New projector launches typically happen at industry shows such as CEDIA and IFA that land in the September timeframe, but there has been a growing projector presence at CES over the past few years. Multiple projectors were announced at CES 2026, and some were even seen in action, beaming images to the best of their ability beneath the bright show-floor lighting.
Several of these projectors are portable, lifestyle-oriented models designed to be broken out and set up on demand when the need for a big-screen image arises. But others are sophisticated home theater models designed to compete with the best projectors and deliver the real deal for movie watching or gaming. Below are the six top projectors I saw at CES.
Samsung The Freestyle+
- Samsung doubled the brightness to 430 ISO lumens
- Auto Wall Calibration compensates for uneven wall surfaces
The first two generations of Samsung’s The Freestyle portable projector impressed us with a super-compact design and flexible installation features. It’s a projector that’s easy to just plop anywhere and start streaming movies or playing games, and it automatically configures itself for the best picture quality once powered up.
Samsung’s new The Freestyle+ takes picture quality and auto calibration to the next level, doubling brightness to 430 ISO lumens and adding an Auto Wall Calibration feature that digitally compensates for uneven wall surfaces. Bottom line: you don’t have to worry about finding a perfectly smooth, white surface to project on with this new version of Samsung’s portable projector.
Samsung says that new AI features in The Freestyle+ help with keystone adjustment and focus, so you’ll get a crisp, rectangular picture anywhere you point the projector. It also now supports the same Samsung Q-Symphony feature found in Samsung TVs to enhance sound, though we’ll have to see how effective it is on such a small projector.
Hisense PX4-Pro
- Brightness boosted from 3,000 to 3,500 ANSI lumens over the PX3-Pro
- New IRIS system adjusts the lens aperture and exposure based on ambient lighting conditions to maximize contrast
The Hisense PX3-Pro currently ranks at the top of TechRadar’s best ultra short throw projectors guide. But as good as it is, the new Hisense PX4-Pro looks to be an even better offering from the company.
The PX4-Pro steps things up with a brightness boost from 3,000 to 3,500 ANSI lumens. It features a new IRIS system that adjusts the lens aperture and exposure based on ambient lighting conditions to maximize contrast and, like its predecessor, uses a trichroma laser light engine to deliver full BT.2020 color space coverage.
Gaming is also a highlight of the PX4-Pro, which supports 1080p gaming at 240Hz with ultra-low input lag, according to the company. We look forward to gaming on this brighter and overall better Hisense UST projector as soon as it becomes available.
Hisense XR10
- Long throw model with 6,000 ANSI lumens brightness
- Impressive 0.84 to 2.0x optical zoom range
Hisense is best known for its ultra short throw projectors, which the company refers to as a ‘Laser TV’ when paired with an included separate screen. It has also released a run of powerful portable projectors. The new Hisense XR10 marks the company’s entry into the premium long-throw projector space, and with a rated 6,000 ANSI lumens brightness, it may very well steal the spotlight from its competition.
According to Hisense, the XR10 uses an “advanced LPU 3.0 Digital Laser Engine, a fully upgraded chipset, and a pure RGB triple laser light source,” to deliver exceptionally bright images with better than BT.2020 color gamut coverage. Like the PX4-Pro UST model above, it uses Hisense’s new IRIS system to optimize contrast and has a 0.84 to 2.0x optical zoom range to ease installation for screen sizes up to a whopping 300 inches.
Xgimi Titan Noir Max
- Dynamic iris system boosts contrast to 10,000:1
- 1.0-2.0:1 optical zoom and 130% vertical and 50% horizontal lens shift
Xgimi debuted its Titan projector, a ‘professional grade’ 4K DLP model boasting 5,000 lumens brightness, along with a dynamic iris and flexible installation features, at the IFA 2025 trade show.
At CES 2026, the company showcased the Titan Noir Max, a new model designed for home theater setups that appears to be a mashup between the Titan and the Xgimi Horizon 20 Max, a gimbal-style portable projector with even higher brightness than the Titan.
Xgimi didn’t provide a full set of specs for its new projector, but it does feature the company’s “most advanced dynamic iris system to date,” boosting contrast to 10,000:1. It also has an expanded optical range, with 1.0-2.0:1 zoom and 130% vertical and 50% horizontal lens shift. Like other Xgimi projectors, it will feature automatic keystone and focus adjustments.
The company was demonstrating the Titan Noir Max at CES in a bright room that prevented any assessment of its picture performance. Still, the environment did let me appreciate the projector’s well-crafted design, which sets it apart from the industrial look typical of home theater projectors.
The Titan Noir Max will be available for preorder in Q1 2026.
AWOL Vision Aetherion Max
- PixelLock technology ensures precise focus at the edges of the screen and eliminates color fringing
- Anti-RBE (Rainbow Effect) technology eliminates up to 99.99% of DLP rainbow effects
AWOL Vision, sister company of Valerion, maker of the Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 projector, was at CES showcasing the new AWOL Vision Aetherion Max, an ultra short throw projector that it says will address some of the traditional shortcomings of the UST projector category.
Specifically, the Aetherion Max features the company’s PixelLock technology, which is said to use optical and mechanical means to ensure precise focus at the edges of the screen. It also eliminates color fringing and features Anti-RBE (Rainbow Effect) technology, which AWOL Vision claims “eliminates up to 99.99% of rainbow effects,” typical of DLP projectors.
Beyond those features, the Aetherion Max supports up to 200-inch screen sizes and is rated has 3,300 lumens of brightness and 6,000:1 native contrast. Gaming features include VRR, ALLM, and Dolby Vision Gaming, and there’s Google TV built in for streaming, with Wi-Fi 7 support.
The Aetherion Max will be available in March 2026 for $4,499.
Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro
- All-in-one mobile theater system
- 7.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos audio using wireless surround speakers
If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a home theater on wheels, the Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro has arrived to make that dream a reality.
Introduced at CES, the Nebula X1 Pro is an all-in-one mobile theater system based around the company’s Nebula X1 projector. The Nebula X1 Pro beams images up to 200 inches and has a specified 3,500 ANSI lumens brightness, 110% BT.2020 color gamut coverage, and 56,000:1 dynamic contrast.
Soundcore’s design encases the projector in a tower enclosure with wheels for easy portability, and it features slide-out front speakers and detachable wireless speakers to create a 7.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos speaker system. There are even two wireless microphones enclosed, letting you use the system for karaoke.
Nebula’s portable theater is an obvious fit for outdoor movie nights, but it’s also a good option for parties or even business presentations.
The Nebula X1 Pro will cost $4,999 and launch at the end of January.
The best projectors for all budgets
TechRadar will be extensively covering this year’s CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 live news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.
You can also ask us a question about the show in our CES 2026 live Q&A and we’ll do our best to answer it.
And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LahEvSZF2nMh7nXB7VCA78-2560-80.jpg
Source link
al.griffin@futurenet.com (Al Griffin)
