For a long time, projectors weren’t considered to be suitable for gaming. Too much latency, frequencies limited to 60Hz, game modes that often weren’t great and an almost total absence of technologies designed for consoles and PC gamers. Discerning gamers therefore turned to TVs and gaming monitors, leaving video projection confined to cinema and TV series. In recent years, however, the situation has begun to change, with the arrival of projectors capable of reaching 120Hz or even 240Hz. With the new XGIMI Horizon 20 and Awol Vision Aetherion models, projection has taken a new step forward by integrating key gaming technologies such as ALLM and VRR, hitherto reserved for screens and TVs.
ALLM and VRR: a revolution in gaming projectors
ALLM, for Auto Low Latency Mode, is an essential technology for gamers. In concrete terms, it enables a display to automatically switch to low-latency mode as soon as a console or PC is detected. No need to scroll through menus to manually activate a gaming mode. The projector instantly adjusts its video processing to reduce input lag to a minimum. On gaming TVs, ALLM has become almost commonplace, but it remains extremely rare on projectors. Up until now, the top-of-the-range Sony BRAVIA Projector 7 was the exception. The arrival of ALLM on consumer-oriented models such as those from Xgimi and Awol Vision therefore marks an important turning point, as it finally brings the videoprojection experience closer to the standards of modern gaming.
VRR, or Variable Refresh Rate, is perhaps even more decisive for fluidity in gaming. This technology dynamically synchronizes the projector’s refresh rate with the number of frames per second generated by the console or PC. The result is the disappearance of tearing, a drastic reduction in stuttering and a far superior sensation of fluidity, particularly in games where framerates are constantly changing. By supporting VRR, the Xgimi Horizon 20 and Awol Vision Aetherion projectors are profoundly changing the game. For the first time, a gamer can enjoy a large projected image, while retaining adaptive synchronization comparable to that of a gaming monitor or TV.
🤓 Note from the expert
- Tearing: visual effect where the image tears horizontally because the display is not synchronized with the number of images sent by the source.
- Stuttering: judder or micro-pauses caused by irregular image display.
- Framerate: number of images displayed per second, expressed in frames per second (fps or ips), which determines the fluidity of a game or video.
1ms latency in 1080p: a strong signal to gamers
The other major announcement of these new projectors concerns response time. With a claimed latency of just 1ms in 1080p at 240Hz, Xgimi and Awol Vision are on a par with the best gaming monitors on the market. For years, projectors often had input lag in excess of 30 or 40ms, making competitive games difficult to play. Reaching 1ms in Full HD is a symbolic and technical first step. It proves that projection is no longer condemned to lag behind in terms of responsiveness. Of course, this performance is currently limited to resolutions below 4K, but it opens up very encouraging prospects. It’s reasonable to hope that future generations of gaming projectors will be able to extend this performance to higher resolutions such as 1440p, or even 4K, without sacrificing latency. For gamers, this is a clear message: projectors can now be considered as a serious solution, even for demanding uses.
Xgimi Horizon 20 and Awol Vision Aetherion: the best gaming projectors?
The Xgimi Horizon 20 is a 4K UHD laser projector designed to combine cinema immersion and gaming performance. It delivers 4K resolution with a brightness of 3,200 lumens, powerful enough for large images even with little ambient light. Thanks to a refresh rate of up to 240Hz in 1080p and a very low response time of around 1ms, it’s particularly aimed at competitive gamers. In practice, it can project an image up to around 300″ (762cm) in diagonal, literally transforming the gaming space for a panoramic experience. The Horizon 20 also supports VRR and ALLM technologies, significantly reducing tearing and latency.
The Awol Vision Aetherion follows the same logic, but with a few special features, starting with its ultra-short-throw design, which enables a very large 200″ (508cm) image at a minimal distance from the screen. It offers 4K resolution, high brightness of 3,300 lumens and a refresh rate of up to 240Hz with 1ms latency in 1080p, ensuring responsiveness comparable to that of the best gaming screens. Like the Xgimi Horizon 20, it supports ALLM and VRR for optimum fluidity. It also focuses on HDR rendering with Dolby Vision Gaming compatibility, to enhance the legibility and visual impact of dark, high-contrast scenes.
A promising future for gaming on the big screen
The arrival of ALLM, VRR and ultra-low response time on mainstream projectors is great news for gamers. It marks the beginning of a new era in which projection is no longer synonymous with immersive cinematography, but also with gaming performance. Admittedly, all is not yet perfect, and there are still limits regarding resolution, but the initiatives of Xgimi and Awol Vision show that manufacturers are finally taking gaming seriously. In the long term, these advances could well make projectors a credible alternative to gaming TVs and screens, especially for those who dream of a giant image without compromising on fluidity and responsiveness. For gaming on projectors, the future clearly looks brighter than ever.
