using a projector for gaming.

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Sounds like a rubbish idea and i really dont think i would do it but what do you think.

Theres bound to be some degredation of the signal but surely in some games it
wouldnt matter too much or it would be worth taking the hit.


Anyone tried it.?

 

[THE_EGG]

Yeh. My old man has one that I sometimes use to play some games on. It isn't too laggy. Though it is noticeably slower with movements and the like in fast-paced FPS games such as CoD. Driving games and sims though, WOW it is great to have such a large screen and the lag isn't that noticeable once one is immersed in the game. Assetto Corsa and iRacing are crazy on such a large screen.

Compared to TVs I'd say the lag is slightly (and only very slightly) worse.

Something to note is that my dad's projector is quite old (about 4 years) so things could have changed by now.

I don't think I'd recommend trading in a monitor for a projector anytime soon, however it is still a very fun alternative.

 

[Blue-Knight]

Anyone tried it.?

I think it is the worst thing you can play on.

 

[Winston_008]

It would be alright for people who don't really care too much for absolute quality i.e a kids game room or something.

 

[Mussels]

Done it before at LAN parties, tends to be the lowest quality display money can buy.

low contrast, average refresh rates, and very often poor resolution. "HD" projectors often have HD inputs and SD (or worse) outputs.

 

[THE_EGG]

It really depends on the projector. Both the price and what it is designed to do.

The one my old man has is a few years old but full HD 1080p (Sanyo Z700 or Z3000 - I can't remember which one but one of those) and designed for home-theatre duties. At the time it was fairly highly regarded, I don't know how it stacks up now though. I think Panasonic actually bought out Sanyo or Sanyo's projector line.

I will say that it is certainly soft looking due to being 1080p on such a big screen - I think he has it set to project a 105" picture? But otherwise it is still fun. If you do actually get a projector I would suggest spending a couple of thousand on a decent one.

 

[TeslaK20]

I use a projector for my games console. Absolutely amazing! Haven't tried PC gaming with one, though. Also, I happen to have a really great projector. Not 4K, but 3D. However, note that
unless it's 4K (and the game is too) the resolution wll not be as good as a monitor. I think that for console gaming, it is a fine trade-off for the large size.

 

[XSI]

i always liked the idea of gaming on projector or what about 3? somewhere deep inside I still hope to play on something like that
its 3 years old video but is WOW.

 

[THE_EGG]

I use a projector for my games console. Absolutely amazing! Haven't tried PC gaming with one, though. Also, I happen to have a really great projector. Not 4K, but 3D. However, note that
unless it's 4K (and the game is too) the resolution wll not be as good as a monitor. I think that for console gaming, it is a fine trade-off for the large size.

I wouldn't recommend purchasing a 4K projector just yet. I think the only 'true' 4k projector in the consumer home theatre offerings is Sony's uber VPL-VW600ES which is like $15k (or VW1100ES for $27k). The downside being that the lag is pretty intense. Otherwise most other projectors that claim to be 4k are actually just 1080p but with added witchcraft and sorcery to show a '4k' image (e.g. Epson's LS 10 000 which I think uses multiple panels to then project a 4k image).

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Just a tip i learned ages ago.

If you are looking for a second user projector check how many hours are left on the lamp. It is the disposable expensive component that has to be replaced periodically.

I must say I am slowly becoming more tempted to give it a stab.

 

[newbsandwich]

I have one set up in the other room to play console games on, and it is really nice on racing games. Once I get a receiver set up, I'll hook up my computer to it to play other games. Been using it for over 1.5 years now, still on original bulb and going strong.

The projector I have is a short throw as the room is a small extra bedroom. Able to get 120 inch screen from 8 feet away, and at 1080P. It's a BenQ W1080ST. This is an older one now, but still not bad for the price. It's a little slow on switching between inputs, but not big deal really, just have a blue screen for a second.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Once I get a receiver set up, I'll hook up my computer to it to play other games. Been using it for over 1.5 years now, still on original bulb and going strong.

Whats this receiver for ? Excuse my ignorance i thought you could just use HDMI cable or whatever.

 

[Frag_Maniac]

Compared to TVs I'd say the lag is slightly (and only very slightly) worse.

That depends entirely on the TV you're comparing to and the type of games played and what the person is used to.

DLP TVs and projectors are known for input lag. Some may not notice it as much as others for the above reasons. Some think they're getting into a zone with racing games, but they're really just getting used to timing their steering in accordance with their equipment, which is indicative of lag.

 

[ZenZimZaliben]

One of the best gaming times I have had in a while was plaing RockBand on a Projector with a nice audio setup. Some games allow you to adjust timing with display latency. I also enjoyed a lot of console games on that projector. Tekken 3, Street Fighter, NFS...Lots of fun.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

One of the best gaming times I have had in a while was plaing RockBand on a Projector with a nice audio setup. Some games allow you to adjust timing with display latency. I also enjoyed a lot of console games on that projector. Tekken 3, Street Fighter, NFS...Lots of fun.

Just add beeer and stir.

 

[ZenZimZaliben]

Just add beeer and stir.

