Best Budget Short Throw Projector For Gaming, Movies & Business

In this article, we have reviewed the best budget short throw projector for gaming, movies, and business. We have also written a very helpful buying guide to help you make a purchasing decision.

The Best budget short throw projector is one that saves your space while projecting a picture of 100in or more, produces bright and vivid colors, doesn’t lag in gaming and is sound in cinematic performance.

Short-throw projectors are always preferred for frequent travelers and gamers like me due to their compactness and overall convenience.

Making a list of the best UST projectors is not difficult for experts like us, but with a specific price range, it took our team days to finalize the top 5.

We had to consider throw ratio, gaming performance, home theater performance, color contrast, brightness, portability, black levels, saturation, and speakers.

Finally, after testing 40 models we finalized only the top 5 for gaming, movies, business, and casual use at a very cheap price.

Check out our top 3 picks before we move on to the reviews.

If you want honest reviews about the best UST home theater projectors, read our blog post on them.

list of Best Budget Short Throw Projectors 2022

IMAGE	PRODUCT	DETAILS
BEST OVERALL	BenQ TH671ST 1080 Short Throw	Fantastic user interface Will connect to any console Excellent Picture quality	CHECK PRICE
BEST FOR GAMING	Optoma GT5600 Ultra Short Throw	Dedicated gaming projector Low input lag 144HZ refresh rate	CHECK PRICE
BEST VALUE	BenQ HT2150ST Short Throw	Built for gamers Accurate colors in cinema High color brightness	CHECK PRICE
PORTABLE	XGIMI Halo 1080p Portable Projector	Built-in battery UI performance is good Harmon Kardon speakers	CHECK PRICE
STYLISH	Anker Nebula Cosmos Max 4K Projector	Sharp 4K content Quality 40-watt speakers Fast android 9 UI	CHECK PRICE

 1.  BenQ TH671ST 1080 Short Throw Projector Review

 

BenQ HT2150ST is one of those budget tech products that are way ahead in terms of features and technology considering the price tag. According to my team of experts, it is the best budget short throw projector.

Back in 2019, it was an award-winning gaming projector for its low input lag, refresh rate, broader color gamut, and average picture quality.

BenQ TH671ST is a short-throw projector, which was great for me when I first purchased it. I didn’t have too much space in my hostel room so a 100-inch projector from 5+ feet away was welcoming for me.

It is 100% optimized for consoles like PS4, PS5, Xbox X, Nintendo, etc. I only use Xbox on this projector but my friends recommend PS5.

Although BenQ TH671ST will not give that 4K gaming satisfaction. Come on guys, a common gamer would never spot a difference between 1080p and native or pseudo 4K.

Why choose BenQ TH671ST:

Design

BenQ TH671ST is a super lightweight projector. I can carry it around to the friend’s house as well. The design is beautiful, the lens is left mounted, and air vents are on the opposite side of the lens.

Focus and zoom dials are on top of the lens. Manual navigation is clean and easy, it is also on the top. The bottom feet are adjustable.

Considering the budget, the overall beauty of the design and the convenience to carry it around are appreciable. It saves a lot of space.

Connections and connectivity:

Performance of BenQ TH671ST

Since it is a dedicated gaming projector with 1080p resolution, you will get sharp, crispier, and clear image quality with decent black levels and color contrast. I am not saying it will project next-level image quality, but being a budget model, it is not bad at all.

92% Rec.709 and brightness fuse to produce a good color quality. I have been using it for some time now and I have never seen color deterioration.

Low input lag is the star of the show here. The gaming experience is extremely smooth and neat. I do connect external sources for the sound because its built-in speakers are just average.

Overall, I would 100% recommend this budget short-throw projector to any hardcore or entry-level gamers.

 2.  Optoma GT5600 Ultra Short Throw Projector Review

 

Another budget-friendly dedicated gaming ultra-short projector in our list is also known for its cinematic experience for home theaters.

