The hybrid nature of the Switch means that it straddles the divide between portable and domestic gameplay; it's a unit that is small and light enough to be carried in your bag for gaming on the go, but it also connects to your TV like a traditional system, offering big-screen delights as well.
The super-portable nature of the Switch makes it an interesting console to use in other ways, too. In the world of home theatre, projectors have long been a feature as they offer a large-format experience which cannot be replicated, even by the biggest flatscreen television. The trade-off is that image brightness isn't as strong, but many see that as an acceptable sacrifice in order to get a cinema-style picture in their living room.
The march of technology has seen a new legion of projectors hit the market which not only boast high-definition imagery but also cost very little to purchase. With this in mind, we couldn't help but muse over a possible connection between Nintendo's system and this new generation of low-cost, super portable projectors; could combining the two deliver an improved gaming experience, and one which can be taken on the road with you?
The projector we chose to test this theory was the DB Power T2, a 1500 Lumens mini LED projector. At around $100 / £70, it's one of the cheapest options available at the moment, but price is only one of the considerations we've made here; with measurements of 11.5 x 7.7 x 4.3 inches and an overall weight of just 2.2 pounds, the T21 is super portable - and that makes it the ideal companion for the Switch.
As you might expect from a projector this cheap, the T2 isn't going to provide the same kind of image quality as a device worth ten times as much - but having said that, we came away suitably impressed all the same. Provided the room is dark enough, the picture displayed by the T2 is bright, clear and colorful. The promotional material states that it's capable of projecting a picture of around 170 inches in size, with 130 inches being the "sweet spot". We'd certainly concur with that statement; the larger the image, the further away from the wall the projector has to be, and the further away it is, the dimmer the picture gets. It goes without saying, but the projector also works best on a white surface, although we tried it on various other hues of wall without too many issues.
Focusing the image is handled by the dial on the top of the projector, and it's possible to tinker with the keystone to level off the image if you're projecting at an angle - this almost always results in part of the picture being blurry, so it's best to have the projector as level as possible. If you're feeling brave you can even hang the T2 upside down from the ceiling - there's an setting in the options menu which allows you to flip the image horizontally for this very purpose. The replaceable bulb inside is rated to last for 50,000 hours - which means most people are unlikely to reach the operational end of its lifespan unless they use it solidly every single day for years.
In terms of connectivity, the T2 has HDMI, which will be enough for most people. However, VGA is also included - handy if you want to hook up a PC or laptop that doesn't have HDMI-out - and it's possible to connect legacy systems using the bundled composite cable. An SD card slot is also included and allows you to play movies or view photos directly from it, and the USB port can be used for the same purpose. Finally, it's possible to link up your smartphone or tablet using the USB connection. The unit has its own fan to keep it cool during use, and it's not all that loud, refreshingly - after a while, you barely register that it's running at all.
Our primary focus was gaming, and in that regard the T2 worked very well, considering its price. Splatoon 2 looks amazing when projected onto an entire wall, and aside from pixels looking quite blocky (a consequence of blowing the image up to 130 inches), we came away very impressed. Playing a game which totally fills your field of vision is a remarkable experience, and it's only the rather weak audio which lets the whole thing down; the T2 has its own internal speaker which not only lacks bass but sounds a bit feeble, especially in a large room. Thankfully, you can connect the projector to another speaker using the 3.5mm headphone socket, if you so wish. Another black mark against the T2 is that it comes with a tiny power cord, which caused a few headaches during our testing. Thankfully it's standard connection and can be replaced.
Of course, testing the T2 outside of the confines of the house was a must. Using the SFANS Adapter, we were able to fit everything we needed into a medium-sized backpack before relocating at a friend's house. Within minutes of arriving we had set up a big-screen match of ARMS with the minimum of effort, and much enjoyment was had by all. Of course, you could argue that such a configuration is possible with any games console that has HDMI output, but with Switch, the mobile nature means you can take everything with you on the road, rather than relying on your destination having a games console. If you're visiting non-gaming relatives during the holidays then we don't need to explain the appeal of such a set-up.
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If you fancy a big-screen gaming experience on the go, then we'd certainly recommend checking out one of these cheap-and-cheerful LED projectors - you get what you pay for and there are better (but more expensive) options on the market, but for around 100 bucks, this is a sound investment. Going back to the small screen afterwards might be a bit tricky, however.
Comments 59
Now i need one ..
Cool little article. Thanks for sharing your experience!!
