5 Best Budget 4K Projectors For Gaming (Compared)

5 Best Budget 4K Projectors for Gaming in 2022 (Compared)

What is the best budget 4K projector for gaming, well today that is what we are trying to find out? We have looked at many awesome projectors before here on the site, including projectors under $300. Today though we are looking for the best budget 4K projector for gaming. Now, before we start, I must tell you something, 4K projectors are not as easy to come by as full HD projector so we will be looking at a mixture of both. The good thing is, all of the projectors we are looking at today are perfect for gaming so no matter what you play video games on, one of these is going to be great for you.

Why Would I Want To Play Games On A 4k Projector?

It is crazy to think that in this day and age 32-inches is classed a small TV! Many people that I know have at least a 50-inch TV in their living room. Still, even though larger screen TVs are more affordable than ever before. A projector for gaming is something truly special. Look at this guy Playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on a projector and tell me it does not look awesome. It can be a more immersive experience, plus if you are playing a split-screen game, let’s say Mario Kart on the Switch or Halo on the Xbox for example, you and the rest of the players have a much larger screen to view.

Will It Look As Good As My TV?

Sony X750H 55-inch 4K Ultra HD LED TV (2020 Model) with S100F 2.0ch Soundbar with Bass Reflex Speaker

This is actually a really hard question to answer as it depends on your TV and the kind of projector you are talking about. As we are looking for the best budget 4K projector for gaming, much of these are not going to be able to match a higher-end 4K TV like this offering from Sony here. Usually, when an image gets blown up, you do lose a little bit of the finer details. However, I would argue that the awesomeness of playing a game on a giant screen more than makes up for this. Plus, modern projectors manage to usually offer a very sharp and colorful image in their own right.

Benefits Of Getting A Decent Projector Screen For Games

Some people get a projector and then just play their movies or games directly on a white wall or even a sheet. While this technically can work and I have even seen someone use their garage door as a screen. I would advise that you get a projector screen (check out the benefits of having one). Amazon has a ton at all different ends of the pricing spectrum, it is not an exaggeration to say that you can spend as little as 20 bucks and get a decent screen, it will be a hell of a lot better than your wall that is for sure. 

Think About The Sound Quality During Gaming

While image clarity is the first thing that will come to mind when thinking about adding a sweet projector to your home one other thing to consider is the sound. Projectors have built in speakers (most of them do) however, the sound quality is usually passable, but not amazing. I would advise that once you have the projector and the screen, speakers or a soundbar should be something you consider at some point.

The 5 Best Budget 4K Projector For Gaming Reviews

Here we have a handful of projectors that I feel are great for gaming. I have picked ones that are at all ends of the pricing spectrum so there is bound to be one that fits your budget and what you want here.

  1. Optoma HD28HDR 1080p Home Theater Projector
  2. BenQ HT2050A 1080P DLP Home Theater Projector
  3. YABER Y30 Native 1080P Projector
  4. Projector, Artlii Stone Full HD 1080P Projector
  5. ViewSonic 3800 Lumens SVGA High Brightness Projector

Optoma HD28HDR 1080p Home Theater Projector

Optoma HD28HDR 1080p Home Theater budget Projector for gaming

Ok so I know that 650 bucks is not exactly budget, but I really wanted to start this with a bang. Besides this Optoma HD28HDR 1080p Home Theater Projector is the projector that I use and currently, I have hooked up to it a PlayStation 5, Xbox One S, Nintendo Switch, and an Amazon Fire Stick. This is HDR compatible so it is perfect for gaming, they also say it has a fantastic response time which is something I can attest to as I have never had an issue when playing a game with this.

The image quality is fantastic. I played Spider-Man: Miles Morales the day it came out on this and was blown away by how good it looks. This is a projector that does not wash out the colors or make you think you should go back to gaming on the TV! Even old school games such as the SNES and NES games that you can get for the Nintendo Switch look amazing when played through this. I have also used it to watch a lot of TV too, my son and I just recently binge-watched the new Pacific Rim: Black show on Netflix and it looked amazing.

What Other People Are Saying

Ok, so I know this video is not of a video game, but it shows you just how bright and vivid the image this projector gives you. If you look at the customer reviews over at Amazon for this thing you will be very impressed. It currently has over a thousand reviews and 85 percent of them are positive. The people that have issues with this tend to be people who were unfortunate to get a broken one sent to them.

