Your Retro Gaming System Needs a “cheap” Projector
What is the ideal gaming rig made of? Traditionally the biggest and best console TV paired with an ultra-sharp, high refresh rate monitor for your PC. For retro gamers, CRT is the holy grail, perfect for playing SNES and Genesis classics. But what about games in the middle – not exactly retro, but also not quite modern games like PS3 and Xbox 360 that run at 720p? As it turns out, a “cheap” projector might be the best choice for these games.
720p games are visually at an odd crossroads. CRT, while great for older, lower-res consoles, doesn’t allow 720p HD images to shine properly; on the other hand, 1080p and 4K TVs offer resolutions that are too high for 720p. Games won’t look as good on these screens, especially at 4K, because the pixels won’t render properly. To properly display the signal for these games, you will need a 720p monitor.
But first, let me reiterate: video is made up of pixels. If your game is 720p, it actually means that the game is outputting a video that is 1280px wide by 720px high. If you have a 1080p TV, that TV is 1920 pixels wide and 1080 pixels high. If you have a 4K TV, that TV is 3840 pixels wide and 2160 pixels high. What happens when you try to output a 720p video signal to 1080p or 4K is that your game’s pixels get upscaled to match the increased pixel density of your higher resolution TV, resulting in blurry, jagged edges, and a general loss of detail. .
In short, it’s not perfect, and far from what the game developers had in mind when developing the game.
A 720p projector can solve these problems.
Come in, projector. Note that not every projector is a 720p projector. Most people are looking for 1080p or 4K projectors these days as most of the content they want to stream or play with this projector is in 1080p or 4K resolution. After all, you’re not paying Netflix $20 (yes, it’s $20 right now ) to stream in 720p.
However, if you really love 720p consoles like PS3, Xbox 360 and even Wii U, buying a projector specifically for this type of gaming should be on your radar. Native 720p projection will match pixel for pixel with these consoles, allowing you to enjoy classic games like GTA IV, Uncharted and Super Mario 3D World better than on your Full HD or 4K TV.
But it’s not just games from the mid-2000s that work well here. Retro console re-releases like the SNES Nintendo Classic Mini or MegaDrive Mini run their games at 720p, making these projectors arguably one of the best ways to play these updated gems. Even 900p or 1080p capable consoles like the Wii U and Switch look great on these projectors when outputting manually at 720p. While you may have noticed graphical blemishes before, such as blurry edges and blurry focus, these games will display pixel-perfect 720p projection.
Not all 720p projectors are the same
I am not encouraging you to buy any cheap projector you see. Cheap projectors made today may be tempting, but they’re cheap for a reason; they do not provide good color reproduction and are terribly dull. Depending on your preference, they may get the job done, but they can also leave a lot to be desired.
Instead, if you’re serious about the visual performance of your games, I suggest you direct your budget eyes towards older projectors – projectors that are cheap, not because they’re not high quality, but because people don’t want them anymore.
My Life in Gaming has a great video on the subject . Although the entire video talks about different types of projectors, the high quality 720p projectors that drew my attention the most. These projectors have been made with excellent image quality and brightness, making the projection superb. While you won’t want to buy one of these devices to project modern 1080p or 4K content, it ‘s perfect for 720p video.
Now, pricing for these types of projectors is getting tricky. Ideally, you want one of the projectors shown in the video, such as the Marantz VP-12S2 or the InFocus ScreenPlay 7205. These projectors were designed as premium home theater options for their time, delivering superb 720p picture quality.
However, it’s best to find one of these projectors on the cheap in person. If you google these projector models, they cost a lot more than the host of the video could buy them. However, he bought them at a used hardware store for next to nothing. To find the best 720p projector at an affordable price, you may have to go down this path.
Of course, you can also find great deals online for 720p projectors, but image quality can vary, as I mentioned above. Pay particular attention to brightness, which is listed in lumens, when looking at these cheap options. For a room with little ambient light, you’ll need a projector ranging from 1500 to 3500 lumens (at least).
Don’t be afraid to dive into critical comments as well; dissatisfied customers may tell you if the projector you are considering is too cheap to be considered. However, remember that you are looking for a 720p projector, not a high resolution one. If people complain that their 1080p or 4K content doesn’t look right on a 720p projector, that’s not particularly helpful information.
One option that customers are happy with is the $75 Turwell projector . While there are some visual sacrifices due to the budget, the projector is bright enough and clear enough for most people who need a native 720p projection. If you’re unlucky enough to find a premium 720p projector in stores or online, you might want to look into this type of cheap projector.
Why not buy a 720p TV instead?
If you’re trying to find a good 720p projector, you might be wondering why you shouldn’t opt for a 720p TV instead. My Life in Gaming has a great answer to that as well: as it turns out, many 720p TVs are actually 768p TVs. While these two numbers may not seem far off, they do mean that your 720p games will scale on a 720p TV. You’re better off playing these games on your current TV than spending money on a fake 720p TV that won’t even do what you want.
[ My life in games ]