The new Philips GamePix 900 gaming projector dispenses with the constraints of desktop monitors for some big screen gaming in our review.
Philips, the brand behind some serious decent gaming displays, is set to step things up a notch with the recent release of the GamePix projector range. A new twist on the current Neopix projector range, this new release is aimed squarely at dragging your gaming session off the TV screen and into the big leagues, and we took a look at the GamePix 900 to see if it’s worth ditching the TV in the front room or desktop setup for gaming on the grandest scale.
Unboxing and First Impressions
Getting the GamePix 900 out of the box isn’t exactly difficult. The packaged projector comes with the main body, relevant power cords, manuals, a remote control, a pair of batteries, and the relevant manuals, That’s really all that’s needed and allows us to get right head straight into a first look.
There’s nothing truly revolutionary about the overall aesthetic of the GamePix, but it does still stand out among its peers. The compact design distinguishes itself from the familiar format of more mundane projector lines, with a smaller footprint and taller top than other options. A square lens cut out and red accents tend to lend it just the mildest hint of individuality, but this won’t battle the next winning shot for attention.
The rest of the main housing is best described as functional. Flip things around and the black plastic shell contains unobtrusive focus controls in the top, a set of three feet in the bottom to allow it to be angled upwards, and a mix of connections come carved into the back. This isn’t like the Xigmi family of lifestyle projectors. The GamePix 900 seems set on fitting a gamer aesthetic, and frankly that is fine.
Specifications
Display technology – DLP
Light source – LED
Brightness – up to 1000 lumens
Resolution – 3840 x 2160 pixel
Throw ratio – 1,5:1
Aspect ratio – 16:9
Focus adjustment – Manual
Keystone correction – Yes
LED lifetime – Up to 30.000h
Projection image size – up to 120” (300cm)
Projection distance – 398cm (13.05 feet) / 120”
Resolution supported – 4K
Recommended usage – 120″ max in dark room
Color gamut – 95% Rec.709
Refresh rate – 240Hz@1080p
Input lag – 6ms@240Hz / 8ms@120Hz
Digital Zoom – yes
HDR10 – Yes
Connection – HDMI x1, USB – x1
Audio out – 3.5 mm jack
DC-IN – Yes
Power on Setup
The lightweight, 2KG, design and restrained footprint prove to be an early win for the Philips projector. It sits on a desktop, side table, and around most living spaces. Coffee tables seem like the prefect place to prop this up and kick off some couch co-op and that seems to be the initial intent. One of the three feet can be extended to elevate gameplay to an appropriate viewing height and the lack of any mounting arms add to the assumption you’ll be placing this down in a front room or gaming den.
Connections on the GamePix 900 are limited, further asserting the plug and play approach of this design. This does bring some benefit, there’s no time wasted making choices between HDMI ports, audio options, or wireless paraphernalia. You have just enough to plug in and power on.
If you’re setting up for a bit of big screen cough co-op then invite the friends round a little later in the day. Anybody migrating from a big screen TV or plugging in they might find themselves a little thrown by the need to manually focus using the physical controls and keystone correct the image from the word go. Options are sufficient and intuitive enough that they make sense, even if the UI and explanations for first timers could use some work.
Philips has built in the option to set the resolution and refresh rate or simply turn on game mode and let the projector do the rest. Color options are slanted towards leaping into adventure, with around 7 headings and 4 assorted movie and gaming presets color configurations, and there are the usual mix of brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, HDR, and power options.
While the on-screen UI and options presented so far are sufficient enough to avoid much complaint, the image is what this box of tricks is all about. Initial setup and testing provide a range of options but Philips present this device as a 4kK high refresh rate projector. Like plenty of other devices of this ilk, the GamePix 900 isn’t natively 4k. From our best snooping, and thanks to reddit, it is 1080p with 240Hz pixel shifting. That’s not particularly unusual at this price point, and when combined with a 1000 lumen LED light source, this DLP projector manages to a pretty good stroll through the likes of Night City.
Plugging in a PlayStation 5, 4K at 120Hz is instantly detected and supported, Cyberpunk, Horizon Forbidden West, and plenty of other big budget titles look fantastic at first glance. Walking the nightlife of a cyberpunk cityscape is initially mesmerizing. Color accuracy and contrast is commendable right out the box, while individual luminescent ads break the bleak concrete backdrop with a decent level of contrast. There isn’t much to complain about when spending the late late evenings strolling the violent streets of Night City.
Getting Messy
Even when combat breaks out, things feel fluid. Action is where other entertainment focused options can struggle. This time, gunfights don’t end up with blood and pixels smeared all over the screen Instead the GamePix 900 manages to keep up with some casual attack without noticeable issues. This seems consistent when we tested with my own favorite high-speed grind, Olli Olli World. Despite being a game that doesn’t require the graphical processing capability of a top tier GPU, the high refresh rate and reaction requirements mean that lag and display delays won’t go unnoticed. Testing on both the PlayStation 5 and an ROG Ally with AMD FMF enabled kicked things up to 4K and proved to be a playable experience.
Smearing and ghosting were not particularly obvious and for my casual eyes, lag is tolerable to the point where anybody outside of mid-tier esports arena’s is going to have a perfectly playable time. I cannot stress enough how difficult is to find an option to grind out some entertainment, gun through Rollerdrome, or a kick about on the big screen that doesn’t end in a smeary mess.
Enough of my experience, Checking the same UFO Ghosting test that we’d normally run for Philip’s monitor range provided the collaborating evidence. The GamePix 900 is a solid choice for high refresh rate gaming. Sure, it drops image interpolation, but much like the other obvious compromises- in this device, this is gaming first gear.
Compromises
While gaming feels fluid and color accuracy is great, there are a few more signs of compromise. At a very attractive price point, the 1000 lumen light source is just about adequate for drawing the curtains back, but it isn’t at its best. Compared to the 1500 lumens available in other options at the same RRP, it lacks a little. This means you’ll really want to avoid playing at high noon, lest the colors feel washed out. This is a buddy for after work is done for the day, or in a sealed off gaming den. The throw range for the GamePix, or the distance you’ll want to have it from your screen or wall, is 1:5. That means for each 1 foot of image width, the throw distance should be 1.5 feet away. This isn’t entirely conducive to sitting in a tiny city apartment room with the GamePix perched on a coffee table. To get the best out of this, you should expect to have a decent 2 meters free to justify ditching that 50 inch smart TV in the corner. Audio is an obvious compromise here too. While e 5W speakers are perched in their own chamber, they do sound a hollow. It’s great that they exist at all, and can be used via Bluetooth as a tabletop speaker, but I’ve heard far better from Alexa too. You’ll really want to hook up external audio via a console, computer, or other device to get the best out of the whole experience.
Overall impressions
As it stands the GamePix 900 does gaming visuals well. It’s a focused device with decent capability and obvious decisions to keep the cost from spiraling. It’s not the best home movie projector available. It could have a shorter throw range, better speakers, or more connectivity, but that’s missing the point, If you have the room and the need for a big screen for some late-night gaming, consider this. It’s fantastic to see action at over 60 inches lose yourself in the game. The GamePix 900 makes even more sense right now at its introductory price of £549 or local equivalent. If you miss out on the cut price offer, even the full RRP of £819 makes this a great upgrade for your gaming setup.
