You’ve spent your time and money to get and set up the best home theater with projector for your home but you still have not decided on a projector yet. Mainly because you want to not only use it for movies but for gaming as well. Lets explore the best affordable projector for gaming.
Home theater projectors are continually evolving to offer the consumer more and more options. Better clarity, sharper colors, easy installation, faster refresh rates are some options and now the ability to play games on them. Will a home theater projector be able to play games and if so is it affordable and is it worth it?
Advantages Of Projectors For Gaming
You have the flexibility to use the projector for gaming and Movies.
The cost of a 120 inch projector screen is way more affordable than any TV that size.
Size matters. The experience of playing games on a 120″ screen compared to a 60″ TV is no comparison. You feel fully immersed in your game with a screen so large.
Disadvantages Of Projectors For Gaming
Lagging is usually the biggest concern when it comes to gaming on a projector. The lower the input lag the more precise gaming control is resulting in a better gaming experience.
Whats The Best And Most Affordable Projector For A Gaming Setup
The first rule you should consider is getting a 1080p projector and not a 4k projector. After all we are looking for an affordable projector right? The 4k variants will be at the higher end of the price range so lets steer clear of those. The second most important variable is input lag. We need a projector with the lowest input lag as possible. In other words we need our controls to be as responsive as possible. The following are a few examples that the manufacturers market as gaming friendly.
| Brand | Model | Lumens | Resolution | Aspect | Contrast | Display | Lamp Life | Connectors | Price |
| BenQ | TH685 | 3500 | 1920×1080 | 16:9 | 10,000:1 | 30″ to 300″ | 15K hrs | D-Sub, HDMI | $775 |
| EPSONef11 | V11HA23020 | 1000 | 1920×1080 | 16:9 | 200000:1 | 30″ to 150″ | 20K hrs | HDMI (HDCP 1.4) | $700 |
| ViewSonic | PX703HD | 3500 | 1920×1080 | 16:9 | N/A | 30″ to 300″ | 15K hrs | D-Sub, HDMI | $650 |
| AAXA | P7 | 600LED | 1920×1080 | 16:9 | 2000:1 | 16″ to 120″ | 30K hrs | Mini-VGA, HDMI, Composite A/V (3.5mm Jack) | $420 |
| AAXA | Energon | 3500 | 1920×1080 | 16:9 | N/A | 25″ to 300″ | N/A | D-Sub, HDMI, Composite, Component, S-Video | $240 |
| CAIWEI | A7 | 4600 | 1280×800 | 16:10 | 5000:1 | 50″to 200″ | 50K hrs | HDMI x 2 | $437 |
| ASUS | P3B | 800 | 1280×800 | 16:9 16:10 Square | 100,000:1 | 25″to 200″ | 30K hras | HDMI, MHL, D-sub | $665 |
What Should I look For In A Gaming Projector
Lumens are a measurement of brightness. First consider how much indirect or direct light is infiltrating your gaming arena. In other words what room of the house is your home theater/gaming theater set up in. The Lumens of your projector will determine how well you can see the game. The higher the Lumens the brighter and more pop your game will have. If your gaming in the basement most likely your room is nice and dark. You have the advantage of not requiring a high Lumen machine such as 800 to 1000 Lumens. As a rule of thumb the brighter the room the higher the lumens you will need. Then there is your personal preference. If you require a bright picture you have two options. Make the room darker and get a projector with higher Lumens.
Resolution is a measurement of clarity. The higher the resolution the more details you will see. For example on a high resolution projector you will see the finer details pop out at you when compared to the lower resolutions. 1080P is available in most projectors and should be what your aim is for.
Refresh Rate is the time it takes for an image to be drawn on your screen. One Hertz is equal to 1 cycle per second. 120Hz is a good standard for a gaming projector. 120 cycles per second. Hz is also measured horizontally and vertically. Youwill notice most ofthem are not equal. For example the refresh rate of the BenQ TH685 is 15K – 102 KHz horizontal and 23 – 120Hz vertical. Like I mentioned before make sure your game is set at 60FPS. Some games do not offer this as an option.
Screen Size is where a projector out shines a tv. The difference between gaming on a 70″ TV does not compare to gaming on a 120″ screen. Some games tend to have really small elements to them that are hard to recognize. On a large screen everything is easy to see which increases your reaction time. You also get the feeling of being physically a part of the game.
Mounting your projector. Depending on the model you will be mounting on the ceiling, table or on the floor. If you mount on the ceiling you will be able to position yourself directly in front of the screen giving you the best view. Mounting on the floor or table will force you to be offset with the screen. Make sure you figure out what you like best before investing in a gaming projector. Then you have the other type called a short throw projector which sits against the wall directly under the screen. I have not reviewed these types of projectors in this article though.
