Are you a gamer who is tired of playing games on small screens? When it comes to choosing a large screen for gaming, you will come across a plethora of options. However, enjoying gaming on a Godzilla screen still seems far-fetched until you narrow the options to projectors. Although you can easily find TV screens with gigantic sizes ranging from 41 inches to 77 inches, projectors will never go out of trend for gaming because of their benefits. Continue reading to inform yourself about the Pros and Cons of using projectors for gaming.
Understanding Projector Technology
To appreciate the benefits and drawbacks of projector gaming, it’s essential to understand the different types of projectors available and what features are most relevant to gamers. There are primarily three types of projectors used for gaming: DLP (Digital Light Processing), LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and LED (Light Emitting Diode).
Each offers different benefits, such as color accuracy, contrast ratios, and image sharpness. Key features that impact gaming include projector resolution, lumens (brightness), contrast ratio, and throw ratio. These factors collectively determine the quality of the visual output and how well the projector performs in various lighting conditions.
Pros of Projector Gaming
Massive Screen Size
One unique advantage of gaming on a projector is the ability to create massive-sized images, thanks to the various projectors available. With Short Throw and Ultra Short Throw Projectors, you can create images upto size 87 inches from a distance of 3-8 feet.
However, if you don’t want to interrupt the line of sight between the viewing point and the screen, you may choose Standard Throw or Long Throw projectors. Using these, you can create larger images from a typical projection distance of 15 feet and beyond. These projectors are ideal for conference halls, auditoriums, and outdoor events.
With multiple players gaming, this screen size of 87 to 105 inches splits uniformly, creating a truly immersive gaming experience.
Portability
Another benefit of using a projector for gaming is enhanced portability. Imagine moving a 77-inch screen from your living room to your bedroom. Quite a hassle, right?
Now, imagine the same scenario, but replace the screen with a projector this time.
Do you see the difference?
Due to their small size and lightweight, projectors are more portable options. You can easily move your gaming setup anywhere if you use projectors.
Save space
Now, not all of us are blessed with larger rooms in our homes, with a lot of space to adjust massive Television screens. One of the things that you will notice about the projectors is that they take up very little space and do not need extra gear to set up. Once you’re done setting up your projector, it’ll lie seamlessly in the room without taking up much space or ruining the overall layout.
On the other hand, if you look at the TV, even small screens will require ample space and a cabinet to fit into the room. Their large size will never let them go unnoticed, even when you want the least attention drawn to them.
Minimum Input Lag
No gamer would want an audio-video input lag with a larger screen while playing a fast-paced game!One of the benefits of most projectors is minimum input lag. Less than 30ms is mostly considered acceptable for gaming, whereas some projectors like Epson LS12000 and BenQW1210ST bring down the input lagtime to 19ms and 16.4ms, respectively, which is a good number for better response time.
Cons of Projector Gaming
Lack of HDR Technologies
Even if projectors’ screen sizes are undeniably great, you can get a Television screen on the same budget with excellent graphics and the latest HDR technologies. Although manufacturers are now incorporating 4K and the latest HDR technologies into high-end projectors, they’ll be exorbitantly priced compared to regular screens with the latest HDR technologies.
So, you have to choose either a small screen with bright images of all the latest HDR technology or a Godzilla-sized screen at the expense of image quality.
Needs External Speakers
If you’ve been into gaming for a long time, you’d understand the importance of immersive audio for a better gaming experience. The speakers embedded in the Television screen do not produce immersive audio because of limited space for the speakers; however, they are still ten-fold better than the projector’s built-in speakers.
So, if you plan to use projectors for gaming, you’ll have to get a pair of external speakers or a soundbar to have an immersive listening experience while gaming. Although a projector doesn’t take up a lot of space, adding an external component like a soundbar or speaker could increase the number of wires and make the room messier.
For this, HDMI ARC technology is suggested. This technology allows the transmission of both audio and video signals over one transmission line, and that too in both directions.
Takes more time to Turn On and Off
Despite the amazing response time for fast-paced gaming, a projector takes much time to turn on and off compared to television screens. Typically, turning a TV screen on and off takes less than a second, whereas this time can go up to a minute or more for turning the projector screen on, which can sometimes be quite off-putting.
Can Overheat and be Noisy
No one wants their electronic gear to overheat, as it may affect the gadget’s overall efficiency. While it’s normal for any electrical appliance to heat up because of resistance, motors, and other components, overheating could be a real problem for projectors.
Continuous use of projectors will cause them to overheat, which can strain the projector’s bulb and reduce its lifetime.
Low Power Efficiency
Although projectors have many benefits, they can add an extra Watt to your electricity consumption. In a power efficiency test, where a normal LED TV consumed 67 Watts, the BenQ projector consumed about 300 Watts, even with its “Power Saving Mode” enabled.