Although Optoma GT5600 is a native 1080p projector, the picture quality is razor sharp as far as gaming is concerned. It is right there among the best budget short-throw projector list for gaming.

The low input lag 144HZ refresh rate makes Optoma GT5600 one of the most popular gaming projectors in the World. It is super bright too because it is laser-based.

I have tested it in the living room where ambient light is a bit high, the picture was compromised despite being a 3600-lumen projector because too much brightness is never good for picture quality, but considering how cheap it is, you shouldn’t complain about that.

Why choose Optoma GT5600:

Design:

Since it is a gaming projector, it’s designed like a retro console, I don’t know if that was the idea but that is how it looks. I love the design.

It is super lightweight and compact, it is easier for me to carry it to my friends for a multiplayer game or movie night.

Everything about this model is neat and clean. Manual navigation is on the top and easy to understand. Nothing is complicated since it is a budget ultra short throw projector.

Connections and connectivity:

Performance of Optoma GT5600:

I have successfully projected a 126-inch image onto my CLR screen (ceiling light reject) instead of a 100inch display of what the selling pages claim. Don’t believe everything that the manufacturer says.

The image is watchable even in the living room, or in the office. Black levels and color accuracy is normal, but for the budget, it is very good.

Optoma GT5600 is a very good movie projector, but it is mainly purchased for its low input lag and 144 Hz refresh rate for flawless gaming.

I hate buffering and lagging. I love to play games at full resolution as well, I use Optoma GT5600 like a horse at full resolution, but so far I haven’t noticed any significant drop in the picture quality.

It heats up like crazy despite being a laser short-throw projector. I could never use it in summer in a room without AC. It gets way too heated up.

If you are looking for an updated list of laser projectors here it is: Top laser projectors

 3.  BenQ HT2150ST Short Throw Projector Review

 

Yet another entry in our list is known for its flawless gaming performance. BenQ HT2150ST is a compact built, smart, very bright, and beautiful-looking home theater projector that is among the top 3 on the gaming projectors list.

The low input lag (16ms), low fan noise, and 96% Rec.709 produce balanced colors for a smooth gaming experience and it is a very good movie projector too.

It is a native 1080p model and I watched NARCOS by Netflix on this projector. I won’t compare it with my JVC NX5, but I don’t have complaints about its picture quality.

Why choose BenQ HT2150ST:

Design:

BenQ HT2150ST is not too heavy, it is compact and easy to carry around. The right side mounted lens with air vents at the left is a traditional BenQ design. So far it is working.

There is a hidden door at the top hiding zoom and focus dial that keeps dirt and debriefs out. It would have been nice if there was a lens cover, motorized or manual to keep the dirt out of the lens which is the most important part of the projector.

Manual navigation is also at the top. Buttons are smooth. The feet are adjustable to balance out the projection.

The remote control is big and easy to use. It is beautifully designed and made of quality composite material. It is backlit too.

Connections and connectivity:

Performance of BenQ HT2150ST:

The manufacturer claims that the 300inch projection will also display a good quality picture. I have been using it on a 100inch screen for some time and 1080 looks crystal clear, but a 300-inch display does deteriorate some quality which is natural for a budget model.

I and my optic engineer buddy ran some tests and we noticed that BenQ HT2150ST is reading 100% brightness in the game mode, 90% in the cinema, and 80% in the rest of the modes. No wonder people call it a gaming projector.

We also noticed during our test that the brightness uniformity was around 70% and the left side was a bit dominant compared to the right side. It is not a big deal for most users, but experts like us do notice these little things. A common user will notice non-uniformity in a bat cave environment.

Although it is a gaming projector the colors were more accurate in the cinema mode compared to gaming mode during our tests. It is a bit strange but maybe there is so much going around in gaming which is why colors were a bit less accurate.

BenQ HT2150ST is easily one of the best budget short-throw projectors in terms of gaming. Lagging is low and the response time is high.

