I’ve long been a fan of the idea of having a projector in my home, but dubious about the reality of it all. The concept of replicating a home cinema experience is certainly enticing, and I’ve seen some projectors in the homes of friends that have warmed me to the idea. But I’ve remained hesitant due to not having the right space – that is, the ability to hang it from the ceiling adequately aimed at the wall, changing the globes where needed, and so on. It all just seemed like a bit of a hassle. Well, when I was offered to try one of the new Hisense PX3 Ultra Short Throw Laser Home Cinema Projectors, I certainly couldn’t help myself.
A projector that sits below the wall, shooting lasers up onto it, is a space-saving dream, and this particular model boasts an Xbox-certified gaming experience, which coloured me even more intrigued. A projector that can cover the wall at a 150-inch size, handles current-gen gaming with gusto and doesn’t take up a stupid amount of space or setup? Well, after a romantic couple of months with the Hisense PX3, I can firmly say I’m a projector believer, even if it still comes with some caveats.
The “Ultra Short Throw Laser” component of the Hisense PX3 is certainly its most interesting feature. It’s a large sort of machine, but it sits comfortably in any home cabinet set up, in place of where a TV might normally sit, or potentially even the floor (if you don’t have hazards – giant dogs – as I do, that is). This is the first time I’ve really had the opportunity to mess around with a device like this, and the technology itself is very impressive. They essentially “throw” the large image at the wall, with different sizes based on the placement. I was able to cover the entire wall of our guest bedroom, which I set up as a temporary home theatre space, with the projector just 30cm or so from the wall. Around 46cm distance from the wall will get you a maximum of 150 inches, which is awe-inspiring, to say the least.
“The massive projection in 4K resolution coming from these lasers feels like wizardry to me in the best way…”
The massive projection in 4K resolution coming from these lasers feels like wizardry to me in the best way; it also has built-in safety features, so that if it senses you getting too close to the box while it’s on, it will turn off, to prevent you looking down into the lights and blinding yourself. Still, it’s about as easy to set up as any TV normally would be, and those simple steps make it far more appealing than the old-school projectors I talked about earlier. It does feature all of the TV standards you’d expect though, in terms of its included apps and channels, HDMI ports and so on; it works exactly the same as you’d expect. The unit itself is a sleek grey and silver; not too flashy, but won’t look out of place next to your other devices, though it is quite wide and heavy (around 9kg) so it can be a little unwieldy to shift around.
On a visual level, the Hisense PX3 looks gorgeous on the screen. It uses something called the TriChroma LPU Digital Laser Engine, which essentially means that it has an incredibly bright, colourful picture. I tested it promptly with some easy-access Netflix animated movies like Kung Fu Panda 3 and noted how animations really pop off the wall beautifully. It’s bright, crisp and 4K, with comprehensive HDR support; this means that it’ll still look pretty good, even in a bright room, although the best experience is still going to be with the lights off and the curtains drawn if you can handle it. It’s magic in some ways, but in other ways, it’s still a projector, so keep your environment in mind if you want to use it day-to-day.
We tested it for movie nights, including the recently released Wicked, and felt like it did a stellar job of replicating the cinema experience at home. This includes audio, which included with the device was strong enough that I didn’t feel like I was missing my surround-sound speakers. Equivalent to a powerful sound bar, it uses 50W Harman Kardon-designed speakers that do the job fairly well. You’ll still want to invest in external speakers to properly maximise the Dolby Atmos, for example, but the audio fills the room adequately without them.
What separates the Hisense PX3 from its competitors is its focus on gaming, which is another aspect of projectors broadly that I’d been concerned about; how can I be sure that the picture quality from my Xbox Series X and PS5 Pro would be exactly what I needed? Well, this device is “Xbox-certified”, which in this case means seamless compatibility, low latency, and optimal visuals. Basically, your games will look great, and play great, too. It uses something called Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), which automatically reduces input lag by disabling unnecessary picture processing. MEMC (Motion Estimation and Motion Compensation) can also be activated to enhance picture quality without increasing delay, delivering a blur-free experience.
Think of it like how lots of modern TVs have a ‘game mode’; lower input lag and a 1080p/240hHz means that it will of course lose a little bit of its visual fidelity, but ensures that framerates feel fantastic. As someone who often chooses ‘performance’ over ‘quality’ when playing games today, this small trade-off certainly didn’t bother me at all. In fact, I was once again impressed by how fantastic my gaming consoles looked on the giant screen; I pushed it with stunning games like Alan Wake 2 and Forza Horizon 5, and also spent a long time just gaming regularly with stuff like Fortnite, and found the experience satisfying, if not perhaps a little too big at times for my brain to handle.
For fast-paced gaming on a projector, Hisense PX3 is an excellent choice; but it’s still a hefty investment and one that requires an adequate space to operate in. At an RRP of $4,499AUD, it’s about the same proposition as a decent-sized OLED, which would offer a better picture, albeit at a much smaller scale. For me, I don’t know if I could use a projector every single day, even one as easy to set up and use as this one. I love that it saves space and manages to put a giant picture on the wall without getting in the way, but it’s still best used at nighttime, so it wouldn’t suit my living area long-term considering how bright that space can get during the daylight hours.
If I was looking to convert a second room of my home into a home theatre though, I can strongly recommend the Hisense PX3. I love that they’ve kept gamers in mind with this device, a really great point-of-difference that showed me how amazing my video games can look on a screen as big as a wall, without losing a step in terms of gameplay input. It also showed me how simple a projector can be; the Ultra Short Throw Laser factor is super neat, and as the tech continues to evolve, I’m sure it will only get better.
In fact, Hisense just released the Hisense C2 and C2 Ultra 4K Laser Mini Projector last week, another Xbox-certified option that sits more of a coffee table or bedside cabinet away, delivering up to 300 inches. I’m not a size queen, but that certainly does sound appetising. Overall, I leave my time with the Hisense PX3 very positive; I’d never considered a projector of any kind fitting in with my lifestyle before, but this one comes damn close.
The Hisense PX3 Ultra Short Throw Laser Home Cinema Projector is available now.
Thanks again to Hisense for facilitating the 2-month loan for the purpose of this coverage.
About the Author
Luke Mitchell
he/him
Luke spends his time making radio, playing video games, binge-watching TV, getting unreasonably invested in wrestling, hosting bear events and hanging out with his beautiful pets.
