If it were up to me, I’d watch movies and play games exclusively on a projector. It not only turns any free wall into a cinema-grade screen, but also feels far more immersive than my 55-inch TV. But more often than not, and especially when playing videogames, I reach for the TV’s remote over the projector’s, as it just looks brighter and smoother, no matter the lighting. Xgimi’s new, flagship Horizon 20 Max projector changes that.
The Horizon 20 Max pushes the boundaries of how bright a projector of its size can get. Its triple-laser light engine can project an image as large as 300 inches at a 4K resolution and, more importantly, at an unprecedented 5700 ISO lumens of peak brightness. This means, even against direct lighting, its projection is bright and sharp, unlike other projectors that make you close the curtains in daytime to be at all visible. The rest of the Horizon Max’s hardware is maxed out, too: it’s calibrated for IMAX Enhanced, HDR10, and Dolby Vision, and lets you game at 1ms input lag and 240Hz motion.
How well do these specs translate in real-world conditions? Over the last few weeks, I binged countless movies and played some of the most demanding videogames to find out, and at $3000 , while the Horizon Max is far from affordable, it’s an easy choice for those who are looking for a no-compromise cinematic experience.
Xgimi Horizon 20 Max – Build and Design
The Horizon 20 Max may not look like it, but it’s a hefty projector. Weighing over 16 lbs, it’s a task to pull it out of the carrying case it ships in and set it up on a floor stand. That said, it’s on the lighter side of the spectrum in this category, and its dimensions, also, are fairly compact for its calibre. It features a relatively plain look, which may not seem high-end, but over time, I began to appreciate its refined and clean appearance that’s easy to blend into the rest of a living room’s decor. It’s only available in a single grey finish and comes encased in a leather-like exterior.
Many of its functional elements add further character to the look. The front, for example, is dominated by the Harman/Kardon-tuned stereo speaker grills, while the back features rubberized vents for the cooling fan. Its highlight, though, is that it all sits on an integrated, swiveling stand that makes repositioning the projection a breeze. I also appreciated that the stand has enough friction to remain sturdy at the angle you set and not feel stiff when you try to adjust it.
One glaring omission from the Horizon 20 Max is that there’s no lens cover. Many of Xgimi’s earlier high-end projectors came with a motorized one. Several times, therefore, I ended up cleaning the lens before powering it up.
Other than that, you’ll find a series of ports on the rear, including pairs of HDMI and USB-A slots, another for optical output, and an audio jack. I do wish, though, that Xgimi had included a USB-C and placed the row of ports at the rear bottom instead of the top for better cable management.
The included metallic remote, like previous Xgimi projectors, is a joy to hold and operate. It has all the buttons you’d need, including for launching a custom shortcut, auto-focus, and more. More importantly, the essential ones, like going home or back, are backlit, and thanks to a built-in light sensor, the remote automatically illuminates them in dark rooms. Also fun is the spring-loaded battery tray, which pops out when you press its switch on the back.
Xgimi Horizon 20 Max – Software and Performance
The Horizon 20 Max runs on Android TV 14 and, thanks to its MediaTek quad-core processor and ample 4GB of RAM, it’s one of the snappiest projectors I’ve used. It boots up instantly, and scrolling through the Google TV interface or executing voice commands is smooth, too. The Google TV home screen, where you’ll also find smart TV show and movie recommendations, is infamous for slowing down projectors, but the 20 Max had no trouble there, either.
Similarly, on most projectors I’ve tested, loading files and high-res videos from external storage is often a laggy experience. The 20 Max proved to be an exception here, handling large files without any stutters.
While the Google TV interface it ships with is largely clean and bloatware-free, Xgimi has added a few of its own handy tools. The eye protection mode, for example, automatically pauses the projection when someone passes through its field of view, as opposed to blinding them with lasers. You can also exclusively use this projector as a Bluetooth speaker or connect headphones, courtesy of the built-in Bluetooth 5.2.
In most day-to-day conditions, the Horizon 20 Max remains quiet and cool. However, at max brightness in modes like High Power, its fan does kick in, and you will especially hear its low-pitched thrum when whatever you’re watching isn’t loud enough itself. A couple of hours in this mode can also lead to the projector throwing an overheating warning, but it never shuts down or pauses the projection.
Xgimi Horizon 20 Max – Picture Quality and Speakers
The Horizon 20 Max is the first projector that has convinced me it can replace my TV, and all credit goes to its excellent picture quality. What stands out about the 20 Max is that its output remains consistent throughout conditions and doesn’t appear, for example, washed out in daytime. I don’t have to go through a multi-step process, whether that’s adjusting the image settings or my room’s curtains, to use it anytime other than at night.
The 20 Max’s triple-laser engine produces a bright and vibrant Ultra HD projection in most scenarios. It can push the brightness up to 5700 ISO Lumens, which means visuals look sharp even when played opposite a window. The projector’s software enhancements also actively tune the image’s contrast so that highlights and shadows stay balanced and vivid. Its high contrast ratio also made streaming darker content, like The Batman, appear punchy while retaining its original cinematic nuances.
While the Horizon 20 Max supports the usual picture standards, like HDR10+, it has a few premium, rare certifications, too. The IMAX Enhanced mode, in particular, stood out for me. It only activates automatically for selected, compatible media, and when it does, it can truly upgrade the home cinema experience. It digitally recreates the IMAX quality by further darkening the blacks and switching to a wider aspect ratio to fit more of the otherwise hidden scene in.
With the Horizon 20 Max, Xgimi has improved its suite of image calibration tools, too. In most scenarios, it takes the hassle out of adjusting the projection and intelligently figures out how to avoid obstacles and resize the image to fit a wall or a white screen.
When you do need to take control, there are plenty of options to help you precisely tune it. Two of those stand out: one that’s a first for Xgimi’s home projectors and allows you to shift its lens vertically and horizontally from the settings to reposition the image. Similarly, you can optically zoom in and out to resize it. This meant I didn’t have to physically move the projector to adjust its projection or resort to doing so digitally, which can lead to distortion and quality trade-offs.
In addition, the Horizon 20 Max’s 24W stereo speakers do a decent job of filling the room without making the sound feel concentrated in one corner. I was surprised to discover how clean and rich the audio stays, even at the highest levels, possibly thanks to the integrated deep bass extension. They get decently loud, and I rarely felt the absence of a dedicated home theatre unit.
Xgimi Horizon 20 Max – Gaming Experience
The Horizon 20 Max’s DLP display also makes it an ideal projector for gaming. It supports variable refresh rate (up to 240Hz) and can lower the latency down to 1ms at a 1080p resolution. At 4K, the latency comes up at a still-reasonable 3ms. In my experience, there was minimal screen tearing, and high-res visuals were fluid even after hours of gameplay.
Plus, Xgimi offers a bunch of gaming modes to further boost the projector’s performance, like FPS, RTS, and one called Assassin’s Creed Mode made in partnership with Ubisoft. I had a delightful time with the latter while playing the Ghost of Yōtei, as the projector tuned the picture to enhance the contrast for a more immersive stealth experience.
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