Comparative Analysis of Gaming Setups
When considering the switch to a projector for gaming, it’s useful to compare this setup with other gaming displays like traditional monitors and large-screen TVs. Monitors typically offer superior refresh rates and lower input lag, which are critical for competitive gaming and fast-paced titles. However, they are limited in size, which can restrict the immersive experience.
On the other hand, large-screen TVs can match the size offered by projectors and often boast better brightness and color accuracy, but they lack the flexibility in screen size and placement that projectors excel in. Projectors bridge the gap between these options by offering an expansive screen size and a customizable gaming environment, though at the potential cost of image brightness and clarity in unideal lighting conditions.
Market Analysis
The projector gaming market continually evolves, with several brands leading innovation and quality. Companies like Optoma, BenQ, and Epson have established themselves as top contenders, consistently pushing the boundaries of projector technology with gaming-specific features like enhanced brightness, reduced input lag, and flexible connectivity options.
Consumer preferences have also shifted towards projectors that offer 4K resolution and HDR support, aligning with the growing demand for high-definition content. This guide section explores current market trends, highlighting what gamers prioritize in their projector choices and how manufacturers respond to these needs.
Setting Up Your Gaming Projector
So, you have already purchased your projector and want to start gaming on the larger screen.
It won’t happen magically while you sit there and stare at your newly purchased projector. Setting up the projector for optimal performance and an immersive gaming experience involves a few steps. Let’s look into it in detail.
Select a Suitable Screen
After purchasing your projector, you need to get a suitable projector screen. It can be a flat white wall, a white sheet, or anything that can reflect the images produced by the projector. While choosing the screen, you must check its size capabilities; it’ll help you determine the screen size you need for optimal projection.
Projector’s Placement
Another important factor to consider while setting up your projector is its position.The projector’s location is paramount; you need a room where light can be controlled to optimize the display’s visibility. Mount the projector at the correct throw distance from the screen and level it with screen’s center or slightly above. The exact measurements may be found in the projector’s user manual.
Connect the Projector to the Gaming Console
Your next step in setting up the projector for gaming is connecting it to the gaming console. You’ll have to check your game console and projector’s connectivity options.
You’re in for a treat if they both support an HDMI ARC or eARC connection. All you need to do is get a high-speed HDMI cable, preferably HDMI standard 2.0 or 2.1, and connect one end of it to the HDMI port of the Console and the other end to HDMI to the Projector. It’ll allow faster signal transmission and allow audio and video signals to travel over the same transmission line without needing an extra audio cable.
Finally, the HDMI ARC port can connect external speakers or soundbars to the gaming console or projector.
If your projector or gaming console doesn’t have HDMI ports for connectivity but has an optical or AUX input port, you may choose an optical cable or AUX cable for connectivity.
Power On and Adjust the Settings
Once you’ve connected the projector to the speaker and gaming console, it’s time to switch it on and test the connection.
After switching on the projector, you need to head right to Calibration.
Calibration is also crucial; adjusting the projector’s settings, such as contrast, brightness, and sharpness, can greatly enhance the gaming experience. Additionally, investing in quality accessories like a good projector screen, sound system, and comfortable seating can elevate the overall setup.
Test the Setup
Finally, after setting up your projector with the rest of the gaming equipment, it is time to put it to the test.
Test the setup by playing a game and adjusting the brightness, image resolution, and volume as required.
Future of Projector Gaming
The future of projector gaming looks promising, with technological advancements expected to address many current limitations. Emerging technologies such as laser light sources are poised to improve projectors’ brightness and color accuracy while extending their lifespan.
Additionally, the development of ultra-short-throw (UST) projectors allows for large images in smaller spaces, opening up more possibilities for gamers in urban environments. The industry is also likely to see a decrease in input lag, making these projectors even more competitive with traditional gaming monitors and TVs.
Conclusion
Coming to an end, having a projector screen in your gaming setup could be quite a catch because of the impressive screen size, low response time, amazing portability, and small size. It can fit into any size room seamlessly and would not require extra expenses to buy cabinets to place this. However, most projectors may have a compromised image quality because of the lack of HDR technology, which is embedded in almost all television screens. Furthermore, the time to switch on and off the projectors is much longer than regular screens, which can be frustrating.
Despite all these pros and cons, getting a projector or a screen depends totally on personal preferences. If you prefer, better image quality with embedded HDR technology, a more power-efficient device, and considerable size while compromising screen size, portability, and less space consumption.
However, if you’re up for massive screen size, better response time, portability, and space-friendliness while compromising on image quality and power efficiency, you can never go wrong with a projector.
