Gaming projectors are absolutely a thing. You don’t have to ask yourself if it’s possible to play games on a projector because it totally is.
Optoma, BenQ, ViewSonic, Epson are just a few of the well-known brands that manufacture projectors for gaming.
Gamers will absolutely love projectors because they allow us to play on a huge screen. If you buy a Full HD gaming projector, you can project on a 80 or 100-inch projector screen.
In general, gaming projectors have a few attractive specs for our total enjoyment: low response time, very good image quality thanks to outstanding colours and contrast, and high brightness. Many will even have a built-in speaker(s).
I don’t imagine that a lot of us will be satisfied with the audio quality that a projector built-in speaker can perform but is still nice as a backup if our external speaker system fails us.
Moreover, some gaming projectors can even be used as 3D projectors. You’ll just have to buy 3D glasses, which are sold separately, if you want to enjoy 3D entertainment in the comfort of your own home.
How we can play games on a projector
Basically, all we need in order to play games on a projector is a HDMI port. Nowadays, all projectors feature a HDMI port. Some will have 2 or even 3 HDMI ports.
You can connect your PC via HDMI to play games. It’s that simple.
Better yet, you can connect your gaming console (Xbox, PlayStation) also via HDMI cable.
All gaming consoles should include the HDMI cable so you’re all set to enjoy your favourite games on a 80, 100 or 120-inch projector screen.
We can also buy the Xbox Series X if you want both a console and a streaming device for your projector. I like that combination quite a lot.
Do you need a gaming projector for playing games?
Not necessarily.
You can buy a HD or Full HD home theatre projector and you’ll be able to play whatever games you want from whatever source device you choose to use, be it a gaming console or a PC.
But a gaming projector can certainly improve the overall experience because it’s geared towards this particular activity.
To give you an example, let’s take the BenQ HT2150ST. This is a gaming projector that won’t break the bank, with a price under $1,000.
BenQ mentions that this is a model designed for video gaming. It has low input lag for smoother gaming, outstanding colours, built-in speakers and easy installation.
At the time it was launched, BenQ described it as the world’s first gaming projector with 16ms input lag. It allows us to play whatever types of games we want without any delay.
And that’s the advantage that gaming projectors can have over the other home theatre projectors.
This BenQ HT2150ST can also be used to play 3D content. You’ll just have to buy the 3D glasses to make it possible.
Of course, gaming projectors are absolutely fantastic for watching movies, sports, TV channels, etc. They’re overall amazing home theatre projectors if you pick the right ones.
If I were to make a comparison, I would say that you don’t necessarily need a gaming monitor to play games but a gaming monitor can certainly make a huge difference, especially for dedicated gamers. It’s the same with projectors.
Should you get a projector screen for gaming?
Absolutely get a projector screen. Especially for gaming where every detail can make a difference.
A projector screen has a special coating. This coating gives it its reflective qualities.
Thanks to the reflective qualities of a projector screen, we get more detailed and brighter images than what we would get with a wall or a sheet.
There’s really no comparison between gaming on a wall and gaming on a projector screen. When you project on a very good screen, you’re seeing what your projector is capable of. On a wall, you get only maybe half of the experience.
To make the experience complete, connect a speaker, a soundbar or a speaker system, either via Bluetooth or by using a 3.5 mm cable. Projectors will include an Audio out port for that.
Some gaming projectors will also include their built-in speakers, which can do just fine if you don’t have any external audio source.
The massive screen is the winning point for me when it comes to gaming. That’s why I enjoy gaming on a huge projector screen, especially when I have company.
Projectors are awesome in a home theatre setting, whether we’re gaming or we’re just watching the latest action or superhero movie.
