RS Recommends: The Best Outdoor Projectors for Movies, Sports, and Gaming

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At a Glance: The Best Outdoor Projectors

Summer is here! What could possibly be more sublime than watching a movie in your backyard, back patio, or rooftop? The answer, of course, is nothing. Thanks to warmer weather, now is the perfect time to grab some friends, some food, some beach chairs and an outdoor projector to set up a movie night.

We’ve covered projectors before — check out our guide to the best portable, best mini, and best 4K models — but the ones on this list are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. They’re all under 12 pounds (some are less than half that weight), so they’re easy to move from your home theater to your outdoor space.

These projectors have bulbs that are bright enough to create a clear image even when there’s some light pollution (a factor you can’t control outside), and they have built-in speakers, so you don’t have to lug a pair outside from inside your house; just plug in the projector, connect your device, and hit play. For a more granular breakdown of everything we considered when selecting projectors for this guide, check out our full criteria in the buying guide at the very bottom of this article.

One last tip: While a blank sheet, or white wall should do the trick, we’d recommend picking up some blackout cloth or projector paint to ensure the best possible viewing experience.

In This Article

What Are the Best Outdoor Projectors?

Although you can use these indoors too, we rounded up the best projectors for outdoor use. All of our recommendations are made by trusted and respectable brands and can be purchased from highly reputable retailers like Amazon, Target, Walmart, and others. These outdoor projectors also have an immense amount of very positive reviews with at least a 4/5-star rating from a wide range of online shoppers.

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1. XGIMI Halo+

If you’re looking for a good way to throw a casual movie night, XGIMI’s Halo+ is the right choice.

It has a native resolution of Full HD at 1080p, which is pretty impressive, but the screen edges tend to not be as clear as the center, so make sure it’s dark out if you’re watching movies or sports outdoors. The XGIMI Halo+ has a maximum screen size of 200-inch, and can create a 38-inch picture from just over three feet away, so this projector will work best if you have a lot of room.

This projector has a wide array of ports: an HDMI, USB, and audio out ports. That’s great for people who want to have options when connecting their devices — think smartphones, computers, the Nintendo Switch, or streaming TV sticks — or keep a couple of things plugged in at the same time. You’ll also have access to more than 5,000 apps through Android TV via Google Play, including Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, Max, and more.

The XGIMI Halo+’s speaker system has pretty good sound thanks to dual-5W Harman Kardon speakers, enough that you won’t need external speakers or a soundbar (although you can connect some over Bluetooth). Overall, this projector has a nice balance of features, and is a good all-in-one solution for a lot of people.

Promising Customer Feedback: “The XGIMI Halo+ Projector has genuinely transformed my movie nights and travels. It’s not just a projector; it’s a portable cinema experience in a compact form. The sound quality is outstanding – loud, crisp, and so good that I often find no need for an external speaker.” —Mohamad M.

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2. Anker Nebula Cosmos

If you want to turn any remote place into an impromptu movie theater, you’ll want Anker’s Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K projector.

The projector has a video resolution of 1080p and extra-crisp, theater-quality 4K, and can run for three hours on battery power. Yes, this is a projector you can take with you anywhere. It has a maximum screen size of 150-inch, and can throw a 100-inch screen from nearly nine feet away, which is pretty solid. With a longer battery life and brighter bulb than previous models, this projector is the total package.

Dual 10-watt speakers also add a more robust sound, which is absolutely necessary for backyard and outdoor film-viewings. For streaming, the projector still uses Android TV to give you access to multiple streaming apps, like Prime Video, YouTube, Max, and more.

On top of that, you can connect to the Nebula Cosmos Laser to the Nebula Connect app to navigate the projector without a remote. This projector also connects to Wi-Fi, which lets you stream content from popular video services.

Besides the 4K picture quality, the surprise “it” feature of the projector is its ultra-bright 2,200 ANSI lumen bulb, brighter than any of Anker’s portable lineup. For us, the Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser projector is bigger, bolder, and brighter in all the ways that count.

