The XGIMI Elfin is a lightweight 1080p HDR projector. It's small and light, making it easy to carry around, and it's easy to install and use, with Auto Keystone correction, intelligent obstacle avoidance and screen alignment, and an autofocus. The projector uses an LED bulb as its light source with a rated lifespan of 25,000 hours. It can project an image between 40" and 200", though XGIMI recommends sticking to 60-120 inches for optimal image quality. It has a slew of smart features with the Android TV smart interface, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and an Auto Game Mode for gaming. Finally, it has two built-in Harman Kardon 3W speakers.
Our Verdict
The XGIMI Elfin is passable for watching movies. It's not bright, so you need to turn off the light for an enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, its contrast is disappointing, especially in darker scenes, where it has obviously lifted blacks. It has a wide color gamut but isn't bright enough to make colors pop. Thankfully, its image accuracy is decent out of the box, and you can easily improve it by changing just a few settings.
- Decent image accuracy out-of-the-box.
- Full suite of smart features.
- Small and light, and has a slew of image correction features for a quick install.
Contrast is great in very bright scenes.
Fantastic brightness uniformity.
- The projector is dim, and struggles when any lights are on in the room.
Disappointing contrast, especially in dark content.
The XGIMI Elfin is subpar for gaming. It tops out at 1080p @ 60Hz, and input latency is in the 30ms range in its game mode, which feels responsive enough for slow single-player titles like turn-based RPGs. Competitive players who want super-snappy reactions should look at a faster DLP gaming projector instead. Image quality isn't terrible for a small portable projector, with decent color accuracy, though it isn't very bright and has disappointing contrast.
- Decent image accuracy out-of-the-box.
Contrast is great in very bright scenes.
Fantastic brightness uniformity.
- The projector is dim, and struggles when any lights are on in the room.
Maxes out at 1080p @ 60Hz.
High input lag makes it unsuitable for most game genres.
Disappointing contrast, especially in dark content.
The XGIMI Elfin's brightness is poor. You really need to turn off the lights to get a pleasant viewing experience with this projector. It does have fantastic brightness uniformity, so there is little visible vignetting.
Fantastic brightness uniformity.
- The projector is dim, and struggles when any lights are on in the room.
The XGIMI Elfin's contrast is disappointing. It really struggles with near-dark content, as its relative contrast ratio barely increases as scenes get darker. Still, it performs well in bright scenes relative to other projectors, but it delivers a subpar experience overall.
Contrast is great in very bright scenes.
Disappointing contrast, especially in dark content.
Changelog
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Updated Feb 06, 2026:
We've modified the text in our Brightness and Native Contrast text boxes as a result of our latest test bench. We've also added Brightness and Contrast performance usages in the Verdict section.
- Updated Feb 03, 2026: We've converted the review to Test Bench 0.11, which renames our Contrast test to Native Contrast, and adds a Sequential Contrast test box. We also added new Brightness and Contrast performance usages in Our Verdict. See the 0.11 changelog.
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Updated Oct 27, 2025:
We've added Imaging, Optics, Noise, Supported Resolutions, HDR Format Support, 3D, Input Lag, and Audio Passthrough boxes as a result of our latest test bench. We've also added a Gaming usage in the Verdict section.
- Updated Oct 20, 2025: We've converted the review to Test Bench 0.10, which updates our Design tests, and adds a whole new suite of Inputs tests. We also added new gaming-oriented usage scores in Our Verdict. See the 0.10 changelog.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the XGIMI Elfin projector. It's the smallest and cheapest projector in XGIMI's Home Projectors lineup, sitting below XGIMI's HORIZON line. However, it has more in common with XGIMI's portable Halo and MoGo projectors. Here is a table comparing the Elfin to some of XGIMI's other offerings.
| Model | Resolution | Rated Brightness (ISO) | Battery | HDMI / ARC | Smart Platform | Key Differences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XGIMI Elfin | 1080p | 600 ISO lm | No | 1× HDMI 2.0 (eARC) | Google TV / Android TV (varies by region & FW) | Smallest, lightest home model; no battery; 1.2:1 throw; portable-style design. |
| XGIMI Halo+ | 1080p | ≈700 ISO lm (manufacturer-rated) | Yes | 1× HDMI 2.0 (ARC/eARC depends on revision) | Google TV | Similar size but adds built-in battery and slightly higher brightness; still 1.2:1 throw. |
| XGIMI HORIZON | 1080p | ≈1500 ISO lm (manufacturer-rated) | No | 2× HDMI 2.0 (1× eARC) | Android TV | Larger chassis with higher brightness, two HDMI ports, stronger speakers. |
| XGIMI HORIZON Pro | 4k (XPR) | ≈1500 ISO lm (manufacturer-rated) | No | 2× HDMI 2.0 (1× eARC) | Android TV | 4k pixel-shifting version of HORIZON; otherwise similar hardware and throw. |
Our unit was manufactured in May 2023.
Popular Projector Comparisons
The XGIMI Elfin is a compact, lightweight projector that's easy to set up and looks sharp for casual viewing. However, it isn't a great gaming pick. It tops out at 60Hz, and our measured input lag is in the ~30 ms range at 1080p, which feels okay for slower, single-player titles but too sluggish if you're sensitive to latency or play competitive games. If you want something more gaming-focused, consider models that support 120Hz or lower latency, like the BenQ X500i, but it's a lot more expensive than the XGIMI. If you don't need an integrated battery and don't care about gaming, the Elfin remains a convenient portable option; if you do need a battery, the XGIMI Halo+ trades a bit of value for truly cordless use. For the best picture quality overall in this price class, there are brighter home-oriented alternatives, but they're larger and less portable.
Check out our recommendations for the best portable projectors and the best outdoor projectors. If you'd prefer to shop for another product in the same price range, look up the best projectors under $1,000 instead.
The XGIMI Halo+ is a bit better than the XGIMI Elfin, but unfortunately, the Halo+ really needs to be calibrated if you care about image accuracy, as it is inaccurate otherwise. Still, the Halo+ has better brightness and contrast than the Elfin, a slightly wider color gamut, and is even more portable due to the inclusion of an integrated battery.
The XGIMI HORIZON and XGIMI Elfin serve different purposes, with the Elfin being much more portable due to its size and weight, although the HORIZON can also be moved around easily if need be. The HORIZON is much brighter, so it can handle a few lights in the room. Unfortunately, the HORIZON is also wildly inaccurate out of the box and doesn't have the required calibration options to make its image accurate.
The XGIMI Elfin is a bit better than the XGIMI MoGo 2. The Elfin is the much more accurate of the two projectors, and it can also passthrough advanced audio formats through its eARC port, while the MoGo 2 Pro is limited to ARC.
The XGIMI Elfin is better than the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen as the XGIMI is brighter and has better contrast. The Samsung does have a slightly wider color gamut, but it doesn't really matter, as it's just not bright enough to make colors pop.
We've independently bought and tested over 75 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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