Lots of beers were consumed during the projector use.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Lots of beers were consumed during the projector use.

or.......if things took a turn for the worse

lots of projectors were consumed during beer use......


now that would be a goooood night.

 

[THE_EGG]

That depends entirely on the TV you're comparing to and the type of games played and what the person is used to.

DLP TVs and projectors are known for input lag. Some may not notice it as much as others for the above reasons. Some think they're getting into a zone with racing games, but they're really just getting used to timing their steering in accordance with their equipment, which is indicative of lag.

Yeh very true.

If one does end up with a laggy TV or projector, enabling game mode and/or disabling as much video processing as possible can help out to reduce the lag.

I immediately noticed lag on our new Sony X8500B 55" compared to our rather ancient Pioneer 42" Plasma (I forget the model name) which was disappointing and made some games unplayable for me. However enabling game mode made games more than playable and actually VERY enjoyable (I'd say the clarity from 4K actually made the most difference).

Unfortunately my own monitor (BenQ GW2765HT) has epic input lag, I'm thinking of selling it soon. I sometimes change to ye olde AOC screen just to avoid lag as much as possible in some games.

 

[newbsandwich]

Whats this receiver for ? Excuse my ignorance i thought you could just use HDMI cable or whatever.

The projector only has 2 HDMI ports, and I want to run more than that to it to make it worth having. With the receiver I can have all the consoles, Roku/Apple TV, computer, etc... plugged in and switch to the easier/faster than with the projector.

 

[sweatpants]

Man I've always wondered if it would be fun to do it on a projector especially when you can make the image huge...although I've read the image quality will suffer and the brightness also if you do. Do you really need to play in complete darkness?

There's obviously some light in the room and the image looks ok to me.

 

[Steevo]

I used my old 720P projector for some light gaming, and for a lot of singstar and other games, DVI input was the way to go.

 

[sweatpants]

I used my old 720P projector for some light gaming, and for a lot of singstar and other games, DVI input was the way to go.

Hmmm...I feel an impulse buy coming up haha. What size did you make the image? Did you find a happy medium for the best size and brightness?

I found the projector in the video on Amazon. Do you think this is a good deal?
Its called the AAXA ST200...looks pretty small and but the 150 lumen looks ok to play on.

 

[RCoon]

Hmmm...I feel an impulse buy coming up haha. What size did you make the image? Did you find a happy medium for the best size and brightness?

I found the projector in the video on Amazon. Do you think this is a good deal?
Its called the AAXA ST200...looks pretty small and but the 150 lumen looks ok to play on.

You're going to want around 3000 lumens minimum for a projector showing any important media like films or games. Casio's new line of LED bulb less ore projectors are pretty amazing. They cost a lot more, but last for tens of thousands of hours. A typical bulb from AV parts master will cost around £100 and needs to be replaced every 4000 hours. The key thing with using a projector for gaming or movies is to buy a special projector screen backdrop. It can reduce glare and ensure you get a crisp image.

I set up a lot of projectors for my job, and really you'd need to be spending some big money to get a proper job done. I'd take a look at Casio or BenQ units.

 

[Dethroy]

However, note that
unless it's 4K (and the game is too) the resolution wll not be as good as a monitor. I think that for console gaming, it is a fine trade-off for the large size.

The resolution will still be the same. The ppi will be different, for sure. But good projectors fare better than TVs at huge image sizes. After all, this is what they are made for. I've seen projectors produce a much clearer picture than TV's - even at a much bigger size. Plus, they are much easier on the eyes.

Gaming on a projector is awesome. Especially when projecting at 2.39:1 (~21:9) aspect ratio. But if you'd like to use a projector in a non-light controlled room you would also need to buy an ambient light rejection screen (DNP Supernova, Black Diamond, Draper React, ...) alongside an appropriate projector (footlambert/screen-inch; e.g. Epson Powerlite Home Cinema 5030UB).

 

[Ferrum Master]

I use a Benq W1070 on a 135inch screen... I don't have a TV... I don't watch regular brainwash TV as such (Use only as a bait getting fresh chicks home and watch some epic movie etc )

Well it depends on the game really. Driving some adventures are very OK, the size really matters there, the immersive feel is nice. Essentially light themed games are good. Dark/night ones, because of the projectors achilles hell are black levels... you simply can't play Thief on a PJ, You won't see the lurking details, they are lost. You need COMPLETE darkness, I am lazy I need to buy attachable black curtains to absorb the reflected light from the walls, so I could squeeze even better dark levels. Look at the picture, the thing is a light cannon.

The input lag? It is a DLP PJ so around 20ms on average. You won't play a damn quake shooter on a PJ anyway, it would be idiotic to do so. You need casual games more, Skyrim and Witcher looks epic, but again the dark crypts suffer. And PJ's that don't suffer from black level problems costs few thousands $!

Then the thing gets noisy... Driving games - don't care, another turbine added - win.

So nothing is ideal. I am really happy with my Benq really, it is already 2 years old, the size does outdo the gains even a 80inch 4K screen, coz you can't tell the pixels from 2-3m distance and no reasonable content exists for movies past 1080p, it it is still marketing rubbish.