Which Games Can Play At 60FPS
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Performance mode at 1440p/60 FPS
Assassin’s Creed Unity (before patch) – 900p/60 FPS
Astro’s Playroom – 4K/60 FPS
Attack on Titan 2 – 1080p/60 FPS
Ace Combat 7 – 1080p/60 FPS
APEX Legends – 1440p/60 FPS
Bio Shock Collection – 1620p/60 FPS
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection – 1080p/60 FPS
Borderlands 3 – 4K/60 FPS or 1080p/120 FPS in performance mode
Battlefield Hardline – 1080p/60 FPS
Battlefield 1 – 1658/60 FPS
Battlefield 4 – 1080p/60 FPS
Battlefield 5 – 1658/60 FPS
Black Desert – 1080p/60 FPS
Bee Simulator – 1080p/60 FPS
Bugsnax – 4K/60 FPS
Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Checkerboard 4K/60 FPS
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – 1080p/60 FPS
Call of Duty: Warzone – 1528p/60 FPS
Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War – 4K/60 FPS and Dynamic 4K/120 FPS
Crysis Remastered (before patch) – 1080p/60 FPS
CODE VEIN – 1080p/60 FPS
Crash Bandicoot 4 – 1080p/60 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 – 1080p/60 FPS
Days Gone – 4K/60 FPS
Dead by Day Light – 4K/60 FPS
Dark Souls Remastered – 1080p/60 FPS
Dark Souls 2 – 1080p/60 FPS
Dark Souls III – 1080p/60 FPS
Demon’s Souls – Dynamic 4K/60 FPS
Destiny 2 – 4K/60 FPS and 1080p/120 FPS during PVP
Doom 2016 – 1440p/60 FPS
Doom Eternal – 1440p/60 FPS
Devil May Cry V: Special Edition – 4K/60 FPS and 1080p/120 FPS
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT – 4K/60 FPS
Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories – 1080p/60 FPS
Dirt 5 – 4K/60 FPS and 1080p/120 FPS
Dreams – Now at 1440p/60 FPS
Dead Or Alive 6 – 1080p/60 FPS
Earth Defence Force 5 – 1080p/60 FPS
Elite Dangerous – Boost to 1080p/60 FPS
Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture – 1080p/60 FPS
Far Cry 6 – 1620p/60 FPS
Fall Guys – 4K/60 FPS
For Honor – 4K/60 FPS
Final Fantasy XIV – 1080p/60 FPS
Final Fantasy XV – 1080p/60 FPS in Performance Mode ‘lite’
Fortnite – 4K/60 FPS and 1440p/120 FPS
Fifa 21 – 4K/60 FPS
Genshin Impact – 1080p/60 FPS
Ghost of a Tale – 1080p/60 FPS with VSync on
Ghost of Tsushima – Resolution Mode & Frame Rate Mode both run in 60 FPS!
Ghost Recon: Breakpoint – Performance Mode at 1080p and 60 FPS
Godfall – 4K/60 FPS
God of War (only disc version without the latest patch) – Dynamic 4K/60 FPS
Gran Turismo 7 – 4K/60 FPS
Hellblade – 1080p/60 FPS (before patch)
Hitman and Hitman 2 – Now at 1080p/60 FPS
InFamous: Second Son – 4K/60 FPS
InFamous: First Light – Boost to 60 FPS
Immortals: Fenyx Rising – Dynamic 4K/60 FPS
JETT – The Far Shore – 1080p/60 FPS
Just Shapes & Beats – 4K/60 FPS.
Kholat – Boost to 60 FPS
Killzone: Shadow Fall – Boost to 60 FPS with 1080p resolution
Kingdom Hearts 3 + basically all kingdom Hearts titles – 1080p/60 FPS
Knack 1 & 2 – Now at a stable 60 FPS even in high-resolution mode.
Maneater – 4K/60 FPS
MLB The Show 20 – 4K HDR 60 FPS
Madden NFL 21 – 4K/60 FPS
Marvel’s Avengers – 1080p/60 FPS Mode
Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered – Performance mode with raytracing at 60 FPS
Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales – Performance mode with Raytracing at 60 FPS
Monster Boy And The Cursed Kingdom – 4K/120 FPS
Monster Hunter World – resolution mode now at 60 FPS and 4K!
