an incredible throw ratio of less than 0.4, which means you can place your projector at a distance of 3-5 feet from the screen. Also, if even 3 feet sounds far to you, then increase your budget and go for a UST projector that lets you place your projector a few inches away from the screen.
No doubt, TV used to be the best choice for gaming, but with today’s advanced projectors, you can enjoy an immersive gaming experience on a huge screen of 100 inches or more. Another thing that adds up here is the portability. Moving your projector from one place to another is a breeze as compared to an 80-inch huge TV.
In 2024, projectors don’t fall short when it comes to gaming specs like input lag, refresh rate, HDR support, and contrast ratio required for excellent image quality.
Short throw or UST projectors are the ultimate space saver, particularly for people living in small apartments and rooms. They are similar to regular projectors in terms of functionality, so you do not need to worry about compromising performance by keeping your projector very close to the screen.
List of Best Short Throw gaming Projector
- BenQ HT2150ST – Editor’s Choice
- BenQ TH671ST – Best Budget Pick
- Optoma GT1080HDR – Lowest Input Lag
- Elite Projector MosicGO – Best Ultra Short Throw
- BenQ TK700STi – Best Overall
- Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS500 – Best 4K Gaming
Now without any further ado, let us discuss the above projector in detail.
#1 – BenQ HT2150ST (100-inch screen from 3ft)
The BenQ is one of the trusted brands when it comes to home entertainment and gaming projectors.
This projector lets you project a 100-inch screen from a distance of 3ft.
It produces accurate colours and true black levels. The HT2150ST costs $899 and packs a big punch of features that make it stand out on this list.
Specifications
- Input Lag: 16 ms
- Refresh Rate: 120 Hz
- Brightness: 2200 ANSI Lumens
- Contrast Ratio: 15000:1
- Native Resolution: 1080p (1920×1080 pixels)
- HDR Support: NO
- Connectivity Options: Dual HDMI, VGA, USB Type A, USB Mini, RCA, RS232
It comes with an exclusive game mode for enhanced clarity and greater precision while gaming.
This lightweight and compact projector is easy to transport and install. So if you are the one who is always on the move then this projector is for you!
#2 – BenQ TH671ST (100-inch screen from 5ft)
With a price tag of $799, the BenQ TH671ST is our budget-friendly pick on this list. It is a short-throw projector with low input lag and excellent picture quality for an immersive gaming experience.
This projector lets you project a 100-inch screen from a distance of 5ft.
Picture quality is excellent even in the presence of medium ambient light, but we suggest you use this projector in a dark room with no ambient light for an enhanced experience.
Specifications
- Input Lag: 16 ms
- Refresh Rate: 120 Hz
- Brightness: 3000 ANSI Lumens
- Contrast Ratio: 15000:1
- Native Resolution: 1080p (1920×1080 pixels)
- HDR Support: NO
- Connectivity Options: Dual HDMI, VGA, USB Type A, USB Mini, RS232
The Game Mode feature fine-tunes all images by enhancing shadowy scenes with greater clarity and visual precision.
#3 – Optoma GT1080HDR (120-inch screen from 4.3ft)
This device from Optoma is an affordable choice for gamers looking for a short-throw projector from a popular brand.
It comes with an excellent feature at a price of $849. Following features let this projector dominate other projectors with the same price,
- HDR Support
- 4K Input Compatibility
- Lowest Input Lag of 8.4 ms
This projector lets you project a massive 120-inch screen from a distance of 4.3ft.
Specifications
- Refresh Rate: 120 Hz
- Brightness: 3800 ANSI Lumens
- Contrast Ratio: 50000:1
- Native Resolution: 1080p (1920×1080 pixels)
- Connectivity Options: Dual HDMI, USB Type A, RS232, VGA, AV
Though it is not a true 4K projector, it accepts 4K images and downscales them to 1080p.
Various connectivity ports allow this projector to connect with almost any gaming console and media player. This feature-rich short throw projector is the best fit for people on a budget.
#4 – MosicGO Elite Projector (100-inch screen from 2ft)
Now let’s discuss about Ultra Short Throw Projector capable of projecting a massive image of 100-inch from a few inches away from the screen.
