Epson has some exciting new projectors hitting the market that might be some of the best for gaming thanks to several premium features.
Announced in a press release, Epson’s three new Q-Series laser projectors might be the perfect companions for playing games on your PS5, Xbox Series X or the best gaming PCs. Leveraging HDMI 2.1 support for 4K HDR gaming at 120Hz, these new projectors come as highly premium offerings starting at $7,999.
These models use a three chip 3LCD laser array technology for superior performance on up to a 20,000-hour rated light source. With up to 300 inches of potential screen space, these Epson projectors provide ample coverage to meet most entertainment demands, standing tall against even some of the best projectors Epson has to offer, like its EpicVision LS800.
All of Epson's newest projectors will be shown off at the upcoming CEDIA Expo from September 5 to September 7. Availability will begin in the same month with the QB1000, while the QL3000 and QL7000 will hit stores in October.
Gaming on a 300-inch screen
It comes as no surprise that video gaming isn't the best on projectors, which typically sport incredibly high input latency on a design that typically lacks HDMI 2.1 support. Look no further than our best projector for gaming in the BenQ HT2060 as evidence enough, sporting just HDMI 2.0 ports on a mere 1080p resolution projection.
But that's all about to change thanks to these new offerings out of Epson. With its QL3000, QL7000, and QB1000, Epson brings not only sophisticated gaming features and built-in HDMI 2.1 support but also some premium performance with HDR coverage and a full 8.29 million pixels.
The QB1000 is the more affordable of the bunch, sporting up to 3,300 lumens of color and white brightness built with a 15-element Epson flexible lens. It starts at $7,999, which is quite the investment for those used to cheaper projectors, like the $3,000 Formovie Theater or even the $1,400 Dangbei Mars Pro.
And if you thought the QB1000 was expensive, the QL3000 and QL7000 that round out Epson's new Q series projectors also come in at hefty price points of $14,999 and $29,999 respectively. These sticker prices, which far exceed even some of the best 8K TVs, bring with them some powerful features like HDR10 support and 4K 120Hz gaming.
To be clear, though, the QL3000 and QL7000 are listed as "body only," which means you'll need a compatible lens, themselves costing anywhere from $450 to $3,500. With this lens, you're granted white and color brightness potentials of up to 6,000 lumens on the QL3000 and up to 10,000 lumens — both numbers of which are unheard of on most conventional UST and far-throw projectors.
Better than MicroLED TVs?
The entire Q-series runs on Epson's proprietary OZX picture processor and leverage a 3-axis motorized lens shift with memory presets, giving them a wide versatility in their setup. You could go with one of the best 85-inch TVs, but if you're looking for real cinema quality performance, Epson's new Q-series projectors are certainly it, especially given their up to 300-inch picture size.
Despite their expensive nature, these highly costly projectors might prove the perfect foil against Micro-LED TVs, which too cost quite exorbitant prices. Both Samsung and LG are rethinking their MicroLED TV strategies, as the staggering over $100,000 prices on such displays couldn't outweigh their potential as OLED killers, and the same might be true in the face of Epson's newest offerings.
You can expect to see the QB1000 available this September and both the QL3000 and QL7000 will be releasing in October.