I love the Optoma HD28HDR 1080p Home Theater Projector. As I said, this is the projector that we use in our house and we pretty much use it on a daily basis. It is fantastic for video games and I know the asking price makes it debatable for being on a best budget 4K projector for gaming list. However, I do feel that this is more than worth the asking price, plus in the world of projectors, there are many that are more expensive than this.

Pros:

  • It is great for playing games
  • Everything looks great with HDR on
  • I feel the asking price is actually very fair
  • It is super simple to use

Cons:

  • It is rather expensive compared to others on this list
  • The fan can run a little loud

BenQ MW535A 1080p Projector

budget BenQ MW535A 1080p Projector for gaming

Next up we have this BenQ MW535A 1080p Projector which I have personally used quite a bit. I helped a friend set up his home theatre and this is the projector that he went for. It is a bit cheaper than the Optoma we just looked at, but it still will cost you around 300 bucks. Still, for the price you are getting a great projector here. It offers next to no input lag which makes it great for gaming. My friend has an Xbox Series S (wasn’t able to get an X) hooked up to this and it looks great.

A couple of weekends back, we spent the day playing Forza Horizon 4 and Halo 5. Let me tell you I was blown away by how Forza looked through this thing! The colors were so bright and vivid and even the blacks were well defined. I noticed no lag whatsoever and we even watched The Bulls play The Pacers and it looked fantastic too. I am pretty sure that anything you run through this projector is going to be great. My buddy does all his gaming and streaming of movies, TV, and so on through that Xbox and has no complaints at all so I knew it had to be on our list looking for the best budget 4K projector for gaming.

What Other People Are Saying

The best compliment that I can give this projector is showing you this informative article from gaming site IGN that has this listed as one of their favorite projectors for gaming. It has a ton of great reviews on Amazon. As I write this there are over a thousand reviews and 93 percent of these reviews are for four or five stars!

I can personally say that the BenQ HT2050A 1080P DLP Home Theater Projector is a great projector for gaming. If I was not already happy with the projector that I have, this one would probably be the one that I go for in all honesty with you. It is so clear and vivid and there is no lag and that is all you can ask for from a projector when it comes to playing video games.

Pros:

  • The image is nice and clear
  • No lag when playing games
  • It is not a bad price when you consider how good it is
  • I think the design is pretty cool

Cons:

  • The replacement bulbs can be expensive
  • My buddy complains that there is no sleep mode on this

YABER Y30 Native 1080P Projector

YABER Y30 Native 1080P budget Projector for gaming

I purchased the YABER Y30 Native 1080P Projector for our game room a while back. At around 170 bucks it is well worth a spot on our best budget 4K projector for gaming list. I went for this one as I did not want to spend a ton of money, but I still wanted something that is decent quality. My kids use this all the time, Fortnite is pretty much all they play, but I have never heard a single complaint from them. I have spent a ton of time playing the Sega Genesis Mini through this and I can tell you retro games look and play great on this too.

Currently, we have a ton of stuff hooked up to this (with an HDMI splitter) we have a PS4, Xbox 360, Genesis Mini, SNES, and NES Classic, and a Fire Stick too! I can hand on heart say that I do not have any complaints at all about this. The image may not be as super sharp and HDR like the Optoma, but for the game room and something, the kids mainly use this is great. I am sure that most people who do not nitpick and obsess over little (in all honesty, insignificant) things will be more than happy with this as their main projector.

What Other People Are Saying

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42pga0GcIyI

I found a pretty neat video review that talks about what a great bargain projector this is. If you look at Amazon, you can see how popular this projector is. With over four thousand customer reviews and 86 percent of them are positive, it is clear that this is a projector that is loved by the majority of people who have purchased it.

If you want to be under 200 bucks, you cannot go wrong with the YABER Y30 Native 1080P Projector. I bought this having never heard of this company, but I would recommend it to anyone who wants to be closer to the 100 to 200 bucks price range. As I said, the kids mainly use this and from what I know about Fortnite, you need quick reactions in that game and my two have never complained once about it.

