The XGIMI Horizon S Max is a long-throw 4k XPR DLP projector built around XGIMI's Dual Light 2.0 tri-laser + LED engine. It supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG, and IMAX Enhanced and adds ISA 5.0 setup features, which include uninterrupted auto-keystone/autofocus, obstacle avoidance, screen alignment, and wall-color adaptation, plus a flexible built-in stand and an electric sliding lens cover. It runs Android TV 11 with Google Cast, includes 64 GB storage, and uses dual 12W Harman/Kardon speakers. The fixed 1.2:1 throw covers 40–200 inches; that's roughly ~3.5 ft (40 inches) to ~17.4 ft (200 inches). Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, HDMI (eARC), and two USBs.
Our Verdict
The XGIMI Horizon S Max is a great unit for watching movies. It's bright enough for rooms with a few scattered lights, and its contrast is solid enough to impress. It's very accurate right out of the box and is bright enough to project decent colors. The projector is easy to calibrate, a boon for purists who want an even more accurate image. It's also quite easy to set up due to its wide selection of ISA 5.0 image correction features and a fully rotating stand. Finally, it has Dolby Vision support.
Bright enough for rooms with few lights, with fantastic uniformity.
Great contrast that impresses in most content.
Very accurate right out of the box, and is easy to calibrate.
Wide color gamut.
A ton of smart features, alongside ISA 5.0.
Contrast is disappointing in very dark scenes.
The XGIMI Horizon S Max is a solid pick for casual gaming if you're fine with gaming at 60Hz. In Game Mode with Ultra-Low Latency enabled, input lag is decently low, so it feels responsive, although not quite enough for very fast-paced titles. There's no 120Hz support to lower the input lag further. The unit also offers solid image quality, as it's bright and colorful, with great overall contrast. Plus, it's quite accurate right out of the box. Ultimately, this is a good choice for anyone wanting a good-looking image for their single-player gaming needs.
Bright enough for rooms with few lights, with fantastic uniformity.
Great contrast that impresses in most content.
Very accurate right out of the box, and is easy to calibrate.
Wide color gamut.
Low enough input lag for single player games.
No 120Hz mode to make the unit even more responsive.
Contrast is disappointing in very dark scenes.
The XGIMI Horizon S Max's brightness is great. It's bright enough to deal with a few lights in an otherwise dim room, and its brightness uniformity is fantastic; if you look close enough, you can notice some dim corners on white screens, but it's subtle.
Bright enough for rooms with few lights, with fantastic uniformity.
The XGIMI Horizon S Max's contrast is great. It performs particularly well in very bright scenes, with solid separation between dark and bright elements. It's disappointing in very dark scenes however, as it doesn't quite maintain the same level of separation relative to the best home theater projectors. Still, overall, the unit's contrast does impress.
Great contrast that impresses in most content.
Contrast is disappointing in very dark scenes.
Changelog
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Updated Feb 09, 2026:
We mention the newly reviewed Valerion VisionMaster Plus2 in the Supported Resolutions section of this review.
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Updated Feb 05, 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 Jan 21, 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 Jan 05, 2026:
We mentioned the newly reviewed ASUS ProArt Projector A1 in the Contrast section of this review.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The XGIMI Horizon lineup ranges from earlier LED-based models to newer Dual Light (laser+LED) flagships with higher brightness and Dolby Vision. Key differences include the light source, peak brightness, supported HDR formats, image-automation features (ISA version), optics (fixed throw vs limited zoom or built-in stand), OS/storage, and audio/I/O extras like eARC. The following table highlights some key differences.
| Model | Light Source | Resolution | HDR Formats | Setup / OS | Ports (highlights) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon 20 Max | Laser (single) | 4k (XPR) | Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, IMAX Enhanced | ISA 5.0; Android TV 11 | HDMI 2.1 (eARC)×1 + HDMI×1, USB×2, Wi-Fi 6, BT 5.2 |
| Horizon S Max | Dual Light 2.0 (RGB laser+LED) | 4k (XPR) | Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG, IMAX Enhanced | ISA 5.0; Android TV 11 | HDMI (eARC)×1, USB×2, Wi-Fi 5 |
| Horizon S Pro | Dual Light 2.0 | 4k (XPR) | Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG | ISA 5.0; Android TV 11 | HDMI (eARC)×1, USB×2, Wi-Fi 5 |
| Horizon Ultra | Dual Light (laser+LED) | 4k (XPR) | Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG | ISA 3.0; Android TV 11 | HDMI×2 (1×eARC), USB×2, LAN, optical out, Wi-Fi 6 |
| Horizon Pro | LED | 4k (XPR) | HDR10, HLG | ISA (earlier gen); Android TV 10 | HDMI×2, USB×2, LAN, optical out, Wi-Fi |
| Horizon | LED | 1080p | HDR10, HLG | ISA (earlier gen); Android TV | Typical: HDMI×2, USB×2, LAN |
Our unit was manufactured in December 2024.
Popular Projector Comparisons
The XGIMI Horizon S Max is a great product and is a noticeable improvement over the XGIMI Horizon Ultra. In particular, the Max's portability is vastly enhanced over its predecessor due to its fully rotating stand. Still, some of its competitors, like the Hisense C2 Ultra and the higher-end XGIMI HORIZON 20 Max, also have that feature while offering slightly better image quality. And if portability is what you're after, the Anker Nebula X1, with its integrated handle and excellent image quality, is a better pick. Still, the Horizon S Max still brings an interesting beige color scheme and a slightly smaller overall size than the aforementioned products, making it an interesting pick depending on your needs.
Check out our recommendations for the best 4k projectors and the best projectors for home theater. If you'd prefer to shop for a projector that you can use outdoors, look up the best outdoor projectors instead.
The XGIMI Horizon S Max is better than the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra. While the Ultra is brighter overall, the Max fights back with deeper blacks and a more colorful image. It's also more portable due to its vast image correction features and fully rotating stand.
The XGIMI HORIZON 20 Max is a step up from the XGIMI Horizon S Max. The 20 Max is brighter, has deeper contrast, and offers 120Hz and 240Hz support at 1080p. The S Max, for its part, is limited to 60Hz, with no high-refresh-rate support. Still, its input lag at 60Hz is much lower than the 20 Max's input lag at 60Hz, giving the former the edge for single-player titles played at 4k @ 60Hz.
The Hisense C2 Ultra is a bit better than the XGIMI Horizon S Max, mostly due to the Hisense's brighter picture, which is noticeable. Otherwise, both units are pretty similar, with a rotating stand, a full suite of image correction features, and similar contrast.
The XGIMI HORIZON 20 Pro is better than the XGIMI Horizon S Max. The 20 Pro is brighter, has better contrast, and supports VRR alongside higher refresh rates. It also has full eARC passthrough support. In turn, while the S Max is limited to 60Hz when gaming, it does have lower input lag at 60Hz than the 20 Pro.
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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