The Aurzen Roku Smart Projector is making a bit of a splash today, being the first device to offer in-built Roku streaming – bravely stepping into an arena dominated by Google Play gadgets.
Is it great that we have more options? Absolutely. Am I glad the Aurzen launches at a budget-friendly $249.99? For sure. It’s not the Roku side of things that’s got me all excited, though.
It’s been down to cheaper ‘lifestyle’ projectors to keep the big-screen streaming dream alive for some time now. These smaller, more affordable, easier to control projectors prioritize quality of life features and ease of use far more than the very best gaming projectors on the market. They’ve started to dominate the mass market in the last couple of years – for good reason.
Considering most players aren’t going to invest $16,000 in a high-end 4K system, we’re at the mercy of cheaper devices to make our big-screen dreams come true.
Gaming is an expensive hobby itself. Once you’ve sorted a console or picked up one of the best gaming laptops or gaming PCs, you’re already hundreds of dollars deep. That’s not including headsets, games, and controllers.
If you’re invested enough in a home theatre setup for your console, grabbing a four-figure, 4K projector is going to be a lot easier. If you just want to throw your games up on the wall every now and then, these premium options look a lot less appealing – especially when they make the process harder.
The Aurzen Roku Smart Projector is one of the first few projectors I’ve seen offering inbuilt streaming services (Roku or not). This time last year, you were more likely to have to buy a separate streaming stick. It’s not in the premium category where these ease-of-use upgrades are being made, though.
Luxury devices prioritize cinephile levels of image quality, focusing on fancy HDR features and in-depth preset settings. The Sony Bravia Projector 8 doesn’t have any inbuilt streaming options. It doesn’t even have speakers. It costs $18,998 at Amazon right now.
That’s an extreme example.
The BenQ X3100i is a little more balanced, but still doesn’t include many ‘lifestyle’ features that cheaper devices are so focused on. In contrast, I praised the Yaber T2 Plus for just including a streamer that ran off the same remote as the main device.
These days, you can find that device for around $250.
As more lifestyle projectors hit the shelves, bringing with them more quality of life features, like a one-remote Roku system, gamers are going to be less reliant on four-figure projectors for their 150-inch sessions.
We’re already constantly being upsold with features the majority of players won’t need or use. If I want to try playing my games in a new way, I don’t want to have to build a whole new setup of speakers and streaming sticks. I don’t need 20 different HDR profiles, I need a quick, easy thrower that can make my games look bigger. That’s what lifestyle projectors offer, and why I’m so glad it looks like they’re here to stay.
I’m also hunting down the best projectors for PS5 and Xbox Series X, but if you’re after something more traditional, check out the best gaming TVs and best gaming monitors we’ve tested.