The XGIMI AURA 2 is a 4k HDR ultra-short-throw (UST) projector. It's capable of projecting onto large surfaces from a very short distance: it projects a 90" image at a distance of 5.4" and up to 150" at 15.3". It's a big projector but comes with full auto keystone technology and autofocus, making it quick to install. The projector utilizes a dual LED and laser light source, and is rated to last at least 20,000 hours. It comes with Android TV 11, with Chromecast and Magicast built in, alongside three HDMI ports. One of its HDMI ports doubles as an eARC port, with support for DTS and Dolby advanced audio formats. It also supports Dolby Vision and is IMAX Enhanced-certified. Finally, it has a 60W Dolby Atmos Harman/Kardon sound system.
Our Verdict
The XGIMI AURA 2 is a passable projector for a home theater. Dark scenes have convincing depth, but blacks appear grayer in mixed and bright scenes, making them look flatter by comparison. Colors are accurate out of the box, but the projector's limited color volume prevents them from looking vibrant. A key downside to this projector is its inability to remove judder from any source, so motion looks choppy in movies and shows. Also, those sensitive to rainbow flashes may be bothered by them when using this projector, and there's no setting to reduce their effect. On the positive side, it's bright enough to project a large image and fight off some ambient light, while its fan noise is quiet enough to be masked by a soundbar or AVR.
Impressive contrast in dark scenes.
Great peak brightness.
Excellent pre-calibration accuracy.
Packed with features, including Dolby Vision support.
Quiet fan.
Unable to maintain strong image depth in bright scenes.
Motion looks choppy since it doesn't de-judder any sources.
Rainbow flashes will bother those who are sensitive to them.
Saturated colors lack punch.
The XGIMI AURA 2 is a mediocre outdoor projector. It's bright enough to project a large image after the sun goes down. However, as with most UST projectors, its large, heavy frame makes it better suited to a permanent indoor setup, and it lacks carrying features, like a handle, to move it outside for impromptu movie nights. It also doesn't have lens shift or optical zoom, so it needs to be centered to the screen for the cleanest image. However, if that's not possible, it offers a few features, such as manual and auto keystone, auto focus, and post-movement auto correction, to adapt the image to your setup.
Great peak brightness.
Bright enough to fight some ambient light.
Auto keystone, auto focus, and post-movement auto correction to simplify setup.
Bulky and heavy (consistent with other ultra-short-throw projectors).
No optical zoom or lens shift to move the image without losing image quality.
No carrying handle or features to help move it.
The XGIMI AURA 2 is a poor projector for a bedroom. It's big and heavy, and it doesn't have a carrying handle, so moving it into the bedroom for a movie night is cumbersome, though this is typical of most ultra-short-throw projectors. It doesn't include optical zoom or lens shift, so it has to be centered to the screen or wall for the cleanest image, although it has manual and automated features to help with a more casual setup, like keystone, focus, and post-movement correction. That said, its fan noise is fairly quiet, so it's only really audible during quiet scenes.
Auto keystone, auto focus, and post-movement auto correction to simplify setup.
Quiet fan.
Bulky and heavy (consistent with other ultra-short-throw projectors).
No optical zoom or lens shift to move the image without losing image quality.
No carrying handle or features to help move it.
The XGIMI AURA 2 is a good gaming UST projector. It's limited to 60Hz, and it doesn't offer high-refresh modes. Thankfully, its input lag is decent enough for slower-paced games, but it can feel a bit sluggish for fast-paced titles that require quick reactions. In terms of picture quality, dark scenes have impressive depth, but it can't maintain that in brighter scenes, as blacks look more gray. Brightness is quite high for its class, and it also has accurate colors out of the box, so you don't need to calibrate it if you want games to look as the artists intended. However, the projector's limited color volume prevents saturated colors from looking vibrant and punchy.
Impressive contrast in dark scenes.
Great peak brightness.
Excellent pre-calibration accuracy.
Packed with features, including Dolby Vision support.
No high refresh rate support; limited to 1080p or 4k @ 60Hz.
Unable to maintain strong image depth in bright scenes.
Saturated colors lack punch.
The XGIMI AURA 2 is a bright projector that also holds up well in living rooms and other moderately lit spaces. It puts out plenty of light for a large 100" image, and its brightness is very uniform, so you don't see obvious hot spots or dim corners. Still, keep direct sunlight off the screen to avoid the image washing out, and in a dark room, it has more than enough output to make highlights stand out.
Bright enough to fight some ambient light.
Very uniform image with no obvious hot spots.
Still needs some light control; not ideal for very bright, sun-filled rooms.
Contrast is a strength of the XGIMI AURA 2. In a dark room, and especially when watching dark scenes, it delivers deep, satisfying blacks that give movies and TV shows good separation between bright highlights and darker backgrounds. However, it doesn't maintain this strong performance in bright scenes, especially very bright ones, as blacks look more gray, and shadows don't look as inky as on the very best home theater projectors.
Impressive contrast in dark scenes.
Unable to maintain strong image depth in bright scenes.
