ViewSonic has actually lastly validated that its own brand new gamer-targeted 4K projector, which births the main Microsoft accreditation of ‘Intended For Xbox’, is actually readied to be actually discharged in July as well as will certainly sell in the United States for $1,599.
The electronic devices provider states that the X2-4K is actually the “globe’s initial ‘Created for Xbox’ projector” as well as mentions that it “worked together along with Microsoft to maximize being compatible, enabling customers to manage the projector’s electrical power as well as amount with Xbox gaming consoles utilizing the HDMI Buyer Electronic Devices Command (CEC) common”.
Yet a simple browse the specifications could create you think about which Xbox it was actually created for, as the ViewSonic X2-4K is actually rarely reducing side even with being actually likewise valued to several of the absolute best 4K projectors all around.
Oddly, both integrated HDMI slots utilize 2.0 as opposed to the 2.1 criterion as well as you’re also limited to 60Hz gaming at 4K – rather than 120Hz, which a lot of the best TVs support. In fact, 60Hz is half the rate the Xbox Series X is capable of. And while the projector supports HDR/HLG, it doesn’t handle Dolby Vision – one of the current Xbox’s key selling points.
The lack of next-generation gaming features is a bit disappointing because the rest of the projector’s spec is fine. There’s a decent 2,900 lumens of brightness from an LED light with 30,000 hours lifespan, integrated Harman Kardon speakers and it’s easy to set up. It’s a short-throw device capable of displaying a 100-inch screen from just 1.5m away, and it has both Wi-Fi screen mirroring and Bluetooth connectivity too. But the Xbox branding is just that: branding.
Hit and miss: gaming branded product partnerships
All the ‘Designed for Xbox’ branding really does is tell you that the projector will work with your Xbox. It’s another badge on a box and nothing more, in much the same way that the Made For iPhone logo means “we gave Apple some money”. But the tech industry, and gaming in particular, has a long tradition of letting people slap big brand logos on pretty much anything.
There have been some genuinely horrible examples of big brands giving the go-ahead to mediocre products, aka doing a Ferrari. And while other gaming brands have been responsible for really odd stuff – Resident Evil perfume or a Call of Duty Jeep Wrangler, anyone? – there’s something about Xbox that seems to bring out some of the worst tie-in ideas imaginable.
Older gamers may remember the Halo 4 stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Hut, which came in a special Halo 4 box and had absolutely no other link to the game at all (they didn’t even make a joke about a ‘Master Chef’). And the 2019 launch of Xbox-themed Lynx deodorant and body wash was a particular low.
It’s not always bad, though. Sometimes it’s fun, like the Xbox mini fridge. Faced with criticism that the Xbox Series X looked like a fridge, Microsoft went ahead and made one. What began as a joke turned into an unexpected viral success: it’s not any better than a non-Xbox fridge, but at least it’ll make you smile whenever you see it.
If you are actually looking for a dedicated display screen for your next-generation games console, then it’s worth checking out our guides for the most effective gaming TV and best 120Hz 4K Televisions.