Pros:

  • The projector is very affordable
  • The image is great
  • Even retro games look fantastic on this
  • Easy to set up and easy to use!

Cons:

  • The internal speakers are not the best
  • That fan can get way too loud

Projector, Artlii Stone Full HD 1080P Projector

Projector, Artlii Stone Full HD 1080P budget Projector for gaming

Ok, so the Projector, Artlii Stone Full HD 1080P Projector is not a projector that I have personally used myself, but as I was looking for projectors to add to our best budget 4K projector for gaming list I noticed this one, mainly because they were using The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to advertise it, but that along with the close to 200 bucks price point (also check out our under $200 compact soundbars for TV to complement your gaming setting) did capture my eye.

I know the boxy design may not be to everyone’s taste, but I kind of dig it as it reminds me of an NES. It claims that the 1080p image quality it produces is 3 times that of projectors that only offer 720p. I was nodding my head as I read about the contrast ratio that this thing offered and it does also allow you to zoom in too which may suit your needs. In all, it sounds like this is a pretty solid projector and that it would be more than fine for playing video games.

What Other People Are Saying

There are close to 400 customer reviews on Amazon and 86 percent of these are positive reviews. “This new model is brighter and a much sharper image. I can even watch with the lights on now!” That is what one review had to say and that really did capture my attention. Another reviewer had this to say, “It has a native 108p resolution that makes it perfect for video games and movies” the fact they mention video games specifically is great.

I think that this looks like a very solid projector. While it may not offer true 4K, if you just want a great gaming projector that is close to the 200 bucks mark. I feel that the Artlii Stone Full HD 1080P Projector is well worth making your shortlist. Most of the stuff I read about this was very positive and people who have it tend to be very happy with it.

Pros:

  • It costs close to 200 bucks
  • I liked the NES style of it
  • It is said that it is good for gaming
  • The images I have seen look nice and bright

Cons:

  • People have complained it is loud
  • It is also said to get pretty hot too

ViewSonic 3800 Lumens SVGA High Brightness Projector

ViewSonic 3800 Lumens SVGA High Brightness budget Projector for gaming

Rounding up our search for the best budget 4K projector for gaming is this ViewSonic 3800 Lumens SVGA High Brightness Projector. I have used a ViewSonic projector before and this one is a bit “higher end” than the one I used. It currently costs around 300 bucks which I feel is a fair price for a projector of this quality. It has a rather low-profile design so it is not going to stick out too much in your game room, home theatre, or whatever.

The 3800 lumens that is in the name means that this is going to give you a nice and bright image. When you play a game, you need that brightness to be just right and from what I have read this seems to offer you that. With a low latency, it is going to be great for video games. Latency can make or break a game and this one has next to none so you will never notice it.

What Other People Are Saying

I found a great video review that shows you all of the pros and cons that this projector has so be sure to check it out. Also on Amazon, with 1708 (as of writing) reviews, 90 percent of them are for four and five stars! “Since Covid-9 hit, I’ve been using it more frequently to project video games onto my wall. Works great for that too! :)” is what one review had to say about this.

I think that the ViewSonic 3800 Lumens SVGA High Brightness Projector looks like a damn solid projector for gaming. I am sure it will suit all your needs no matter if it is playing video games, watching movies, sports or whatever else you like to do. I feel the 300 bucks asking price is pretty fair too.

Pros:

  • It is going to give you a nice and bright image
  • It does not take up a ton of space
  • Many great reviews for this!
  • Many people say it is great for gaming

Cons:

  • It does not offer full 4K HDR
  • It might be a tad expensive for some people.

What Is The Best 4k Budget Projector For Gaming?

Hands down if I had to recommend just one projector here it would be the Optoma HD28HDR 1080p Home Theater Projector. I freaking love this thing and I have zero intention of upgrading it any time in the near future. Gaming, movies, sports it can do it all and it does it in amazing clarity. I do know that the asking price is rather high for that and as we are looking for the best budget 4K projector for gaming I feel I need to also personally recommend the YABER Y30 Native 1080P Projector. While it may not be 4k, it is still amazing for gaming and my kids use it every day and love it and if my kids do not complain then it must be pretty good!

Be sure to check out the other projector reviews that we have here on the site as we are sure you will find the perfect projector for you somewhere on here.

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