Short-Throw Projectors for Small Rooms

Short throw is the middle ground the ultra-short-throw conversation tends to skip. These projectors sit a few feet in front of the screen rather than inches, so they do not need the wall-hugging cabinet or the matched ambient-light-rejecting screen a laser TV wants, but they still fit a room with no depth behind the sofa.

How this list is ordered: Every projector with a throw ratio of 1.0 or less that is not an ultra-short-throw, ordered by brightness. 4 of the catalog’s projectors qualify.

  1. Optoma UHZ35ST projector

    1Optoma

    ~$1,849

    Optoma UHZ35ST

    A 0.50 throw ratio puts a 100-inch picture on the wall from about three and a half feet, which is closer than anything here except the true ultra-short-throws.

    Brightness
    3,500lumensANSI
    Screen at 10 ft
    275 in
    Input lag
    8 ms
    Light source
    Laser-phosphor
  2. BenQ TK710STi projector

    2BenQ

    ~$2,199

    BenQ TK710STi

    The laser answer to the X500i: the same 0.69 short throw and the same 4.2 ms gaming path, but with a 20,000-hour laser-phosphor engine pushing 3,200 ANSI lumens instead of 2,200.

    Brightness
    3,200lumensANSI
    Screen at 10 ft
    166–200 in
    Input lag
    8 ms
    Light source
    Laser-phosphor
  3. BenQ X500i projector

    3BenQ

    ~$1,999

    BenQ X500i

    A short-throw gaming projector that puts a 100-inch image up from about six feet, which is what makes it work in an apartment.

    Brightness
    2,200lumensANSI
    Screen at 10 ft
    166–200 in
    Input lag
    8 ms
    Light source
    LED
  4. ViewSonic X2-4K projector

    4ViewSonic

    ~$1,599

    ViewSonic X2-4K

    A short-throw 4K LED gaming projector that accepts 1440p at 120 Hz — a signal mode most projectors ignore and most PCs and current consoles can output.

    Brightness
    2,150lumensANSI
    Screen at 10 ft
    168–200 in
    Input lag
    5 ms
    Light source
    LED

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