The Epson Lifestudio Pop Plus is a compact standard-throw lifestyle projector. It uses Epson's 3-chip 3LCD Triple Core Engine technology with an RGB LED light source and 4K PRO-UHD pixel-shifting. It supports HDR10 and HLG. It has Google TV built in, with access to major streaming apps, Google Assistant, and Google Cast. It also has a Sound by Bose 2.0 stereo audio system. For setup, it supports Epson's EpiqSense 2.0 features, including auto focus, auto vertical, horizontal, and roll keystone correction, auto obstacle avoidance, auto screen fit, smart eye protection, and auto wall color adjustment. It also works with the Epson Projection Studio app for iOS and Android.
Our Verdict
The Epson Lifestudio Pop Plus is just okay for watching movies. Its biggest limitation is that it isn't very bright, so you need a dark room to get a satisfying image, and its mediocre contrast means blacks look raised in darker scenes. Still, its pre-calibration accuracy is great, and its color gamut is decent, so movies look fairly natural and colorful without much setup. Overall, it's fine for casual movie nights, but it isn't ideal if you want a punchy, cinematic home theater image.
Very accurate image out of the box.
Decent color gamut, especially in SDR.
Contrast holds up well in brighter and mixed scenes.
Not bright enough to handle ambient light.
Blacks look raised in very dark scenes.
Focusing issues mean the image isn’t as sharp as it should be.
Poor 24p judder handling.
The Epson Lifestudio Pop Plus is mediocre for gaming. Its input lag is low enough for casual and slower-paced games in Game Mode, but it isn't responsive enough for competitive gaming, and it's limited to 60Hz at all resolutions. It also isn't very bright, and its mediocre contrast means games don't have much depth in darker scenes. It works for relaxed console or PC gaming, but it's not a great choice for fast-paced or high-performance gaming, or if you care about top-notch image quality.
Very accurate image out of the box.
Decent color gamut, especially in SDR.
Contrast holds up well in brighter and mixed scenes.
Supports 4k @ 60Hz.
Not bright enough to handle ambient light.
Blacks look raised in very dark scenes.
No high-refresh rate support.
Not responsive enough for competitive gaming.
Focusing issues mean the image isn’t as sharp as it should be.
The Epson Lifestudio Pop Plus has sub-par brightness. It's best used in a dark room, as it doesn't get bright enough to fight ambient light or deliver a punchy image in a brighter space. It does have fantastic brightness uniformity, so the image looks very even overall, although the corners are still a bit dimmer if you're looking at a full white screen.
Fantastic brightness uniformity.
Not bright enough to handle ambient light.
The Epson Lifestudio Pop Plus has mediocre contrast. Its main weakness is very dark content, where blacks look raised, and shadow detail looks flat, so it doesn't deliver a very cinematic dark-room image. It performs better in brighter and mixed scenes, where its contrast holds up well compared to many projectors, but it still lacks the depth you'd get from a projector with stronger black levels.
Contrast holds up well in brighter and mixed scenes.
Blacks look raised in very dark scenes.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the navy variant of the Epson Lifestudio Pop Plus, or Epson EF 62. It’s also available in black, and we expect both variants to perform the same. The regular Epson Lifestudio Pop (Epson EF 61) is a similar-looking model, but it’s a lower-end Full HD projector, while this Pop Plus is a 4K PRO-UHD model. The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus is also a similar to the Pop Plus, but it uses a different design with a built-in swivel stand, higher rated brightness, and mood lighting.
Our unit was manufactured in June 2025.
Popular Projector Comparisons
The Epson Lifestudio Pop Plus is an okay compact lifestyle projector. It has Google TV built in, a Sound by Bose audio system, 4k support, great out-of-the-box accuracy, and a small, easy-to-move design. However, its low brightness, mediocre contrast, and uneven focus make it best suited for casual dark-room viewing rather than serious home theater use. Ultimately the Epson isn't bad, but there are other better options. The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus has higher brightness, slightly better contrast, and a more controlled color gamut, though it’s larger and more expensive. The LG CineBeam Q is also worth considering, as it’s even smaller and more portable while offering much better contrast. You could also go for the far cheaper Wanbo X5 Pro; it's a bit worse overall, but it has far better contrast for a lower cost.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best portable projectors, the best 4k projectors, and the best budget and cheap projectors. If you're really looking for something to use outside, consider the best outdoor projectors as well.
The LG CineBeam Q is better than the Epson Lifestudio Pop Plus. The LG is a bit dimmer, but it has far better contrast, making it look more impressive in a dark room. It's also smaller and more portable due to its carry handle, and you can charge it with a power bank; the Epson requires a full outlet. That's not to say the Epson has nothing going for it, as it's far more accurate than the LG. Ultimately, if you don't care about out-of-the-box accuracy, the LG is your pick. If you do care, then you'll need to weigh your priorities in terms of contrast, portability, and image accuracy, but for most people, the LG is the better option.
The Epson Lifestudio Pop Plus is better than the Epson EpiqVision Mini EF21. The Pop Plus has better contrast, so dark scenes have a bit more depth, and it's a much better gaming projector thanks to its lower input lag and 4k @ 60Hz support. The EF21's main advantage is brightness, as it gets a bit brighter than the Pop Plus, and it handles 25p judder better. However, both projectors have poor 24p judder handling, and neither is bright enough to handle much ambient light, but the Pop Plus is better otherwise.
The Epson Lifestudio Pop Plus is a bit better than the Wanbo X5 Pro overall. The Epson is much more accurate out of the box, has a much wider color gamut, supports 4k @ 60Hz, has lower input lag, and is significantly smaller and lighter. However, the Wanbo has massively better contrast, so dark scenes have much deeper blacks and more depth than they do on the Epson. The Wanbo is also much cheaper, so it's still an interesting option if contrast and value matter more to you than accuracy, color gamut, gaming responsiveness, and size.
The Epson Lifestudio Pop Plus is better than the XGIMI MoGo 4, although they don't exactly fit the same niche. The XGIMI is a portable projector with an integrated battery, which lets you use it away from an outlet; you can also charge it through USB. The Epson, however, has no battery. But it's also brighter, has better contrast, and is more accurate out of the box, giving it noticeably better image quality.
We've independently bought and tested over 80 projectors and published detailed results for each, so you can decide which one to buy. These have all been tested under the same standardized methodology, allowing you to compare them side by side. We still have all these projects in our lab, so we can continually go back and compare them to ensure our reviews are still accurate. All our test methodologies are also public on our website, so you can validate the results yourself.
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