The NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII is a triple-laser DLP projector with a pixel-shifted 4k resolution. As an ultra-short-throw (UST) projector, it's designed to sit close to your wall or screen, so it can produce a large image without needing much space between the projector and screen. It's relatively light on setup features, as it doesn't have optical zoom or lens shift and is limited to manual focus and manual keystone correction. With a 0.21:1 throw ratio, it can project an image from 80 to 150 inches. It runs on its own operating system, which allows you to cast content from a phone, tablet, or laptop, but it doesn't have any built-in apps, so you need to pair it with a separate streaming device. The projector has three HDMI 2.1 ports, including one with eARC, and offers a variety of gaming features, such as up to 1080p @ 240Hz and VRR to reduce screen tearing. It also has a built-in 60W speaker system with two 15W woofers and two 15W tweeters.
Our Verdict
The NexiGo Aurora Pro MK2 is decent for a home theater. It has excellent contrast that leads to deep blacks in dark and bright scenes, so there's very solid depth no matter what you're watching. It removes judder from movies and shows if you're using a streaming device with frame rate matching enabled, like an Apple TV or NVIDIA Shield, leading to smooth motion. The projector is bright enough to avoid looking dim in a dark room, but it's not bright enough to handle glare in a room with ambient lighting without looking washed out. Unfortunately, colors lack vibrancy, leading to a dull-looking picture. Furthermore, it has poor color accuracy out of the box, since the entire image looks much cooler than intended. There are also color flashes that people who are sensitive to the rainbow effect will notice.
Excellent contrast across all scenes.
Removes judder from most streaming devices.
Quiet fan.
Colors lack vibrancy.
Rainbow effect will bother people who are sensitive to it.
Poor color accuracy out of the box.
The NexiGo Aurora Pro MK2 is inadequate for outdoors. It's bright enough to use outside at night with a few patio lights on, but it's too dim to use during the day or earlier in the evening. Getting it outside is a hassle, though, since it's a big and heavy unit that lacks portability features like a carrying case or lens protection. Since it doesn't have lens shift or a zoom lens and is limited to manual focus and manual keystone correction, setting it up can take some time, so it's not convenient to move it from inside your home to outside on a regular basis.
No lens shift or zoom lens.
No built-in battery.
No built-in smart OS.
Limited to manual focus and manual keystone correction.
The NexiGo Aurora Pro MK2 is a poor choice for a bedroom. It's big and very heavy, so it takes up a lot of space and carrying it into your bedroom is a hassle. It also doesn't have lens shift or a zoom lens and is limited to manual focus and manual keystone correction, so aligning it with your projection surface takes a while. Fortunately, it's a quiet projector, so you aren't distracted by fan noise if you're watching a movie or show at low volume.
Quiet fan.
Rainbow effect will bother people who are sensitive to it.
No lens shift or zoom lens.
No built-in smart OS.
Limited to manual focus and manual keystone correction.
The NexiGo Aurora Pro MK2 is very good for gaming. It offers 4k @ 60Hz or 1080p at up to 240Hz, so you can choose between the sharpest image or smoother motion. It supports VRR to reduce screen tearing, and it has low enough input lag for gaming to feel responsive. The projector's excellent contrast gives the image very solid depth, and it doesn't look dim at all in a dark room. However, colors really lack richness and vibrancy, so games look dull and don't pop as much as they should.
Excellent contrast across all scenes.
Supports 4k @ 60Hz and up to 1080p @ 240Hz.
Supports VRR, ALLM, and has low input lag.
No excessive motion blur.
Colors lack vibrancy.
Rainbow effect will bother people who are sensitive to it.
VRR doesn't work at 240Hz.
The NexiGo Aurora Pro MK2 has decent brightness. It's bright enough to look punchy in a dark room, but it's too dim to avoid looking washed out in a room with ambient lighting.
The NexiGo Aurora Pro MK2 has excellent contrast. Blacks are very deep in dark scenes, so the image doesn't look washed out. It also does a fantastic job of maintaining solid depth in bright scenes, leading to an image that doesn't look flat.
Excellent contrast across all scenes.
The NexiGo Aurora Pro MK2 has very bad portability. It's a very large and heavy projector that doesn't include a carrying case or lens protection and doesn't have a handle, so moving it around is a hassle. It also doesn't have lens shift or a zoom lens and is limited to manual focus and manual keystone correction, so properly aligning it with your screen takes some time.
