IFA 2026 is in full swing right now in Berlin, and though there haven’t been many new TVs showcased so far at this year’s event, we’ve stumbled across projectors galore. Three of the most impressive we’ve seen so far come from Xgimi, AWOL Vision and Aurzen, boasting some truly unique capabilities.
First up is Xgimi’s Aura 3 series, which is claimed to be the world’s first native 4K/120Hz ultra-short-throw projector, so video gamers may want to pay attention. Xgimi said there are two models in the series, the flagship Aura 3 Max and the standard Aura 3 Pro, and they both support 4K/120Hz gaming with variable refresh rates and auto low-latency mode. The picture is delivered by a powerful RGB triple laser light engine with a 8,000:1 native contrast ratio and the company’s proprietary Dynamic Dual Iris technology, which promises “unprecedented contrast, depth and detail.”
This is a big deal if you’re interested in the idea of playing console games on a truly massive screen, because until now, UST projectors have always made a compromise in terms of refresh rates at 4K resolution. With the Aura 3, you’ll be able to enjoy blazing-fast gameplay while doing the justice to the graphic detail that such a large picture deserves.
Xgimi said it’s planning to sell the Aura 3 projectors via Kickstarter in a campaign that’s set to kick off on October 20. It’s also taking pre-orders now directly from its website, and if you put down a $50 deposit, you’ll be able to get $200 off the price.
According to Xgimi, the Aura 3 projectors can both throw up a massive 200-inch picture, with a 120-inch image possible when the device is set back just eight inches away from the wall. They will come with the Google TV operating system and support Dolby Vision, HDR10+, regular HDR10 and HLG, as well as IMAX Enhanced. To match all that detail and contrast, there’s exceptional brightness, with the Max model capable of 5,700 ISO lumens and the Pro topping out at a still very impressive 4,100 ISO lumens.
As an added touch, each projector will come with two pairs of 3D glasses, in case you happen to be the sort of person who still tries to make the most of that format. Audio is supplied by a powerful 80-watt Harman Kardan speaker system that supports Dolby Atmos surround sound.
Incredibly, the Xgimi Aura 3 projectors are not all that expensive, with the Max model priced at £1,775 and the Pro version set to cost £1,625.
It remains to be seen if Xgimi will actually be the first company to launch a 4K/120Hz UST projector however, for it has found itself in a race against time against another brand called AWOL Vision, which took to the stage at IFA 2026 to introduce the LuxVision. It combines 4K at 120Hz with optical lens shift.
The company said the LuxVision UST projector will sit above its current flagship Aetherion UST range, partly because it’s capable of processing around a billion pixels per second. For gamers, there’s a 1 millisecond input lag, VRR, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming, and connectivity is supplied by three HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort and there’s a four-channel HDMI multiview mode that makes it possible to display content from u; to four sources at once.
Like with Xgimi’s Aura 3 models, the light source is a powerful RGB triple laser, but it promises to be even brighter than the Max model. According to Awol Vision, it should be capable of a stunning 6,000 ISO lumens, and the colour accuracy should be hugely impressive too, with the company claiming 110% coverage of the Rec. 2020 spectrum. Other onboard wizardry includes dynamic tone mapping and a seven-stage dynamic iris, and Dolby Vision, IMAX Enhanced, 3D playback and Filmmaker Mode are all supported, too.
Making your choice even harder, the AWOL Vision LuxVision is also capable of throwing up an image at a maximum size of 200-inches, thanks to its 0.18:1 throw ratio. Its vertical optical lens shift feature means it can quickly adjust the image position to suit the wall and ensure full 4K detail is preserved, while there’s a motorised lens cover that’s designed to limit stray light escaping, which is a nice feature that helped it to earn TÜV certification for reducing harmful blue light.
Buyers will be able to choose from a combination of different colours, materials and finishes, but just be mindful that the AWOL Vision LuxVision is going to cost a hell of a lot more than Xgimi’s Aura 3 models. The company quoted a price tag of $6,950 (around £5,135. So maybe choosing between them won’t be so difficult after all.
The Aurzen Zip Pro isn’t nearly as powerful, bright or capable as either of those models, but it still caught our eye as the successor to one of the most innovative portable projectors we’ve ever come across.
It improves upon the original Aurzen Zip device that debuted last year, with a design that looks more like a Sony Walkman than something you’d expect to be able to watch big-screen movies with.
It’s a unique tri-foldable device that, when folded up, takes on the form factor of an old Walkman or power pack, only to unfold and become a kind of Z-shaped hinge device that delivers big-screen pictures on the go, without the need for a mini-tripod. It’s basically three connected slates, with the first said to contain the world’s thinnest HD optical engine featuring what is also the world’s smallest DLP chip. This is connected to a mid section that houses “ultra-thin” stereo speakers rated at 1-watt each, so you’re getting 3-watts audio output overall. Finally, the third slate is an anti-slip base that also houses the battery. Thanks to its unique design, it can be plonked down and swiveled around to project films in almost any direction, including onto the ceiling.
The Pro model looks much the same as the original, but Aurzen assured us that it has been upgraded to support true 1080p optical output from video sources.. It’s brighter as well, with images outputted at 200 ISO lumens, up from 100 before. It has also been given a much beefier battery with 10,000mAh capacity, up from just 5,000 in the older model, and good enough for around 2.5 hours of viewing (up from just 1.5 on the older model).
Aside from that, it’s much like the original, with the same compact form-factor and support for WiFi, Bluetooth, AirLink P2P wireless mirroring, and Miracast, Google Cast and AirPlay 2 for Wi-Fi-based mirroring. It also has a USB-C port for cabled connections. It can work with almost any source device, including streaming boxes, smartphones, tablets, computers and games consoles.
Setup features include auto-zoom, auto-image resizing and auto-keystone correction, and they all converge to throw up a perfect 80-inch image wherever it’s being pointed out. It has a contrast ratio of 300:1 and supports 85% coverage of the NTSC colour gamut. Sound emanates from a pair of integrated 2-watt speakers, or you can use Bluetooth speakers or headphones instead.
Like the other two, much more powerful projectors, the Aurzen Zip Pro projector is expected to go on sale next month, with a $630 (£465) price tag.
