The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra is a long-throw 4k HDR projector. It features a hybrid Laser-LED Dual Light Technology that leverages the strengths of both technologies, and its light source is rated to last 25,000 hours. The projector comes with a full suite of image correction technologies, including autofocus and auto keystone correction with object avoidance, so it compensates for any geometry errors in the image automatically and adjusts itself when it detects objects in the frame. It comes with Android TV 11.0 with Chromecast and AirScreen built in and supports Bluetooth 5.2/BLE and Wi-Fi 6. It has two HDMI ports, each capable of 4k @ 60Hz, and can passthrough advanced audio formats from DTS and Dolby through eARC. Finally, it has two integrated 12W Harman/Kardon speakers.
Our Verdict
The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra is an inadequate projector for a home theater. It's bright, has good colors, and is very accurate out of the box. However, its contrast is poor across all scenes, so movies and TV shows lack depth in both dark and bright scenes. Motion and camera pans also look choppy, regardless of what device you use to watch content. That said, while it also produces some rainbow flashes around bright objects, they're hard to see in most content, and may only bother viewers who are particularly sensitive to rainbow effect. Finally, its fan is also fairly quiet and is easily masked by a soundbar or AVR.
- Bright projector with fantastic brightness uniformity.
- Very good color accuracy.
Rainbow effect is less strong compared to many other DLP projectors.
Quiet fan.
Supports Dolby Vision.
Content lacks depth due to poor overall contrast.
The color calibration mode isn't working properly, so colors can't further be improved.
Doesn't remove judder from any source.
The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra is an okay outdoor projector. It's bright enough to deal with some ambient light during a backyard movie night. It's not a truly portable projector due to its size and lack of carrying features, but it's not too hard to bring it outside from its usual indoor setup. If putting it on a table isn't an option, it can be mounted on a tripod, and it also has a motorized zoom lens to adjust the image size without moving the projector. On the other hand, it doesn't have lens shift, so it needs to be centered to the screen for the cleanest image, though it has a series of automated features to adapt the image to the screen if that's not possible.
- Bright projector with fantastic brightness uniformity.
Includes auto keystone, autofocus, and more to adapt the image.
Includes a mounting hole for tripod setups.
Built-in lens protection when not in use.
No carrying handle or case to more easily transport the projector.
No built-in battery.
No lens shift to move the image without losing image quality.
The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra is a decent projector for the bedroom. It takes up a good amount of space on a nightstand, though its fan is relatively quiet if you're next to the projector. Otherwise, it can be mounted on a tripod if need be. It offers flexibility in placement with its motorized zoom lens, which lets you adjust the image size without moving the projector. However, it doesn't have lens shift, so those looking for the cleanest image will need to center it to the screen or wall. Otherwise, it has auto keystone, autofocus, obstacle avoidance, and other automated features to simplify setup for more casual viewing.
Includes auto keystone, autofocus, and more to adapt the image.
Includes a mounting hole for tripod setups.
Built-in lens protection when not in use.
Quiet fan.
No carrying handle or case to more easily transport the projector.
No built-in battery.
No lens shift to move the image without losing image quality.
The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra is an alright living-room gaming projector that favors image quality, especially brightness, over raw speed. Brightness is ample, and the hybrid LED-laser engine helps project good color volume overall, so games look vivid with a couple of lights on. However, contrast is subpar; blacks lift noticeably across all scenes. The projector supports Dolby Vision, which is nice for Xbox gamers. As for responsiveness, there are no high refresh rate modes, so plan on playing all your games at 30 or 60Hz. Input lag at those refresh rates is unremarkable, so the projector is truly better suited for playing slow single-player titles versus faster competitive titles.
- Bright projector with fantastic brightness uniformity.
- Very good color accuracy.
Supports Dolby Vision.
Content lacks depth due to poor overall contrast.
No high refresh rate support.
Input lag is unremarkable overall.
The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra is bright enough to look punchy on a big living room screen. It easily handles movie nights with the lights dimmed and still holds up with a bit of ambient light, so scenes don't look dull or washed out. Brightness is very even across the image, so you don't see distracting dark corners or hotspots.
Bright enough to look good in a moderately lit room.
Good color brightness, so colors still look fairly vivid when you turn the light up.
Fantastic brightness uniformity.
The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra's contrast is poor. In a fully dark environment, blacks and letterbox bars look more gray than black, so all scenes lack depth. With some lights on or in typical living-room conditions, the raised black level is less noticeable, but it won't satisfy someone chasing a true home-theater look with deep, rich blacks.
Blacks look more dark gray than truly deep in a dark room.
Struggles with both dark and bright scenes.
