$600 is an excellent price point to start looking for a value-for-money projector. There are different types of projectors available under $600 and can be used for home theater, office, classroom, and commercial usage.
A new breed of portable and smart projectors offering excellent price-to-performance are also available under $600 from reputed brands. Hence, you can get a serious and casual use projector under $600.
In this article about the best projector under $600, I’ve made sure to include a wide variety of projectors that will cater to your specific needs. Most projectors at this price offer excellent features, a bright lamp, and robust build quality.
Without wasting any more time, let’s jump straight onto the list, shall we?
Best Projector under $600: Top 3 Picks
5 Best Projector under $600
1. Epson Home Cinema 1080
The Epson Home Cinema 1080 is a budget home theater projector that offers excellent specifications and features at an affordable price.
This projector is a slight step-up from the Epson HC 1040 and Epson HC 1060 that are also available at an affordable price and ideal for home theater usage.
The Epson Home Cinema 1080 is a compact home theater projector that measures 12 inches wide, 10 inches deep and weighs a measly 6.2 pounds. Thus, you can either ceiling mount this projector or place it on your coffee table and later store it away when not in use.
With this projector, you get a 1920 x 1080p Full HD resolution ideal for watching movies and TV shows with great accuracy. With Epson’s patented 3LCD projection technology, you are bound to get a color-accurate and vibrant projection compared to a single-chip DLP projection technology used in projectors from other brands.
Plan on using your projector during the daytime? You won’t have any issues with the Epson HC 1080. The projection bulb is capable of producing up to 3400 lumens brightness. With such high brightness, you can use this projector easily in your living room during the daytime.
To further improve picture quality, this projector is equipped with a contrast ratio of 16,000:1. Thus, you get better color separation, and there’s a lot more detail in darker scenes than low-cost projectors.
This projector also comes with automatic keystone correction. Once set up, the Epson Home Cinema 1080 can correct the projection so that you get a perfect rectangular projection at all times.
Although it’s a long-throw projector, you do not need a big space for large projection. With a distance of just 10-feet, this projector can produce up to a 100-inch screen.
In terms of connectivity, the Epson Home Cinema 1080 comes with plenty of connectivity options. You get 2x HDMI ports, 1x VGA port, 1x Composite Video, 1x RCA audio in, USB Type-A port, USB Type-B port, and 3.5mm audio out port. The back also features a 2W mono speaker, which is better left unused.
“The Epson Home Cinema 1080 is the latest projector from Epson’s stable. It sits at a budget price point yet offers all the necessary features you’ll need for a small-scale home theater setup. If you want the best projector under $600, it will be best spent on this projector.”
Pros
Cons
2. Viewsonic M2e
While the above-mentioned Epson Home Cinema 1080 is a compact projector; however, the Viewsonic M2e takes the compact quotient even further.
It weighs just 2.2 pounds and measures 7.2 inches wide, 2.1 inches high, and 7.2 inches deep. Thus, you can easily carry the Viewsonic M2e everywhere with you in your backpack.
Being a smart projector, the M2e has a beautiful design carried over from the Viewsonic M2 projector. Its package also comes with a small carrying case to easily take this projector anywhere with you.
Since it’s a portable projector, don’t expect it to produce high brightness like the Epson Home Cinema 1080 featured above. Although, it does offer up to 1000 lumens brightness, and the lighting is handled by an LED lamp. This LED lamp is rated to last up to 30,000 hours and can be used for many years to come.
With a camera set up next to the projection lens, you get automatic focusing and automatic keystone adjustment. Hence, you do not need to configure these settings manually whenever you set up this projector at a new place.
Most projectors come with a poor or average-sounding speaker setup, but not with the Viewsonic M2e. This projector sports stereo speakers from Harman Kardon that offer mesmerizing sound output and eliminates the need for a dedicated speaker system. Although, if you’re a bass head, you might feel the need to connect a speaker system with a dedicated sub-woofer unit.