Rather than redirect audio from the projector, you should use the 3.5mm headphone jack on the Switch itself for external audio. Set the headphone volume to 75% and everything should work out fine. Just be prepared for any audio desynchronization that may be introduced by decoupling the direct audio from the HDMI signal as processed by the projector.
That is a REALLY affordable projector
Put on a Giant Screen + Giant Theater Loud Speaker = Hello SWITCH Theater Mode.
What I don't understand is why is nowhere mentioned that the output resolution of this projector is just 800X480 which honestly is kind of bad considering the resolution of the Switch, Imaginate how many in game text are going to look.
Seen these projectors before, thought about picking one up a few times.
warning these cheaper projectors tend to have massively noisy fans!! You will need external / additional speakers.
and as @AlbertXi mentions the native resolution is very low (people moan about the switch being 720P), hence why they are cheap?
New Switch software sales data for Europe!
https://ukie.org.uk/news/2017/07/%E2%80%98crash-bandicoot-nsane-trilogy%E2%80%99-pips-splatoon-2-no1-slot
They are not as cheap in Canada as i see ?
i need this adapter thingy. Dock is like a Toaster.
I don't understand the screenshots on this article...
"it's a unit that is small and light enough to be carried in your bag for gaming on the go".
See it's not really a true portable system. Unless you're a woman, most blokes don't walk around with a bag. I know I certainly don't. The Gameboy was a true portable, so was the DS and even the non XL models of 3DS.
Why haven't I thought of doing this??? I own an EPSON projector with HDMI output that I use for lectures!
I hope Nintendo sell 100 million Switch consoles. Then in about 6 years I'll be able to pick one up on Adverts for under €30. Same as you can with a Wii right now. 😁
I'll probably wait and buy one with a bundle of games for about €60.
Cool, but probably not buying, just not the way I would like to play.
@JJ286 It is interesting how a Switch-only game comes out and almost claims the number one slot. I mean heck, how many PS4s have been bought? Thanks for sharing the data. Cheers.
@roro26 the T2 isn't on amazon.ca. The one that comes up when you click that link and get redirected to the Canadian site is the T20
@SLIGEACH_EIRE If you put the Switch and the original GB side by side, the different in size isn't all that great TBH. The GB is heavier for starters, and thicker.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Yeah, bags are for girls...when I go shopping, I carry all of my purchases individually like a real man!
@NaviAndMii Haha. You know what I mean.
Truly portable gaming. You need a battery that runs the Switch Dock. You need this :
https://youtu.be/TNMc6EvkvfU
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
If you can play it by itself without an external display, then it is portable. Portable != Pocketable.
The discontinuation of the standard-sized New 3DS has marked the end of the era of pocketable dedicated handheld gaming devices. All of Nintendo's current products on the market (New 3DS XL, New 2DS XL, 2DS, Switch) will not easily fit into anyone's pockets, especially the latter two.
I mounted a mini hdprojector to the head of our bed. Wife and I watch tv on ceiling or my switch is hooked to it. Much easier on our necks to watch Netflix on ceiling then having a tv on a shelf. Even have a sound bar for decent speakers.
Very cool. Will keep an eye on this.
Golden Axe and Ghost and Gobblins?
are those on the eShop for the Switch?
I thought this article was about these portable pico projectors with horrible resolutions, but apparently it's just about regular projectors which needva power supply.
Nothing about this one in the article is 'mini' though, the normal FullHD Acer projectors for example (just mentioning them because I had two of those) are really small and fit into any backpack. They usually come with their own zravel bag, too.
I'd rather take one of those instead of the one mentioned in the article.
Wow, that is cheap! I haven't been keeping up with current trends, but it does look like something I could use all over the place...
@IPrino it is crazy indeed. Specially since Switch has been having stock issues. You welcome btw!
@AlbertXi Not even full widescreen, which would be 854x480. All Switch games will be letterboxed, assuming a 1:1 pixel ratio.
@NL: Where did you sit relative to the Switch? I would think you'd have to have the controllers facing the direction of the Switch, yes?
I though it was a dock that happens to be a projector. You know like a all-in-one package dock....but those wires. Plus those bulbs are expensive to replace when they go out.
@cfgk24
That's an awesome setup man... what kind of projector was that?
@N8tiveT3ch says the bulb is good for 50,000 hours thats almost 6 years of 24 hours a day
@ValhallaOutcast the cords are still a issue.
