With less than a month to go before Mexico and South Africa kick off the FIFA World Cup 2026 football extravaganza, Roku is bringing low-cost, big screen viewing options to the U.K. with the imminent launch of its first projectors.
The new projectors are the Sharp H272 and the Aurzen D1R, and they both run the Roku operating system – making them the first Roku projectors to be sold in this country.
Roku U.K. Country Manager Richard Halton said it’s a chance to enjoy the “seamless streaming experience Roku users know and love” on an “exciting new form factor, making big-screen entertainment more accessible than ever.”
Don’t go expecting too much, though, for these are likely going to be more affordable projector options compared to something like Xgimi’s Titan Noir UST models or the JMGO N3 Ultimate, for example. Both models output images onto a screen or wall at 1080p resolution, and you’ll most definitely want to restrict your viewing to darkened environments, given that neither is particularly bright. The Aurzen D1R is the brightest of the two at 280 ANSI lumens, while the Sharp H272 maxes out at just 200 ANSI lumens.
That means both are at the very low end of the scale in terms of light output – consider that the aforementioned Titan Noir UST models hit an astonishing 7,000 lumens for crystal clear daytime viewing.
Sharp’s model can beam a maximum picture size onto a projector screen or wall of 120-inches diagonally, while the Aurzen maxes out at just 100-inches, which is still bigger than most TVs, of course.
The Aurzen D1R also appears to have an edge in terms of its sound quality. It offers two speakers and 5-watts of amplification, compared to just 3-watts output on the Sharp model. They both support Dolby Audio sound, but not the more premium Dolby Atmos format.
The projectors do come with some automated set up features, though, including things like auto-focus and auto-keystone correction to help with getting a nice and clear image. In terms of connectivity, you’ll have HDMI ports and Bluetooth, which enables the connection of both wired and wireless speakers, or a soundbar or subwoofer, perhaps. Apple AirPlay is also supported to enable streaming from iPhones and iPads, but neither model supports that from Android devices. Of course, the Roku OS platform is there, offering access to all of the major streaming applications, and the Wi-Fi connectivity means there’s always going to be something to watch.
Looks-wise, both models seem fairly similar with their white colour scheme and rectangular body styles and rounded edges.
The launch of the new projectors was timed to coincide with a Roku platform update called the Football Zone, which will also come to existing devices. It's a kind of hub for all of the World Cup coverage available through Roku TVs and streaming devices, and it will bundle content from all available sources in your country. So, for instance, you'll see live games from the BBC, ITV and Sky etc. There will also be full game replays, and extra content such as documentaries.
There are no published prices for these two projectors yet, but Roku said both will go on sale in June just ahead of the World Cup. But given the specifications, they’ll likely go head-to-head with lower cost projectors like Xgimi’s Vibe One, which currently costs around £219.