No lens shift or zoom lens.
No built-in battery.
No built-in smart OS.
Limited to manual focus and manual keystone correction.
The NexiGo Aurora Pro MK2 has bad colors. Its poor color volume means that the image lacks vibrancy and richness, making it look dull. Furthermore, it has poor color accuracy out of the box since the entire image has a blue tint, so it doesn't stay true to the filmmaker's intent. However, if that bothers you, calibration drastically improves its overall color accuracy.
Colors lack vibrancy.
Poor color accuracy out of the box.
The NexiGo Aurora Pro MK2 has excellent gaming responsiveness. It has low enough input lag for gaming to feel responsive, but it's a bit high for competitive titles where every millisecond matters. It supports 4k @ 60Hz and 1080p at either 120Hz or 240Hz, giving you the option of the sharpest possible image or smoother motion. It also supports VRR to reduce screen tearing, but the feature doesn't work at 240Hz. Finally, motion blur is kept to a minimum thanks to its DLP imaging technology.
Supports 4k @ 60Hz and up to 1080p @ 240Hz.
Supports VRR, ALLM, and has low input lag.
No excessive motion blur.
VRR doesn't work at 240Hz.
Performance Usages
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII doesn't have any variants, and it's only available in dark gray. NexiGo offers bundles that also include screens or 3D glasses. Our results are only valid for the Aurora Pro MKII, but the table below highlights some of the key differences between the models in the Aurora lineup.
| Model | Advertised Brightness (ANSI Lumens) | Advertised Contrast | Throw Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Lite | 1,900 | 3,000:1 (Native), 6,000:1 (Dynamic) | 0.233:1 |
| Aurora | 2,400 | 3,000:1 | 0.233:1 |
| Aurora Pro | 2,400 | 3,000:1 (Native), 6,000:1 (Dynamic) | 0.233:1 |
| Aurora Pro MKII | 2,400 | 4,000:1 (Native), >30,000:1 (Dynamic) | 0.21:1 |
Our unit was manufactured in China.
Popular Projector Comparisons
The NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII isn't a bad ultra-short-throw (UST) projector, but it's not worth buying given the better options on the market. The AWOL Vision Aetherion Pro is another UST model sold for around the same price, but it offers better colors, better gaming performance, built-in Google TV, and better handling of the rainbow effect. You can also get better colors, built-in Google TV, and similar overall performance from the XGIMI MIRA, which is significantly cheaper, making the Aurora Pro MKII hard to recommend to anyone.
For more UST options, check out the best short-throw projectors. If you have more space in your room and don't need a UST projector, check out the best home theater projectors. For those who prioritize gaming performance, see our recommendations for the best gaming projectors.
The AWOL Vision Aetherion Max is better than the NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII. The AWOL is brighter, so it looks punchier in a dark room and can withstand more glare in a room with ambient lighting. The AWOL also has significantly more vibrant colors that are more accurate, so the image pops more while also staying truer to the filmmaker's intent. There's less of the rainbow effect on the AWOL, which is great for those who are sensitive to it. Additionally, the AWOL has Google TV built-in and offers better screen adaptation features to help with setup. On the other hand, the NexiGo has better contrast, but that doesn't make up for its other shortcomings.
Not only is the XGIMI MIRA a lot cheaper than the NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII, but it's also slightly better overall. The XGIMI offers significantly more vibrant and accurate colors, so the image is punchier and stays much closer to the filmmaker's intent. The XGIMI is also easier to set up thanks to its autofocus and automatic keystone correction. On the other hand, the NexiGo is brighter and has an advantage in contrast, but that doesn't make up for its poor colors.
The NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII is a bit better than the original NexiGo Aurora Pro. The MKII has a nice uptick in contrast, leading to deeper blacks and more depth in the image across all scenes. The MKII also has a quieter fan and lower input lag for gamers, but outside of that, the two models are almost identical.
The AWOL Vision Aetherion Pro is better than the NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII. The AWOL is significantly more colorful, leading to a more vibrant and pleasing image. There's also less of the rainbow effect on the AWOL, making it a better choice for people who are sensitive to it. Gamers will prefer the AWOL thanks to its lower input lag, and it offers more convenience thanks to its built-in Google TV. The AWOL is also easier to set up thanks to its automatic keystone correction. The NexiGo has better contrast, but it's not worth buying for that alone.
We've independently bought and tested over 100 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 projectors 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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