Metal Gear Solid V definitive edition – 1440p/60 FPS
MGS Ground Zero – 1080p/60 FPS
Medievil – 4K/60 FPS
Mortal Kombat 11 – 4K/60 FPS
Mirror’s Edge Catalyst – 1080p/60 FPS
NBA 2K21 – 4K/60 FPS
Nier: Automata – 1080p/60 FPS
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch – 1440p/60 FPS
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – 1620p/60 FPS
Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Strikers – 1080p/60 FPS
Need for Speed™ Hot Pursuit Remastered – 1080p/60 FPS
Nioh Collection – 120 fps and 60 fps
No Man’s Sky – Boost to 60 FPS
Overcooked! All You Can Eat – 1080p/60 FPS
Overwatch – 1080p/60 FPS
Observer: System Redux – 1620p/60 FPS
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 & 4 – 1080p/60 FPS
Planetside 2 – 4K/60 FPS
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 1 & 2 – 1080p/60 FPS
PUBG – 60 FPS in performance mode
Quantum Error – 1080p/60 FPS
Rainbow Six Siege – Dynamic 4K/120 fps and Native 4K/60 fps
Rise of the Tomb Raider – 1080p/60 FPS in Frame Rate Mode
Rage 2 – 1080p/60 FPS
Rocket League – 4K/60 FPS
Resident Evil 2 Remake – 1620p/60 FPS
Resident Evil 3 Remake – 1620p/60 FPS
Resident Evil 7 – 1800p/60 FPS
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – 60 FPS using performance mode
Riders Republic – 1080p/60 FPS
Scarlet Nexus – 1080p/60 FPS
Sonic Forces – 1080p/60 FPS
Sniper Elite 4 – 1080p/60 FPS
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated – 1080p/60 FPS
Saints Row The Third: Remastered – 1080p/60 FPS
Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order – 1080p/60 FPS
Star Wars: Squadrons – 4K/60 FPS
Star Wars Battlefront I – 1080p/60 FPS
Star Wars Battlefront II – 1440p/60 FPS
Sackboy: A Big Adventure – 4K/60 FPS
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – Boost to 60 FPS
Shadow of the Tomb Raider – Now at 60 FPS in 1080p Resolution
Shadow of The Colossus – 60 FPS using performance mode
Strange Brigade – 1080p/60 FPS
Star Ocean: The Last Hope – Now at 60 FPS in 4K Resolution
Terminator: Resistance Enhanced – 1080p/60 fps
TitanFall 2 – 1080p/60 FPS
The Evil Within 2 – Now at 60 FPS!
Train Sim World 2 – 1620p/60 FPS
Tales of Vesperia: definitive edition – 1080p/60 FPS
Tales of Berseria – 1080p/60 FPS
The Talos principle – 1080p/60 FPS
Tearaway unfolded – 1080p/60 FPS
The Last Guardian: 60 FPS in 1900p if we use the disc version (not digital)
The Pathless – 4K/60 FPS
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope – 1080p/60 FPS
The Witcher 3 – 60 FPS if you use the disc version with no updates (not digital)
The Last of Us Remastered – 1800p/60 FPS
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition – 1080p/60 FPS
Team Sonic Racing – 1080p/60 FPS
Tom Clancy’s The Divison 2 – 1080p/60 FPS (in a future patch)
Temtem – 4K/60 FPS
The Witness – 1080p/60 FPS
The Surge 2 – 60 FPS in both resolution and performance modes
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 – 60 FPS
Until Dawn – 1080p/60 FPS
UFC 3 – 1080p/60 FPS
Warframe – 4K/60 FPS
War Thunder – 1080p/60 FPS
Wipeout Omega Collection – 4K/60 FPS
WRC 9 – 120 FPS using Performance Mode
Zombie Army 4 – 1080p/60 FPS
Zombie army trilogy – 1080p/60 FPS
How Do I Get My Game To Play 60FPS
Look for the in game settings. Its usually classified by a button that looks like a gear. Click the gear button and look for graphics settings or some thing similar. There should be an option to play the game at 60FPS.
How To Keep Projector Lag To A Minimum
When purchasing your projector you may have checked the manufacturers specs on Lag. If you have purchased a projector designed for gaming most likely there is a gaming mode setting for the projector. Make sure the gaming mode is enabled before you start gaming. Also check your projector for any additional image processing capabilities. If there are make sure they are turned off. These are sometimes referred to as overscanning, aspect ratio manipulations and keystoning. This will free up resources your projector needs to run at optimal speed. The less functions running in the background the less clutter there is to jam up the performance of your gaming projector.
When looking for an affordable gaming projector the prices can vary widely. Keeping with well known brands is your best bet but if price is your main factor you could try some of the models I presented here for you.
