If I upgrade my TV or monitor, it’s only for one reason: gaming. In reality, features like a higher resolution, faster refresh rate, and HDR aren’t things that matter unless you’re a gamer—in which case they are the most important. As the product tester and writer, I handle of lot of tech, and every now and then something surprises me. Right now, there is one dark horse in the race that threatens to change my entire trajectory. A laser projector, finally built for the gamers.
The Hisense C2 Ultra Mini Projector is a 4K laser projector designed specifically to be compatible with Xbox consoles. Most of my testing was on my Xbox Series X, connected via HDMI, and when I wasn’t doing that I was using the native apps to stream. It worked pretty damn well and, on the gaming front, was a smooth and low lag experience. Long throw projectors have come a long way since I was in high school. But are they enough for me to replace my TV? I found out.
Cons
- Price rivals an OLED TV
- Requires more frequent settings tweaking than a Smart TV
- Doesn’t seem all that mini to me
Easy To Plug and Project
This Hisense is a long-throw, which means it needs to be at a distance from the surface it’s projecting to—this is the traditional style of projectors you’re thinking of, as opposed to the short throws that sit right in front of a wall. I found that the C2 Ultra doesn’t need to be that far away, though. It claims to be able to project onto displays up to 300 inches, starting at 65. While I didn’t calculate the exact size, it was noticeably bigger than my 55-inch TV. At a little over eight feet from the wall and I was getting between 77 and 100 inches of picture.
What first jumped out to me was the display’s quick auto-focus. Whether you’re casting onto a projector screen or a blank white wall (like I was), the C2 Ultra detects the amount of free space you’re working with and adjusts its size and angle accordingly. It was extremely accurate, eliminating the need to do it by hand (although that option still exists if you so choose). The projector detected (via tech wizardry) how much space I was working with and adjusted without any input from me. It could detect the objects on each side of the area, and make sure the picture stayed undisturbed between them. I haven’t used a projector in around ten years, so needless to say that I was shocked at how easy these things have become. Just plug in and play.
The C2 Ultra’s user interface is powered by Vidaa, which is nearly identical to GoogleTV and Samsung Smart TV interfaces. This is to say, big banner ads at the top for what it wants you to watch, a grid of apps, recently watched shows, and a near endless barge of suggested content. I found it a little snappier than these competitors in the settings menus— beneficial because I spent more time tweaking picture settings (adjusting between daylight and night time) on the projector than I ever do on a Smart TV. I found the projector experience to be more hands on than a TV.
High Quality Laser Projection for Streaming and Gaming
What impressed me most was the picture quality. This is likely old news if you’ve been on the Hisense projector train, but at 3000 lumens and 4K resolution capabilities, this is the brightest and most detailed long-throw projection gets.
With the C2 Ultra, you can take advantage of 4K streaming on the top tiers of Netflix and Max. Connect it to Wi-Fi and all the Smart TV apps and features you’re used to from Hisense are here too. Plenty of people will love the comfortability of that. I plugged in an HDMI to my Xbox right away.
The thing worked like a charm and, like any good gaming TV, automatically adjusted to game mode with the proper HDR settings whenever I launched any title. Response times were as smooth and lag-free as when I connect the console to my TV. And my experience running through testing my Xbox favorites didn’t disappoint my childhood self. Playing Halo projected in nearly 90 inches on my wall was enough to make me start salivating for Mountain Dew Code Red.
In my living space, natural light is a boon. But it can sometimes make watching TV or gaming on my QLED difficult during the day. These woes are amplified on a projector. Games with dark blacks like Resident Evil 4 and Alan Wake 2 can be tougher to see, even on a cloudier day.Even gaming during a darker time of day, details can get lost around the edges depending on the lighting—but if you have a basement or black-out curtains this shouldn’t be an issue.
One more area where the C2 Ultra excels: the projector is equipped with JBL speakers and trust me when I say, they are the real deal. It’s got a subwoofer and options for Dolby surround sound. The projector has reliable Bluetooth, but I found the wireless speakers I had on hand just didn’t measure up to what JBL Harman was bringing to the table (not even the new JBL Charge 6). If you’re not hardwiring into your own $1,000+ surround system, you’re better off just using the built-in speakers.
Final Verdict
I totally get the argument for a projector these days. It’s easy to store and doesn’t hang on your wall taking up space when its not in use. And with ones like the Hisense C2 Ultra straight up shooting 4K at my wall? I can’t deny it’s a sick piece of tech.
So will I replace my gaming TV with a projector? No, not personally, but I’ve discovered that it is a totally valid way to play games—better than some cheap TVs, even. And for the price, it better be. So, if you have two to three grand budgeted out for a new OLED TV, take a minute to consider if this projector is better for your space and lifestyle. It just might be the buy that makes you happiest.