Connectivity-wise, this projector comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Once connected to Wi-Fi, you can access a plethora of apps and games through the Aptoide Smart UI OS. You can also wirelessly mirror content from a smartphone, tablet, or laptop straight onto the projector. Talking about wired connectivity, this projector offers ports like HDMI, USB Type-C, USB Type-A, micro-SD card slot, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Even though it’s a portable projector, the Viewsonic M2e can quickly produce up to 100-inch projection from a distance of just 9 feet. The optimum projection size is between 60-80 inches because you get an outstanding balance between size, brightness, and color output.
“The Viewsonic M2e is a fantastic projector that is available at an affordable price when compared to smart portable projectors from Anker and Xgimi. It comes with 1000 lumens LED brightness and the best portable projector under $600.”
Pros
Cons
3. BenQ TH585
If you want the best gaming projector under $600, then the BenQ TH585 is an excellent choice. It is the most affordable dedicated gaming projector that you can find in the market right now.
Fast-paced gaming requires low input lag to produce a smoother video output. However, most projectors have high input lag, and it is definitely not an issue while watching movies or TV shows. Although, it makes gaming on a projector sluggish because of constant lag and ghosting effects that can take away from the joy of serious gaming.
The BenQ TH585 offers a low input lag of 16ms; thus, you can play fast-paced games trouble-free on this projector. With plenty of connectivity options, you can connect modern and older gaming consoles and play your favorite games.
This projector is equipped with 2x HDMI ports, VGA port, monitor out port, RS-232 port, USB Type-A port, and audio in and out ports. Although it’s a budget projector and hence misses out on wireless connectivity options like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. However, you can connect a streaming media player like Amazon Fire TV or Roku and enjoy wireless connectivity options.
Being a budget gaming projector, the BenQ TH585 has a sleek design, and hence it’s hard to wrap around the fact that it costs under $600.
Talking about specifics, the BenQ TH585 offers 1920 x 1080p native resolution, which is ideal for gaming, watching movies and TV shows. It produces a brightness output of 3500 lumens and can find apt usage in a sports bar or office/classroom environment. Plus, the LampSave mode offers up to 15,000 hours of projection lamp life.
This projector comes with single-chip DLP projection technology, and you get a contrast ratio of 10,000:1. The contrast ratio is slightly less than the Epson Home Cinema 1080 mentioned above. Although it doesn’t matter much during gaming, and if it’s your first projector or an upgrade from a low-price projector, the performance will be mind-blowing.
For a little high price, you can get the BenQ TH671ST that offers all the features available in this projector. You will get better picture quality, shorter projection distance, and available in a compact and lightweight body.
“If gaming on a bigger screen is your passion, then it doesn’t get better than gaming on a projector. The BenQ TH585 offers absolute mind-boggling specs and can serve well as gaming, home theater, sports bar, office, and classroom projector. Plus, the inclusion of a 3-Year warranty makes it a better pick than the competition.”
Pros
Cons
4. Viewsonic PX701HD
If you want a compact home theater and gaming projector, you should definitely look at the Viewsonic PX701HD.
Design-wise, it isn’t unique and looks pretty average; however, it packs in an excellent performance that can give any costlier projector a run for its money.
Compared to the BenQ TH585 mentioned above, the Viewsonic PX701HD comes in a compact body and weighs just 5.7 pounds. It measures 12 inches wide, 8.7 inches deep, and 4.4 inches high; thus, you can easily store it in your cupboard or wardrobe when not in use.
To aid gaming performance, Viewsonic has equipped this projector with a 16ms response time. Hence you can play fast-paced games on a big screen without any lag or ghosting.
Moreover, with the help of the Viewsonic SuperColor feature, this projector can produce a wide color gamut for vibrant image reproduction. Thus, when you’re done gaming, you can use this projector to watch your favorite movies and TV shows with excellent vibrancy.
Alongside its vColorTuner feature, you can customize the color vibrancy and save it in profiles. Hence, you can choose the color vibrancy depending on gaming and watching movies.