Promising Customer Feedback: “This thing is phenomenal. Extremely portable with built-in handle, lightweight, powerfully bright laser which provides visible images indoors in bright rooms. Even more phenomenal when you use it like I do; with an outdoor inflatable screen that gets quickly set-up. The speakers are fantastic compared to prior versions of ‘portable projectors’ I’ve had in the past. They’re loud and capable. We do outdoor movie nights once a week and set the projector near the pool.” —T3chn3rd

3. BenQ GS50

With the BenQ GS50 has created a fully-featured home theatre projector that’s ideal for both indoor and outdoor viewing. It has a native resolution of 1080p, and a peak brightness of 500 ANSI lumens. The projector can even create a screen up to 100-inch large, and a 30-inch screen from more than three feet away.

In terms of connectivity, BenQ GS50 did a good job: The projector has HDMI, USB-C, 3.5mm audio out ports. This projector also boasts built-in “extra bass” 5W speakers with 10W woofer for surprising big audio.

Promising Customer Feedback: “This outdoor projector is a game-changer for entertainment! This projector offers stunning 1080p resolution that brings movies and shows to life with incredible clarity. The extra bass Bluetooth speaker provides rich and immersive sound, making every viewing experience feel like you’re in a theater.” —Matthew Fileta

4. ViewSonic PA503HD

One of the stars of the show is this ViewSonic PA503HD projector with Full HD 1080p video resolution, which will make video look excellent outdoors. It has a maximum screen size of 300 inches, and can create a 100-inch screen from nearly 6 feet away. So, like many of the projectors in this guide, you’ll need space for a big screen.

The ViewSonic PA503HD has a fair amount of ports: Two HDMI and one USB-A, but it’s not as robust on the connectivity front as some of our other picks. It has a single speaker that should be loud and clear enough.

Promising Customer Feedback: “This projector is amazing!! I bought this along with an inflatable screen to have an outdoor movie night for my birthday and it worked like a charm. The picture was great to watch the game before dinner and it was perfect.” —michelle H. Scurfield

5. Optoma HD146X

If you’re looking for a projector to recreate the experience of going to a movie theater in your backyard the Optoma HD146X can almost get you there.

The Optoma HD146X throws up a 120-inch screen, from up to 14 feet away. Images are crisp and detailed, even from far away. Turn on “Enhanced Gaming Mode” to help reduce lag.

Audio-wise this projector has a 5W speaker, and has a standard audio port. It’s joined by a HDMI 1.4 port and a USB-A port. Its balance of audio and video technology, coupled with its solid assortment of ports make it a compelling option for outdoor use.

Promising Customer Feedback: “This is definitely a high quality product if you’re looking for a full HD projector. Image does not disappoint. Live TV, sports events, movies and video games all look great and perform and play well.” —Albert Artist Alvarez

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Buying Guide; How to Pick the Outdoor Projector

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best outdoor projector for you; below are the most important ones, which we considered while we were researching this list.

Native Resolution: A lot of projectors accept HD content, but very few of them can actually produce an HD image. Many of them use a technology called “downsampling,” which means it takes a high resolution image, and scrunches it down to a lower quality one. Think of it this way: You could play a Blu-ray on an old tube TV. We made sure that all of the projectors in our guide have a minimum native resolution of 720p, so your movies and TV shows will look as good as possible.

Throw Distance: This is a math equation that calculates how big a projector’s image will be based on how far away it is from the screen or wall it’s projecting onto. The further away the projector is from the wall, the larger the image will be. Some projectors are categorized as “short throw,” which means they’re calibrated to throw a larger image from a shorter distance.

Brightness: The video thrown by a projector is highly susceptible to light pollution, which will dim the image before it hits your screen or wall. The brighter the projector, the more it’s able to overcome light pollution. Light is measured in Lumins, and our picks all have a luminosity of at least 500, but most are between 2,000 and 3,000.

Ports: Ports let you connect computers, game consoles, phones, or tablets to the projector, so more is better. We chose projectors that have a wide array of ports, including HDMI, VGA, and USB. Some even support Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, which lets you connect them to your phone or other accessories wirelessly.

Speakers: Not all projectors have built-in speakers — they’re about displaying video, after all — which means you may have to connect an external set. We mostly stuck to projectors that have an integrated speaker system, but for a full movie theater experience, you’ll probably want to invest in some good audio gear.

Customer reviews have been edited for length and clarity, and size availability is posted at the time of publication.