The XGIMI AURA 2 isn't a portable projector. As is common with ultra-short-throw projectors, it has a large frame that's better suited to a permanent setup than to casual viewing or moving it from room to room. It doesn't have lens shift or optical zoom, so it needs to be centered to the screen or wall to get the cleanest image. If this isn't possible, it has manual and auto keystone, auto focus, and post-movement auto-correction to adapt the screen to a specific setup. It also has built-in lens protection to prevent scratches and dust from accumulating on the lens when it's not in use.
Auto keystone, auto focus, and post-movement auto correction to simplify setup.
Built-in lens protection to precent scratches or dust when not being used.
Bulky and heavy (consistent with other ultra-short-throw projectors).
No optical zoom or lens shift to move the image without losing image quality.
No carrying handle or features to help move it.
The XGIMI AURA 2 has decent color performance. Its colors are accurate out of the box, so little needs to be done to start watching content or gaming. However, the projector's subpar color volume, especially in bright shades, makes saturated colors look muted.
Excellent pre-calibration accuracy.
Saturated colors lack punch.
The XGIMI AURA 2 has good gaming responsiveness. It tops out at 60Hz but supports gaming at 4k and 1080p at this refresh rate. Its input lag is only decent, though; while it's sufficient for slower-paced games, it's not so much for ones that need quick reactions. That said, its DLP imaging technology helps minimize excessive motion blur.
No excessive motion blur.
Input lag is good enough for slower-paced games.
No high refresh rate support; limited to 1080p or 4k @ 60Hz.
Inputs aren't responsive enough for games needing quick reactions.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Sep 14, 2026:
We mentioned the newly reviewed XGIMI MIRA in the Color Volume section.
- Updated Aug 18, 2026: We've converted the review to Test Bench 1.0, which replaces our Color Gamut test with Color Volume and adds a new Rainbow Effect test box. We also updated Effective Contrast (formerly Native Contrast) to account for projector brightness and reworked Judder scoring. The new bench also adds Outdoors and Bedroom usages, plus Portability, Color, and Gaming Responsiveness Performance Usages; Movies is now Home Theater, and all existing usage scores have been updated. See the 1.0 changelog.
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Updated Jun 25, 2026:
We mention the newly reviewed AWOL Vision Aetherion Pro in the Contrast section of this review.
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Updated May 11, 2026:
We've added text to some test boxes as a result of our latest test bench. We've also updated the Inputs & Connectivity box to include Bluetooth support checks, as well as the 3D test box.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the XGIMI AURA 2, which succeeds the XGIMI AURA. While they have similar feature sets, the AURA 2 is brighter, has more HDR formats, and has a more modern feature set. The table below shows the primary differences between the two units.
| Model | Luminance (Lumens) | HDR Formats | Light Source | Bluetooth | Smart OS | Auto Keystone/Autofocus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AURA 2 | 2400 | HDR10, Dolby Vision, IMAX Enhanced | LED + Laser | 5.2/BLE | Android TV 11 | Yes |
| AURA | 1800 | HDR10 | Laser | 5.0 | Android TV 10 | No |
Our unit was manufactured in August 2024.
Popular Projector Comparisons
The XGIMI AURA 2 is a great ultra-short-throw (UST) projector and a clear improvement over its predecessor, the XGIMI AURA, thanks to its higher brightness and more accurate picture. It's still expensive, but it's one of the stronger UST options in its class, with the main alternative being the Hisense PX3-PRO, which has much better color volume and more complete gaming features, but is more expensive than the XGIMI.
Check out our recommendations for the best 4k projectors, the best projectors for home theater, and the best short-throw projectors. If you'd prefer to shop for a cheaper product, look up the best projectors under $1,000 instead.
The Hisense PX3-PRO and XGIMI AURA 2 are closely matched. The XGIMI is a bit brighter and far more accurate out of the box, but the Hisense has a much wider color gamut. While they both have a ton of features, the Hisense has more features for gamers, alongside an option to game at high refresh rates. Still, the XGIMI's input lag is far lower at 60Hz than the Hisense, giving it the edge for console gaming at lower refresh rates.
The XGIMI AURA 2 is easier to place in brighter rooms than the AWOL Vision Aetherion Pro due to its higher peak brightness and more accurate out-of-the-box image. But in a dark room context, the AWOL is far superior due to its outstanding contrast and much wider color gamut. Plus, the AWOL handles judder far better than the XGIMI, leading to a smoother viewing experience when watching movies. The AWOL is also far superior for gaming, with high refresh rate support, extremely low input lag, and even VRR.
It's very close, but the XGIMI Horizon S Max is a bit better than the XGIMI AURA 2. They're very similar in image quality, but the Max has the edge in colors. Its biggest advantage over the AURA 2, however, is in portability: the AURA 2 is a massive unit, while the Max is smaller and has a fully rotating stand.
The XGIMI AURA 2 is better than the AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro. The XGIMI is brighter, has better contrast, and is far more accurate out of the box. The AWOL Vision does have a much wider color gamut, especially in the Rec. 2020 color space, but its colors are inaccurate unless you hire a calibrator.
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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