The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra has mediocre portability. It's too big to be a true grab-and-go projector, especially without dedicated carrying features or a built-in battery, though it does have built-in lens protection when it's not in use. In terms of setup, it has automated features to simplify moving it from room to room, including auto keystone, auto focus, and obstacle avoidance, and it can also be mounted on a tripod for temporary setups. It also has a motorized zoom lens to adjust the image size without moving the projector. That said, it doesn't have lens shifting capabilities, so it needs to be centered to the screen for the cleanest image.
Includes auto keystone, autofocus, and more to adapt the image.
Includes a mounting hole for tripod setups.
Built-in lens protection when not in use.
No carrying handle or case to more easily transport the projector.
No built-in battery.
No lens shift to move the image without losing image quality.
The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra has good colors. It can project an image with decently rich colors, and the projector is bright enough to make them pop. However, very dark and very light color details lose saturation and look more muted. Its colors are very accurate out of the box, even though the image is a bit warm, and a calibration doesn't help to address it, unfortunately.
- Very good color accuracy.
The color calibration mode isn't working properly, so colors can't further be improved.
The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra has satisfactory gaming responsiveness. It supports gaming at 4k@60Hz and 1080p@60Hz, but its input lag is unremarkable. Without high-refresh-rate gaming support, this projector is better suited for slow single-player titles rather than faster competitive titles. However, it utilizes DLP imaging technology, so there isn't excessive motion blur.
No excessive motion blur.
No high refresh rate support.
Input lag is unremarkable overall.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Aug 31, 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 May 29, 2026:
We've added text to some test boxes as a result of our latest test bench.
- Updated May 13, 2026: We've converted the review to Test Bench 0.12, which adds new Judder, Screen Adaptation, Battery, Maximum Volume, Size, Mobility Features, and Physical Setup Features test boxes. We also updated Inputs & Connectivity to verify Bluetooth support with wireless speakers or headphones. See the 0.12 changelog.
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Updated Jan 20, 2026:
We mentioned the newly reviewed XGIMI HORIZON 20 Pro in the Contrast section of this review.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K. It now sits alongside the XGIMI HORIZON S Max at the top of XGIMI's HORIZON lineup. Both the Ultra and S Max use XGIMI's hybrid Dual Light engine (laser + LED), with the S Max using the newer Dual Light 2.0, while the XGIMI HORIZON Pro and XGIMI HORIZON are LED-only models. The Ultra adds a motorized 1.2–1.5:1 zoom, whereas the S Max has a fixed 1.2:1 throw with a built-in rotating stand; both support Dolby Vision/HDR10/HLG, while the older HORIZON models top out at HDR10/HLG.
| Model | Light Source | Resolution | Brightness (ISO) | HDR Formats | Setup / OS | Ports (highlights) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HORIZON S Max | Dual Light 2.0 (RGB laser+LED) | 4K (XPR) | 3100 | 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) | 1800 | 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) | 2300 | 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) | 1500 | HDR10, HLG | ISA (earlier gen); Android TV 10 | HDMI×2, USB×2, LAN, optical out, Wi-Fi |
| HORIZON | LED | 1080p | 1500 | HDR10, HLG | ISA (earlier gen); Android TV | Typical: HDMI×2, USB×2, LAN |
Our unit was manufactured in July 2023.
Popular Projector Comparisons
The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4k projector has a good mix of image quality and smart features. It's bright, has very even illumination, and its colors have good richness and saturation, making it a suitable choice for a living room projector. Its main weakness is contrast, which keeps blacks looking more gray than inky. If pure image quality is all you care about, especially for dark-room movie watching, the Epson Home Cinema 3800 is a much better choice for a similar price. However, the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra counters with a more modern package, featuring a compact chassis, full Wi-Fi 6 support, an integrated smart OS, and advanced image-correction features that simplify setup in challenging spaces.
Check out our recommendations for the best 4k projectors and the best projectors for home theater. If you prefer to shop for a projector for outdoor use, look for the best outdoor projectors instead.
The XGIMI HORIZON 20 is noticeably better than the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra in every way. The HORIZON 20 is brighter, has better contrast, is more colorful and accurate, and is much more responsive for gaming with high-refresh-rate support.
The Hisense M2 Pro is much better than the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra. The XGIMI has one advantage; it's much brighter. Otherwise, the Hisense is better across the board: much better contrast, a wider color gamut, more accurate out of the box, smaller and more portable, and far better for gaming due to its high refresh rate support and lower input lag.
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 Hisense C2 Ultra is noticeably better than the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra. While the XGIMI matches the Hisense on brightness and out-of-the-box SDR accuracy, the Hisense is far easier to calibrate, slightly more portable, has noticeably deeper contrast, and has a far wider color gamut. Plus, the Hisense is the superior performer when it comes to gaming, as it supports gaming at 240Hz in 1080p and 1440p, while the XGIMI is limited to 60Hz at all resolutions.
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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