From Refresh Rate to Brightness: Things to Look for in a Gaming Projector

For console gamers looking to take their gaming experience to the next level, one of the first options available to them is switching their gaming display to a projector. This allows them a chance to intensify their gameplay with images significantly larger than those offered by TVs offered at the same price point. Yet, with the enhanced visual specs each new generation of consoles produces, the question of whether or not a projector supports these consoles, and to what degree, tends to take center stage.

• Do projectors support gaming consoles? And to what degree?
• Why refresh rate is crucial for a gaming projector
• What other specs should I pay attention to?
• Why choose BenQ’s gaming projectors

Do projectors support gaming consoles? And to what degree?

The simple answer to whether or not projectors support gaming in general, is that the vast majority of projectors on the market, as long as they feature an HDMI port, are able to support console games, PC games, and to a lesser extent (depending on whether the projector features wireless projection capabilities), mobile games. But gamers looking to transition to the use of a projector, most likely aren’t satisfied with a projector broadcasting just basic visuals. They want to take full advantage of their console’s high-powered specs to create a truly immersive gaming experience. In order to do so, they will need to check a projector’s level of support in a few key areas, with refresh rate, standing head and shoulder above all others.

Why refresh rate is crucial for a gaming projector

For gamers, one of the biggest concerns with using a projector is that the projector might not be able to keep up with the video output of their next generation consoles; a projector’s refresh rate value reflects its ability to do so. Refresh rate refers to the rate at which a projector projects the images in a video broadcast (you can think of it as equivalent to its frame rate). A projector with a higher refresh rate allows for smoother motion in a video, reducing instances of blur as a result of movement. For gamers this means clearer visuals with more realistic action.

Basic video content, such as movies, is usually created with a 24 or 30Hz refresh rate/frame rate, with some hitting the 60Hz benchmark. For many gamers though, a 60Hz refresh rate should not be the benchmark; instead, it should be the floor. That’s because both the PS5 and Xbox Series X can push out visuals of up to 120Hz, so only a projector that supports such refresh rates are able to ensure the most optimal gaming experience available.

But is refresh rate the only thing a gamer should focus on when selecting a projector? Not quite.

What is Refresh Rate ?

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PS5 Compatibility List for BenQ Projectors

Xbox Series X Compatibility List for BenQ Projectors

What other specs should I pay attention to?

Beyond just refresh rate a gamer should take into account three other key items in a projector’s specs: input lag/latency, resolution, and ANSI lumens brightness.

• Input Lag / Latency

Another key item a gamer has to pay attention to with a projector is its input lag specs. Input lag measures the time (in milliseconds) between the moment a console outputs a video signal and the moment the corresponding image is projected. As a lower input lag value means less of a delay in in-game action, input lag is another spec that is integral to fostering an optimal gaming experience, particularly for first-person shooters, as it helps determine the speed at which a gamer can play.

• Resolution

With most projectors being used to project a roughly 100-inch screen, the ability to fully immerse the gamer in a game’s visuals will rely heavily on a projector’s resolution. Most projectors on the market offer a resolution of at least 720p or 1080p, but based on the level of visuals produced by AAA publishers, it’s suggested that gamers (with the budget) look for a projector that supports up to 4K resolution.

• ANSI Lumen Brightness

Along with its resolution capabilities, a projector’s brightness value also determines its ability to faithfully reproduce the visuals the designers imagined. Though the most common projectors feature brightness values of about 2000 ANSI lumens, gamers intent on absorbing all the details of the world they are moving through should look for a projector that can hit 3000 ANSI lumens. Furthermore, they should look for projectors with gaming mode settings that help fine tweak visuals to their most optimal.

What is ANSI lumens?

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Why choose BenQ’s gaming projectors

Beyond creating a line of gaming projectors that zeroes in on the key items discussed above, BenQ also endows our gaming projectors with a suite of features that includes refinements in the area of color gamut, image quality/rendering, as well as a selection of high-performance modes ideal for gaming. These features coupled with the enhanced specs BenQ infuses all its projectors with, helps our gaming projectors further stand out from the crowd.

From Refresh Rate to Brightness: Things to Look for in a Gaming Projector

Do projectors support gaming consoles? And to what degree?