@N8tiveT3ch agreed
@bluedogrulez
For splatoon? the gyro works facing any direction so long as its in relation parallel to the ground.
camera reset uses either direction moved or direction where character is facing when no movement is detected for X axis
but will reset Y axis to neutral regardless to the joycon's angle (unless its in its extremes)
@JaxonH Is a Philips pico projector
Is utterly brilliant! It runs for over 2 hours on a single charge and genuinely will give you a 6ft picture. I prefer it at 4ft at around 2metres distance from a wall. 😀
http://officemachines.net/s/Philips-PicoPix-Business-Projector-Ref-PPX4835.html?_source=googleshopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgeP414mj1QIViKntCh2QfwxjEAQYAiABEgKEgPD_BwE
@shani see my video in above comment. Pure battery powered portable setup. 😀
@cfgk24 While that's definitely nice, the downside is that it's the size of a normal home projector and - while only providing 720p - basically costs the same as a proper 1080p DLP projector would.
If you consider the fact that there aren't many places outside - especially during the day - were you can really use it, I'd rather buy a proper projector again, because I bet in the end, even that Philipps pico projector will be used more at home than outside.
If the Switch had a pico-rojector built-in like some phones have (or the Moto Z projector module) , that would be another story.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
Hi, I am a grown up man but still carry a woman hand bag to bring my lunch box to school. And so does with my 3DS.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE That's like saying a laptop isn't portable because it won't fit in your pocket.
I have a 1080p Optoma 2150 short throw projector in my home theater. 4 player Mario Kart is always a blast on my 106" screen, but I don't think I would play Splatoon on it. I would probably get motion sickness. Projectors are awesome, but are definitely best in a dark room. I am impressed with what the 2150ST can do in a room with some ambient light though. Having a real screen makes a big difference as well, there is just something about having a nice border around the picture that makes it seem bigger.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE I do 🤓
By the way- projectors like this are horrrendous unless you are in the darkest of dark caves the far side of Degobah. My brother in law got one- picture quality is like VHS.
That projector is down to £49.99 now, just grabbed one.
Great article I always assumed these were way more expensive, seriously considering getting one nice to see it has vga as well I can hook up my dreamcast as well as the switch.
@Skunkfish it is 49.99 even more of a bargain.
it's actually £39.99 with a voucher available on the page itself, can't say no!
"Promotion Message Buy 1 to get £10.00 off 2 Promotion(s) "
(long time lurker)
@AlbertXi Great point, I agree, why sacrifice 1080p when going to a big screen? Especially when it can be had for not much more. But I suppose the focus of this article is the small portable nature of the projector and Switch console.
Wow, thats one affordable projector, now i might need to get one!
@shani Er, the Philips pico projector Is tiny! Pocket sized....
And it has a battery.
The Sony one that looks like a big mobile p phone is a great idea but nowhere near bright enough
@cfgk24 Oh you're right, it is! Just looked up the actual dimensions.
It looked way bigger in the pictures.
In that case I obviously take back what I wrote before.
@Joekun Actually, I played most of my ~650 hours of Splatoon on a projector, never got motion sickness. And why would you anyway? If you vulnerable to that, you would probably get it with MK8 as well.
@Nico07 Exactly, a proper 1080p costs almost the same. And the projector in the article isn't even portable!
@Arngrim @Skunkfish Actually, that's not unusual. Don't let yourselves get fooled by the price and the 720p resolution. You'll find many of those on Ebay, but their horrible quality and lack of brightness is just not worth it. There are a lot of cheap and awful projectors, some of them are even marketed as HD projectors despite the fact the they only support those resolutions up-scaled, not natively.
@shani MK8 doesn't bother me on the big screen, but Splatoon gets me a little dizzy even on a 40" screen. Probably just me. I think it has to do with how the motion controls cause the screen to move.
Not a bad idea but never in my life have I thought "wow, I wish I could just project my games anywhere". If I am bringing my Switch somewhere, it would probably be to someone's house who has a TV so this feels very niche to me. It is a cool idea though for those who would do it.
@Masurao You know of one? I don't know much about projectors myself.
@Masurao I've taken a look at a few, they look pretty decent. I can see why people like them so much. They aren't much use for me but I still kinda want one...
Let's be honest here,a £69 projector is hardly going to do the Switch,or any other console for that matter justice.
@darthstuey
True,projectors are designed to be used in the correct conditions,just like the cinema.
But with the right conditions and a good quality projector the results are stunning.
I have a dedicated room for my home cinema,but I have never connected a console to it though,might buy a second dock and try it out.
http://www.blu-ray.com/community/gallery.php?member=jonmoz
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