For years, televisions have been the go-to for most console gamers, especially when the TV is a norm for most families. However, for film buffs and gamers alike, there is always the feeling that you just want something more, something bigger, something that makes you feel as if you are in the game. The big problem when buying a large television is that it’s incredibly expensive. Plus, the likelihood of finding one that is capable of 120” is almost impossible. 

Modern gaming projectors can give you the screen sizes you dream of without compromising on performance and image quality. While becoming more affordable, they have also left behind the old problems of ghosting and input lag to match competing televisions. 

Size matters

When it comes to the cost per inch, between a projector and a television there is no competition in screen size. When you truly think about it, TVs are capped at 75” for nearly everyone, with the lowest market cost of around £1,500. If you’re lucky and have the money and can find a 100” television, you could be looking at a £3,000+ price tag for a basic model. These prices don’t even guarantee gaming modes. 

Looking at it from another angle, you can easily get an excellent gaming projector, capable of 100” to 300” (if you have space), for a lot less money, with the best rated projectors on the market costing around £1,200. So, the relative cost per inch of a projector compared to that of a TV is tiny. And gaming on a large screen is incredibly impressive and can’t be denied. 

When you compare screen sizes, think about multiplayer split screens. When split into four, a 120” projector screen will give each player a 60” screen. That’s bigger than the size of your average family home television.

The need for speed

Reaction times can mean the difference between looking like a ‘pro’ gamer or like a ‘noob’. Frustration can set in when your budget TV doesn’t react as fast as you do when under fire. Cheaper televisions and projectors are renowned for having slow input lag in the region of 30ms or more. A gaming dedicated TV or projector will garner better refresh rates. But a gaming television will bring a larger price tag.

Take the Optoma UHD38 for example, a projector capable of 4K UHD imagery, perfect for watching movies, sport or television. Most importantly though, this projector is capable of an incredible 4.2ms of input lag at 1080p Full HD! That’s at 240Hz for ultra-smooth gaming. Even if you go for 4K gaming that’s 60Hz and a 16ms response time. To put that into perspective, that’s faster than an average person can blink! This is on par with a television with a dedicated gaming mode, and while a gaming monitor may be quicker, how are you going to get a 120” screen on your desk?

A sound investment?

Unfortunately, in the technology world, standard built-in speakers tend to be very underwhelming. This isn’t just the fact that it gives brands the chance to sell better performing sound bars and surround sound systems. More powerful speakers risk the chance of the vibrations distorting screen layers, rattling pixel transistors and other important parts. This is a level playing field for projectors and TVs. Whilst many monitors don’t even have speakers.

In it for the long haul

As previously mentioned above, there is no real need to handle a projector with the fear of easily breaking it. Not like a TV, where pressing a little hard on the screen could break the screen. Lamps aside, projectors themselves are built with longer lifespans with no expectation to have to change them every few years. Lamps do bring up extra running costs and usually have a maximum lifespan of around 10,000 hours. However, with the development of laser projectors and their increasing affordability, 10,000 hours can be up-to 30,000 hours. This means if you wanted to, you could run your projector 24/7 for nearly three and a half years! The UHZ50 projector has all the cool gaming features of the UHD35 and UHD38, but with the virtually maintenance free laser technology to boot. 

What does it all mean?

There is no point in denying it, everyone wants to see what their favourite game looks like on a big screen. So, if you’re looking at a new TV or even a gaming monitor, why not consider a gaming projector? A projector costs a lot less than a gaming television, is flexible enough to move outside for a garden movie night, and can compete with the refresh rate of any dedicated gaming TV and some monitors. All this, as well as a big image. You don’t have to be restricted to a 40” screen. Surely, it’s time to ‘Experience more’?

See more: Optoma Unveils UHZ50, an Ultra High Performance, Affordable 4K Laser Home Theater Projector