You also get 2x HDMI ports, 1x VGA port, 1x USB Type-A port, 1x RS-232 port, and audio in and out ports. This projector also sports a 10W speaker setup to satisfy your auditory needs.
It is a lamp-based projector with single-chip DLP projection technology. Thus, you are bound to notice a slight rainbowing effect common in most budget DLP projectors. The projection lamp can produce up to 3500 lumens brightness and makes it very easy to use this projector during daytime or with ambient lighting.
With Viewsonic’s SuperEco mode, the projection lamp can last up to 20,000 hours, making it highly energy-efficient compared to other projectors in a similar price range.
The Viewsonic PX701HD comes with native 1920 x 1080p resolution and can produce a 100-inch screen from a distance of just 11 feet.
“The Viewsonic PX701HD is a value-for-money projector that’s packed with all the necessary features that you’ll ever need. With its 16ms response time and SuperColor feature, you can enjoy fast-packed and latest movies without any issue. While the design looks boring but its compact size is a win-win.”
Pros
Cons
5. Xgimi Halo
The Xgimi Halo belongs to a new breed of all-in-one portable projectors. It is in direct competition to previously reviewed Wemax Dice and a slew of other portable and mini projectors.
The projector’s internals are enclosed within a compact casing that measures at 4.5 inches wide, 5.7 inches deep, and 6.75 inches high. With the measurements, you can picture how compact this projector is, plus it’s also very lightweight and weighs 3.5 pounds.
With its compact body and lightweight design, you can easily carry this projector anywhere with you. You can take it to your friend’s house for movie night or take camping with you and enjoy big-screen entertainment in the woods.
It is a smart projector and comes with Android TV 9.0 built-in, and you also get Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. With the built-in Wi-Fi and Android TV, you can connect your Wi-Fi router and access over 5000 apps compatible with Android TV 9.0.
By default, Netflix and Prime Video is not available with the current version. However, it might get added in future updates. You can use these apps with the help of a streaming media player like Amazon Fire Stick or Roku.
In terms of wired connectivity, the projector’s back sports an HDMI port, USB 2.0 port, and an audio jack. An SD card slot is missing, but you can get a USB card reader and access contents from your SD card.
The Xgimi Halo produces up to 800 ANSI lumens, suitable for casual usage and can be used in a moderately dim room without any issues. The projector comes with native 1920 x 1080p Full HD resolution and offers support for HDR10 content. Thus, you can watch modern content with an extensive color gamut for an astounding visual experience.
The projector’s front has the projection lens and a camera. The camera module helps in autofocusing and automatic ±40° horizontal and vertical keystone adjustment. Within the Xgimi Halo, you also get a 59.5 WHr battery that can wirelessly power this projector for 2-4 hours, depending on usage.
For your auditory experience, this projector is equipped with 2x 5W Harman Kardon speakers that offer an enjoyable experience while watching movies and TV shows. With the music mode, you can also use the Xgimi Halo as a standalone Bluetooth speaker too.
“The Xgimi Halo is a fantastic all-in-one portable projector that offers bright output, great design, and tons of features. Suppose you want a feature-packed projector for casual usage and without emptying your pocket. In that case, the Xgimi Halo is the right choice for you.”
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
As you’ve seen above, there’s a wide variety of projectors to choose from under $600. You have a projector like the Epson Home Cinema 1080 that is an excellent budget home theater pick. Whereas a projector like BenQ TH585 offers the best gaming experience at a low price.
Moreover, projectors like the Viewsonic M2e and the Xgimi Halo are available in portable sizes and offer smart and modern features. Just like your smart TV, you can connect these smart projectors to your home Wi-Fi router and enjoy the latest movies and TV shows on a big screen.
Although, if you’re still confused, I’d suggest going with the Epson Home Cinema 1080 because of its superior projection technology and extremely vibrant color output.
If you have any questions regarding this projector, please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section below.
Liked this article? Please consider sharing it on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.