The MosicGO Elite Projector costs $999. It can projector a 100-inch screen from a distance of just 2ft.
Specifications
- Input Lag: 17 ms
- Refresh Rate: 120 Hz
- Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens
- Contrast Ratio: 20000:1
- Native Resolution: 1080p (1920×1080 pixels)
- HDR Support: NO
- Connectivity Options: Dual HDMI, USB Type A, USB Type C, 3.5mm Audio Jack
The picture quality offered by this projector is not as satisfying as the counterparts with a similar price tag. But if you are searching for a UST projector and have a tight budget, then this device is for you!
This projector is the best fit for indoor and outdoor gaming. It has a built-in battery with up to 3 hours of video backup and a tripod stand for getting started quickly.
The integrated high-capacity power bank allows you to charge a laptop, smartphone, and other devices through a USB cable.
#5 – BenQ TK700STi (100-inch screen from 6.5ft)
The TK700STi is one of the highly popular mid-budget gaming projectors by BenQ. It is made for people having small space for a gaming setup.
It offers a smooth projection of 1080p images with an input lag of 8.3ms and a refresh rate of 120Hz. This projector is 4K compatible. You can enjoy games in 4K with an input lag of 16ms and a refresh rate of 60Hz.
You need to place this projector at a distance of 6.5ft to project an image of 100-inches. It costs $1699.
Specifications
- Input Lag: 8.3 ms
- Refresh Rate: 120 Hz
- Brightness: 3000 ANSI Lumens
- Contrast Ratio: 10000:1
- Native Resolution: 1080p (1920×1080 pixels)
- HDR Support: YES
- Connectivity Options: Dual HDMI, USB Type A, RS232, 3.5mm Audio Out
The picture quality offered by this projector is impressive. It comes with the brightness of 3000 ANSI Lumens, contra, and HDR support.
The special gaming mode allows better clarity during dark scenes. Apart from being one of the best gaming projectors, the TK700STi is also an excellent movie projector.
#6 – Epson EpiqVision LS500 (100-inch screen from 1.2ft)
This projector offers exceptional picture quality. The EpiqVision LS500 is popular for offering brighter images with accurate colours and details.
The cost of this projector is $3999.
It is an Ultra Short Throw projector capable of projecting a 100-inch image from a distance of 1.2ft. The Epson EpiqVision LS500 comes with incredible brightness of 4000 ANSI Lumens and a contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1.
Epson claims 16.7ms of input lag with a native refresh rate of 60Hz in their EpiqVision LS500 projector but in our use, we measured 21.3ms with 4K at 60Hz and 27.5ms with 1080p at 60Hz.
Specifications
- Input Lag: 1080p – 27.5ms | 4K – 21.3ms
- Refresh Rate: 1080p – 60Hz | 4K – 60Hz
- Brightness: 4,000 ANSI Lumens
- Contrast Ratio: 2,000,000:1
- Native Resolution: 4K
- HDR Support: YES
- Connectivity Options: Dual HDMI, USB Type A, Micro USB, RS232, RJ-45, 3.5mm Audio Out
There are not many options available when it comes to Ultra Short Throw and 4K gaming projectors. But Epson has done an excellent feat with their EpiqVision LS500. It is worth investing!
Note that this projector doesn’t have the lowest input lag as compared to the rivals discussed above but the picture quality offered by this projector is remarkable. You can use it either as a home theatre or gaming projector.
Conclusion
Ideally, input lag should be somewhere around 20ms, and anything beyond this limit may introduce lag and blur while playing. Unfortunately, very few short-throw projectors offer input lag below 20ms.
It depends on your room size. If you need an ultra-short-throw projector that you can place a few inches away from the screen, then choose BenQ HT2150ST or MosicGO Elite Projector.
People having space between 3-5 feet can go for BenQ TH671ST or Optoma GT1080HDR.
Finally, BenQ TK700STi is one more projector with impressive specs, which needs to be kept at a distance of 6.5 feet from the screen to project a 100-inch image.
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