Lifestyle projectors have come a long way from the dim, whirring boxes that only really worked with the curtains drawn. Brands have been chasing brighter laser light sources, built-in streaming, and gaming-friendly specs, trying to make the projector a genuine stand-in for the living room TV. XGIMI has been one of the busiest players in that push, and we’ve previously covered its gaming-focused Horizon 20 series and the dual-iris Titan Noir home theater projectors.
Now the company is following up with the Horizon 30 series, which was first previewed at IFA 2026 alongside the Aura 3 ultra-short-throw lineup. There are three models in the family: the Horizon 30 Pro, Horizon 30 Max, and Horizon 30 Ultra Max. They all share the same core hardware and smart features, with brightness and contrast climbing as you move up the range.
XGIMI’s pitch is simple enough: you shouldn’t need different setups for film night, live sports, and gaming, especially in a room that was never designed to be a cinema.
XGIMI
Brightness tops out at 6,000 ISO lumens on the Ultra Max, with the Max rated at 5,300 lumens and the Pro at 4,800. Native contrast follows the same pattern, from 10,000:1 on the flagship down to 8,000:1 on the Pro. XGIMI says that adds up to around 15% more brightness than the Horizon 20 family and seven times the native contrast. A Dual Intelligent Iris system tweaks light output scene by scene, and there’s support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and IMAX Enhanced content.
The key upgrade is the jump from 60 Hz to 120 Hz at 4K. Gamers get variable refresh (VRR), auto low latency (ALLM), and AMD FreeSync support, with input lag rated at 1.9 ms at 4K/120 Hz, or 1 ms if you drop to 1080p at 240 Hz. Both HDMI ports accept 4K/120 signals, and one adds eARC for external audio. XGIMI also points out that 120 divides evenly by 24, so films play back at their native frame rate without the uneven judder that 60-Hz displays can introduce.
Setup is handled by an integrated tilt-and-rotate stand, optical zoom, and lens shift, while Lens Memory saves up to five configurations for switching between standard and ultra-wide formats. Google TV and dual 12-W Harman Kardon speakers with DTS Virtual:X round things out.
XGIMI
Pre-orders are open through October 31 on XGIMI’s website, with the Horizon 30 Pro going for US$1,899, the Max for $2,499, and the Ultra Max for $2,999. When open sales begin on November 1, those prices rise to $2,499, $2,999, and $3,499 respectively. Early buyers also get a choice of floor stand or ceiling mount, two pairs of 3D glasses, and a $500 coupon toward XGIMI’s Ascend screen.
That puts the series firmly in premium territory, though it’s in line with rival triple-laser models from the likes of JMGO. More broadly, 4K at 120 Hz looks set to become standard for high-end lifestyle projectors, much as it already has for TVs and current-gen consoles.
If the new optics and iris system live up to their contrast claims, the Horizon 30 could further narrow the gap between a convenient living room projector and a serious home cinema setup, and that’s a gap XGIMI has been steadily chipping away at.
Product page: Horizon 30 Ultra Max