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The next step after scooping out hundreds of dollars for a top Games Console is to get a Projector. Why? Because sure, 50 or 60 inches of screen size on your TV is pretty good, but 150 to 300 inches on a Projector is both cooler and better. But what makes a good Gaming Projector? Most people just look for Native Resolution and I’m going to start with that, but there’s so much more that goes into gaming projection. Guess what? I’m gonna give you the goods on that too. See below for gaming heaven.
A 1080p Native Resolution
In terms of graphics, games are becoming more complex by the year and you simply can’t get by with anything less than Full HD 1080p now. It’s as simple is that. Check out the number of pixels you get and if it isn’t 1080p, then you’re going to get an inferior gaming experience. Full HD good gaming projectors also tend to be made with advanced level gaming and home theater in mind so they’re built for what you need.
Upscaling Doesn’t Count
We’re gonna talk about Lag Times later in this article. For now, you need to make sure you don’t buy a Projector that upscales to 1080p. Upscaling is when you have a good gaming Projector with a pixel count below 1080p. But, it guesses the missing pixels to give you something much like actual 1080p. It fills in the gaps. Unfortunately, though, Upscaling almost always introduces Lags, or wait times between commands and action in games. So no Upscaling.
A Low Weight
You want to take it around to your buddy’s house to play right? Of course, you do. Everybody wants to play games with their friends. Well, you’re not going to be able to do that if your gaming Projector weighs a ton. So get one that weighs under 10 pounds. Under 5 pounds is even better because then you’re into the super-portable range. Fortunately for you, there’s a large number of good gaming projectors on sale right now within these weight ranges. So unlike in the recent past, at least have lots of choose from.
Over 3000 Lumens
You gotta have some brightness. Under 100 Lumens and you’ll be playing your games only in complete darkness. So you’ll have to wait for all the lights to leave the room before you start playing. Between 1000 and 2000 Lumens and you get basically the same result but with a better picture when there’s still a little light in the room. Between 2000 and 3000 and we’re starting to talk easy gaming. In this range you can play with some ambient light and even some natural light from outside. But, to move the screen out to max you’ll need darkness. Over 3000 Lumens is where you want to be. With over 3000 you can play on dull afternoons without drawing the curtains, and with a fair amount of ambient light in the room. In other words, there’s no sitting and waiting. You’re straight out of the box playing and a huge screen.
Contrast Ratio
You wouldn’t believe how many people ignore this. They tend to focus on pixels and pixels are important but so is Contrast Ratio. It determines the visibility and clarity of blacks and whites. Modern games are increasingly using vast color pallets with ever increasing uses of darks and lights. So it’s not just for movies that you need a good Contrast Ratio. Look for a 1080p Projector, with a Contrast Ratio of over 20,000 and you’ll be enjoying arcade quality gaming.
Watch out for the Lag time
If you’re telling a character in your game to hit someone and he does it a few seconds later then you have a major Lag problem. In the old days we used to have Lags that big all time. These days Lags this size are rare. But, you still want to cut down on any Lag that is there. Lags are measured in Milliseconds so you’re looking for an MS Lag Rate of under 20MS. Like the ViewSonic Pro 8200 or the Optoma Hd131xe. There’s lots on the market with low Lag times.
Frame Rate
The higher the better folks. Frame Rate is Speed. It’s the speed at which the action will move and for racing games or shooters it’s incredibly important. Watch out for cheating too. Sometimes you’ll see a good gaming Projector offering 3D gaming at a Frame Rate of 60hz. You need 120hz for proper 3D gaming so always check out the Frame Rate. For 2D gaming, I’d also recommend 120hz because it makes for fast-paced arcade-style gaming.
Conclusion
Hey, maybe you like playing inside your house, so you could possibly miss out on the low-weight paragraph. After all if you’re this kind of gamer, you won’t be moving it. But most gamers love to go around to their friends’ houses to play so keep the weight low folks. And, keep the Lumens high. Lumens mean brightness and brightness mean not sitting on the couch, counting imaginary sheep jumping over fences in your head while you’re waiting for all the daylight to drain from the room. Except only 1080p and no Upscaling. 1080p is pure HD picture quality and Upscaling produces Lag Time. Lag Time is more waiting while your character does what you told him to do. Keep the Lag to below 20MS and keep the Frame Rate at 120hz. If you do all this you’ll be in gaming heaven in no time at all.
