Lifestyle~$1,699

XGIMI

XGIMI Horizon Ultra

Name: XGIMI Horizon Ultra
Brand: XGIMI
Price: 1699 USD
Availability: InStock

The first consumer projector to combine a laser and an LED source in one engine, and still one of the few lifestyle boxes with a powered optical zoom. 18 ms input lag at 4K/60 is unusually quick for something with Dolby Vision and a Harman Kardon system.

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Approx. price

~$1,699

snapshot, not a live price

Brightness

2,300

ISO 21118

Screen at 10 ft

92–115 in

16:9 diagonal, estimated from the throw ratio

Input lag

18 ms

fastest published mode

Light source

Hybrid

25,000 h rated

Best for: A lifestyle projector that has to be placed once and then adjusted from the remote

Specifications

Type: Lifestyle
Imaging tech: DLP
Native resolution: 4K pixel-shift
Max signal: 4K60
Max refresh: 60 Hz
Light source: Hybrid
Light source life: 25,000 hours
Throw ratio: 1.2–1.5:1
Zoom: 1.25x
Input lag (4K/60): 18 ms
HDR formats: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG
3D: Full HD 3D
Built-in streaming: Android TV
Speakers: 24 W total
HDMI: 2 × HDMI 2.1
Fan noise: 28 dB
Weight: 11.5 lb
Released: 2023

Features

Dual Light laser + LED engine
1.25x powered optical zoom
18 ms at 4K/60
Dolby Vision
24 W Harman Kardon audio
Android TV 11

What it does well

A 1.25x powered optical zoom is rare in this class and means no digital cropping
18 ms at 4K/60 makes console gaming genuinely viable
Dolby Vision plus a 25,000-hour hybrid light source
24 W of Harman Kardon audio and 28 dB operation

What it gives up

2,300 ISO lumens is mid-pack and wants the lights down
60 Hz ceiling
No lens shift and no published contrast figure
Released in 2023 and now outclassed on brightness by XGIMI's own Horizon S Max

The two lists above are read off manufacturer specifications and published measurements, not from owner reports. Where owner discussion has been collected it appears separately below, so the two are never mistaken for each other.

Throw calculator

Worked from this projector’s published throw ratio of 1.2–1.5:1. Estimates: a real install loses a little to lens offset, and zoom ranges are quoted at the extremes of the lens.

Lens to screen

feet

16:9 diagonal

92–115 in

Throw at a glance

Screen at 8 ft: 73–92 in
Screen at 10 ft: 92–115 in
Screen at 14 ft: 128–161 in
100-inch screen at: 8 ft 9 in–10 ft 11 in
120-inch screen at: 10 ft 6 in–13 ft 1 in

16:9 diagonals, estimated from the published throw ratio: image width = distance ÷ throw ratio, diagonal = width ÷ 0.8716. The maths.

Compare the XGIMI Horizon Ultra

Where these specs come from

https://www.projectorcentral.com/xgimi-horizon_ultra.htm

The brightness figure is measured to a nine-point screen standard and is comparable with the rest of the catalog.

What owners say

Owners describe this as a very good lifestyle projector at its price with one specific, widely reported weakness. The praise is for the package: a genuine optical zoom, a standard tripod thread, a hybrid laser-LED engine with good colour and little speckle, and an image that holds up well at 100 to 120 inches.

The weakness is contrast, and owners who have compared it directly with rival flagships are consistent about it. Several bought both, compared them, and kept the rival — describing the difference as obvious on dark material and as widening as the screen gets bigger. Above about 120 inches owners recommend something brighter.

The other complaint is specific and confirmed: when Dolby Vision content forces the projector into Dolby Vision mode, motion interpolation is disabled, and owners describe the resulting judder as distracting enough to return the unit over. XGIMI has told owners this behaviour is intentional.

What owners like

Owners consistently call it strong value at its launch price, and it was the first consumer projector to combine a laser and an LED source in one engine
The optical zoom and a standard tripod thread draw specific praise — owners describe it as genuinely portable in a way that gimbal-based rivals are not
Owners report it looks very good at screen sizes up to about 100 to 120 inches
Colour from the hybrid engine is well received, and owners note there is little visible speckle compared with pure tri-laser designs
Owners who move it between rooms report the image controls make repeated setup quick

Common complaints

Contrast is the consistent criticism: owners who compared it side by side with rival lifestyle flagships describe it as noticeably behind, and several returned it for that reason
Owners projecting above roughly 120 inches report it runs out of both brightness and contrast, and recommend a brighter rival for large screens
Owners report that when Dolby Vision content forces Dolby Vision mode, motion interpolation is disabled — XGIMI confirmed this is intentional, and owners describe the resulting judder as distracting
Several owners say the Dolby Vision implementation itself makes less visible difference than it does on a television

Questions owners ask about the XGIMI Horizon Ultra

How big a screen can it handle?

Owners report it looks very good up to about 100 to 120 inches. Beyond that they describe both brightness and contrast running out, and consistently point people at brighter rivals for 150-inch-plus installations.

What is the Dolby Vision motion problem?

Owners report that Dolby Vision content forces Dolby Vision picture mode, and that motion interpolation is disabled in that mode. XGIMI has confirmed to owners that this is intentional. Owners sensitive to judder in panning shots describe it as a real problem; others do not notice.

How does the contrast compare with rivals?

Owners who compared it side by side with rival lifestyle flagships describe it as behind on contrast, and several returned it on that basis. Reviewers owners cite reached the same conclusion. It is the single most consistent criticism of this projector.

Is the hybrid laser-LED engine a gimmick?

Owners say no. It was the first consumer implementation and it delivers wider colour than a phosphor-laser design while avoiding the speckle that pure tri-laser projectors can show. Owners generally rate the colour as a strength.

Is it actually portable?

More so than most of its rivals, because it has a standard tripod thread and a real optical zoom rather than a fixed lens on a gimbal base. At 11.5 lb it is a move-between-rooms projector rather than a carry-in-a-bag one.