TVs
XGIMI Horizon Ultra Review: Bright, but Know the Trade-Offs
"Exceptionally bright and colourful" — What Hi-Fi?; CNET warns that dark scenes can look flat.
No single aggregate score — here's what the reviewers agree on, below.
The short version
The XGIMI Horizon Ultra is a compact 4K projector built around high brightness, vivid color, Dolby Vision and unusually easy automatic setup. TechRadar praised its crisp picture and image adjustment, while What Hi-Fi? liked its intensity and built-in audio. The catch is contrast. CNET measured a poor 316:1 native contrast ratio, and PCMag found that HDR10 dark scenes were weaker than on the BenQ GP500. Add clunky smart software and no native Netflix, and this is better suited to bright, colorful viewing than serious dark-room cinema.
What reviewers loved
- Exceptionally bright, colorful images: CNET measured 1,333 lumens in its most accurate normal setting, while TechRadar and What Hi-Fi? praised the projector's vibrant presentation.
- Sharp 4K presentation with rare Dolby Vision support, giving compatible sources an HDR format that remains uncommon among standard-throw projectors.
- Automatic image adaptation and setup tools make it easy to reposition and use around the home, according to TechRadar and PCMag.
- Compact, premium-looking enclosure with an automatic sliding lens cover, making it easier to leave on display than a typical projector.
- Built-in Harman Kardon speakers deliver detailed, substantial audio that What Hi-Fi? found strong enough to keep action scenes from sounding thin.
What held it back
- Dark-scene performance is the major weakness: CNET measured a 316:1 native contrast ratio and said images with black content could look flat and lifeless.
- The smart platform is clunky and lacks native Netflix support, so buyers may want to add an external streamer such as an Apple TV 4K.
- High Power mode is impractical for regular viewing because CNET encountered exceptionally loud fan noise and on-screen heat warnings.
- Its reviewed price of roughly $1,599 to $1,699 is high, especially when PCMag preferred the BenQ GP500 overall.
Buy it if you want a stylish, easy-to-position 4K projector with strong brightness, vivid color, Dolby Vision and usable built-in sound.
Skip it if convincing black levels, strong HDR10 dark scenes, native Netflix or quiet maximum-brightness operation matter most.
What the reviewers say
Reviewers broadly agree that brightness, color and convenience are the Horizon Ultra's strengths. TechRadar called its 4K images sharp and crisp and praised its image adjustment system. What Hi-Fi? highlighted its color range, sharpness and effortless intensity. CNET confirmed that it remains bright in its accurate normal mode, measuring 1,333 lumens.
The disagreement is over picture balance. TechRadar reported deep blacks and brilliant HDR, but CNET measured weak contrast and found dark scenes flat and lifeless. PCMag also said HDR10 dark scenes did not perform as well as they did on the BenQ GP500. That makes the Horizon Ultra a stronger fit for bright animation, sports and colorful entertainment than shadow-heavy films.
⚙ Best settings — dial it in
CNET's measurements point to the normal, accurate setting as the sensible everyday choice. The provided reviews do not include a full calibration table, so no unsupported color or white-balance values are listed. For fully calibrated values, see CNET.
| Everyday picture | Use the most accurate normal setting; CNET measured 1,333 lumens, which it still considered bright for a projector. |
|---|---|
| High Power mode | Avoid for sustained viewing. CNET measured 2,339 lumens but reported exceptionally loud fan noise and heat warnings. |
The competition
BenQ GP500
PCMag rated it as the stronger overall 4K room-to-room portable and found it better with dark HDR10 scenes. The XGIMI counters with Dolby Vision, Ethernet and easier initial setup.
Should you buy it?
The XGIMI Horizon Ultra is worth considering if you value brightness, bold color, Dolby Vision and painless setup more than deep blacks. It is compact, distinctive and more self-contained than many projectors, with capable built-in speakers and streaming features. But reviewers do not agree on its dark-scene quality, and CNET's contrast measurements expose the central compromise. At this price, movie fans who watch mainly in a dark room should compare the BenQ GP500 first. RightWei summarizes independent reviewers' hands-on tests and does not test review units itself.
Sources
RightWei aggregates and summarizes independent reviews — we link to the original hands-on tests so you can go deeper. We don't test units ourselves.