 4.  XGIMI Halo 1080p Portable Projector Review

 

XGIMI Halo is an award-winning portable projector in terms of design (Red dot, CES, IF international forum design). It is a total package of stunning projection, impactful sound, brightness, and convenience for indoors. It is an upgraded version of XGIMI Mogo Pro+.

I read reviews online, and many experts say that XGIMI Halo is not a budget model despite being under $1k. I don’t know about that.

The movie-ready battery, quality 5W speakers, Android TV operating system, superb cinema performance, game-changing design, and portability may be enough for a budget short-throw projector for me.

Why choose XGIMI Halo:

Design

It is built of hard plastic with no sharp edge, it doesn’t looks cheap at all. There is a little kickstand at the bottom if you needed to prop it up a little bit. A thread for a tripod is also there.

The main part of the design is the mesh or grill covering the Harmon Kardon speakers. The part of it is the air intake to cool down the LED engine.

LED engines are rated for 30,000 hours of life, there is a little camera for focus beside the lens. The exit fans are at the back.

Connections and Connectivity:

Performance of XGIMI Halo short throw projector:

The HDMI port can take 4k input but it will automatically downgrade to 1080p.

I have tried playing pure 4K media files and it does play it but lagging is always there. The pure 1080p files run smoothly without any noticeable lagging.

If you look closely in a pitch-black room, you will notice grain or noise effect in the blacks levels which means there are not as sharp as they should be for a pitch-black room.

Image quality from the projection is good and brightness is made for a dedicated home theater. It would work in ambient light as well but I would recommend using it in a dark room.

Purchase it if you hate to tangle with wires and settings because XGIMI Halo needs only a power cord. The design is neat and clean.

The picture quality is excellent because of the less brightness. Too much brightness kills the HD image’s overall projection quality.

The biggest drawback is that it is not optimized for NETFLIX in the current age. I mean it is a powerful projector but the fact that it can’t run NETFLIX is extremely frustrating for content explorers like me.

It is super portable, it has a built-in battery, it is easy to carry around and it doesn’t need much space to cast a big image, so why only 800-lumen output? If the design is made for daytime use, outdoor use, or office use because it is portable and convenient to operate anywhere, so why it is only good in a dark room?

Don’t buy it if you do a lot of daytime viewing.

 5.  Anker Nebula Cosmos Max 4K Projector Review

 

Anker Company has been known for their small mobile gadgets but recently, their Nebula projectors are gaining popularity for being budget-friendly, compact, with fantastic picture quality, Android interface, and cinematic sound.

Anker Nebula Cosmos Max is maybe their cornerstone to offer 4K and HDR10 support. For the price tag, it competes with rival projectors.

Anker Nebula Cosmos Max has a 1080p base but it becomes 4K through pixel-shifting technology. Even upscaling from lower resolution images, provides excellent image quality.

Why choose Anker Nebula Cosmos Max:

Design:

It is made of hard plastic, metal, and alloy on the outside surrounding the speakers. The built quality is very good.

The lens is at the center which is 4K 60 hertz of course. The keystone correction on this lens is 40+- vertical and horizontal.

There is a little autofocus camera of about 3 seconds beside the lens. It may be the best budget short throw projector in terms of design.

There is a hole at the bottom for the camera tripod and some other holes in case you want a ceiling mount.

It is ovoid and easy to move around. It is not heavy. Can easily fit in the backpack so you can carry it to your friend for movie stuff.

Overall, the design is different, the built quality is good, and it is unique in its own way. I like it.

Connections and connectivity:

Performance of Anker Nebula Cosmos Max:

Anker Nebula Cosmos Max has so much detail and depth in that resolution in the 4K mode, you will notice it on the 100inch projection. The colors are vibrant and super neat. That instant image clarity system does sharpen out and clear out the image quality.

Gaming on a 100 inch screen from PS5 looks decent, immersive, and sharp. The blacks are not that deep in gaming. Blacks are dark grayish which most budget projectors display. Input lag is also fine. That is the reality of the projectors, you are never going to get OLED TV’s black levels.

