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How to Choose the Best Projector for my Console Gaming Room?

The idea of creating a dedicated gaming room often centers on the chance to bolster one's gaming experience with a dramatically larger screen. The question is - which projector is the best suited to deliver a 100+ inch screen to your new gaming room?

How to choose a console gaming projector?
Knowing which console you plan to use with your projector

Which Console will you play mostly on this gaming projector?

The world of gaming projectors may appear confusing from the outside looking in - so we've created this article as a guide to selecting the right console gaming projector. The first step to finding the ideal console gaming projector is of course to know which particular console you wish to play. A projector well-suited to the Nintendo Switch could be an ill-match for a gaming room built around a PS5, for example. 

 

Start by considering technical factor such like graphical refresh rate. Previous-generation consoles such as PS4, PS4 Pro, and Xbox One are all limited to 60hz. These older gaming units won't be able to take advantage of the 120hz refresh rates offered by higher-end gaming projectors. The Nintendo Switch is also limited to 60hz. When and why does this matter? Fast-paced games like first-person shooters tend to look and play better at higher refresh rates. Movies, television, and slower paced games like RPGs do not see a dramatic visual improvements at higher refresh rates.

 

Once you've chosen a primary gaming console - next consider the ambient brightness in the room. The more ambient light in the room - the brighter your chosen projector must be.

 

 

How Bright Should My Gaming Projector Be?

dark room with no ambient light

Dark Room

dim room with some ambient light

Dim Room

well lit room

Lit Room

bright room with ambient light

Bright Room

The brightness of your chosen projector is a result of two factors - ambient light and desired image size. Simply put, brighter rooms benefit from brighter projectors, as do larger images. Let's breifly review why this is this case and why it is important to consider for your new gaming room projector. 

 

Ambient light is why movie theaters are kept dark during films - it's much easier to see a projected image in a darker room. The brighter the room, the brighter the projector must be to shine through the ambient light to the viewer. The same lesson applies to your new gaming room projector - brighter rooms require brighter projectors. For gaming in a brighter room shoppers should also consider an ambient light rejecting screen to further enhance the image

 

The same logic applies to screen size. Consider the example of a 1000 lumen projector shining on a 100 inch screen. When we project those same 1000 lumens on a 120-inch screen, we're spreading the same amount of light over a larer area, resulting in a dimmer image. 

 

Use the table below to calculate the ideal minimum brightness for your gaming room projector in ANSI lumens

Recommended for Dark/ Dim Room

Size Dark Room Dim Room Lit Room Bright Room
Size
120"
Dark Room
750
Dim Room
1500
Lit Room
3000
Bright Room
6000
Size
100"
Dark Room
500
Dim Room
1000
Lit Room
2000
Bright Room
4000
Size
80"
Dark Room
300
Dim Room
700
Lit Room
1300
Bright Room
2800

Identifying the Right Throw Ratio Based on Your Projector’s Location

Next you'll need to determine which throw ratio is best for your console gaming room projector. Throw ratio is simply another way of stating the distance a given projector must sit from the screen. 

 

Gaming projectors tend to fall in one of two throw ratio categories: standard and short throw projectors. Standard projectors sit back 8 feet or more from the screen, while short-throw projectors create larger images from close-up. Short-throw projectors usually sit 5-8 feet from the projector screen. Measure the intended room for your console gaming projector and see how much space is available. Do you have 8 feet or more of space? If not, strongly consider a short-throw projector to make the most of console gaming in a smaller space. Check out the interactive BenQ projector distance calculator to help determine the right position in the room for your new projector. 

 

The following table lists throw ratios for various screen sizes based on the type of projection method and distances:

Projector to Screen Distance 4.9 ft – 8.2 ft 8.2 ft – 13 ft
Projector to Screen Distance
Throw Ratio Suggestion
4.9 ft – 8.2 ft
Short Throw Projection
8.2 ft – 13 ft
Short Distance Projection
Projector to Screen Distance
150"
4.9 ft – 8.2 ft
7.5ft – 9.2ft
8.2 ft – 13 ft
12.3ft – 16ft
Projector to Screen Distance
120"
4.9 ft – 8.2 ft
5.9ft – 6.6ft
8.2 ft – 13 ft
9.8ft – 12.8ft
Projector to Screen Distance
100"
4.9 ft – 8.2 ft
4.9ft – 5.6ft
8.2 ft – 13 ft
8.2ft – 10.7ft

*The table above is for reference only, you should base your plans on the actual room size, arrangement, and furnishings.

 

 

Other Important Specifications

As mentioned in earlier in this article, finding the right projector for your gaming console will require you to be cognizant of certain values found in either the console or the projector’s specifications table. Here are a few of the specifications most gamers tend to focus on when it comes to projectors, with links that go into further detail regarding each:

 

Input Lag / Latency

Input lag (aso known as input latency) is a value, measured in milliseconds, that defines how quick the projector projects an image produced by the gaming console. It is one of the key specs for players of first-person shooters, as FPS games tend to rely heavily on quick reaction time, which input lag contributes to.

 

Resolution

Resolution is a measure of how many individual pixels make up a given image. More pixels in a given space creates a more detailed image. In gaming more pixels tend to be better as clearer images create a more immersive gaming experience. It is important to remember that as your target screen size increases, so too must the resolution of your chosen projector. For example, a 1080p image on a 100 inch screen will look begin to look fuzzy when stretched to 120 inches. Upgrading to a 4k projector adds many more pixels of detail to that larger image, and thus produces a clearer picture. 

 

ANSI Lumens

When shopping for a projector, ensure it's brightness is listed in terms of ANSI lumens. That’s because ANSI (American National Standards Institute) lumens is the most objective measure of brightness for a projector, which is why, as its name attests to, it is the standard unit used industry-wide.

 

 

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