It is a 1500 ANSI lumen projector and it is never going to be enough because not all people use a bat cave environment to watch content, there will be some ambient light present, and not everyone is a nerd like us experts. In some ambient light, its projector does fade a little bit compared to how good it is in a bat cave room.

40-watt speakers are not bad at all. There is a nice bass to the audio, treble is also decent. It is not going to replace a 7.1 or 5.1 surround system, but it will do just fine for casual use.

There is no RGB or Rec.709 white balance options which is a letdown. The colors do pop which is a good thing. The gamma accuracy could be improved.

Overall, Anker Nebula Cosmos Max is a budget short throw projector with excellent built-in speakers, an elegant design that is lightweight and compact, clear, neat, vibrant, and produces vivid colors with lagging free 4K projection. The black levels are decent in a bat cave environment only.

It is not for outdoor use, and it struggles to handle ambient light at times. With a little firmware update, gamma accuracy update, and more lumen output, Anker Nebula Cosmos Max can be a top 5 short-throw choice for most home theater lovers.

How to choose the best budget short throw projector

Choosing a budget short-throw projector is a bit difficult job for the common folks who have never used a short-throw projector before. We have to specify a budget before choosing what factors we need for gaming or movies in that budget takes some research.

Experts like me have used so many models to compare and pick a few as the best models of such a year. That is why I and the team have researched some factors you have to consider before purchasing the best short throw projector.

1. Budget
2. Throw ratio
3. Resolution & Brightness
4. Gaming and movies
5. Compactness

Budget:

Of course, specifying the budget before making a purchasing decision is the primary step because there are so many choices offering one feature more than the previous version you have looked into for $100 or $200 more. You will get confused.

Specify a budget, make a list of things you want in that model, then look for it.

Throw ratio:

I had an ultra-short throw projector back in my hostel room whose throw ratio was around 0.3 – 4ft. due to lack of space. Now I am using a standard short throw projector whose throw ratio is around 3 – 8ft.

It boils down to the space you have in your room. It doesn’t affect the picture quality so don’t worry about that.

If you to learn about the difference between short throw and long throw projector, we have written an article on that too.

Resolution & Brightness

Two of the most important factors for any projector let alone a short throw model. You will never get a 4K model at a budget price let’s get that out of the way, but a true 1080p with decent brightness at a cheaper price is possible.

1000- 12000 ANSI lumens and a true 1080p resolution are standard for all budget short-throw projectors. If your budget is between $500 – $1500, then you shouldn’t compromise with the above-mentioned requirements.

For smooth gaming and a decent home theater experience, those are the minimum requirements.

Gaming and movies

BenQ TH671ST, BenQ HT2150ST, and Optoma GT5600 are flawless for gaming at a budget-friendly price. It is not even that these models are less expensive, these are genuinely excellent for gaming with a good refresh rate, less flickering and input lag, beautiful color details, and vibrant picture quality.

Optoma GT5600 along with the same above-mentioned models offers beautiful cinema performance in a bat cave environment. I wouldn’t recommend them if you watch movies in a living room. The room has to be dark without ambient light.

Compactness:

90% of the short-throw projectors are compact and easy to carry around. I have covered only those models whose dimensions are not too big saving as much space as possible. That is the whole point of a UST projector.

Compact models are also preferred by frequent travelers or gamers. I travel a lot that is why Optoma GT5600 is my primary choice because of its compactness and stunning gaming experience.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the best budget short-throw projector list was difficult for us compared to normal price models because we had to carefully select the factors like gaming performance, color balance, decent blacks, brightness, light engine, and engine life within a specified budget.

Our whole team spend a full week of research on 40 short-throw projectors, the final 5 are the best for the price tag you can get out in the market.

My favorites are Optoma GT5600, BenQ TH671ST, and BenQ HT2150ST for gaming, movies, and general use.

Share our article with other projector geeks if you like our work. THANK YOU.