There was a time when the notion of a forty or 50-inch front room display was the stuff of goals, however now it is commonplace, delivering an immersive gameplay expertise by means of large, pin-sharp imagery - but what if we wish to go greater and really replicate the epic, cinematic feel that many triple-A titles are striving for? We might sit nearer to the display or adopt a desktop set-up to assist bring us closer to the action, but this still falls in need of replicating the true big-screen experience at home. HDTVs can't really deliver, however projectors can, providing up mammoth a hundred-inch images for the price of a traditional living room flat-screen display.

When choosing a projector for gaming within the average lounge, there are several things to look out for: low input lag, quick panel response to reduce motion smearing, and a high level of brightness to give photos sufficient pop to work in lighter coloured environments. Throw ratio and distance are additionally vital, as these determine how far away the projector must be from the screen with the intention to produce a large image. If you're planning to fire up large pictures in a small room with solely two to three metres' clearance from one finish to the other at finest, a short throw projector might be the very best projector for gaming option.

With that in thoughts, the Optoma GT1080 caught our eye because it covers several of our requirements. Marketed as a brief throw projector aimed specifically at large screen gaming in small rooms, it retails for around £650 and can produce a one hundred-inch image from just under a metre away. Featuring low enter lag and a whopping 2800 lumens brightness, the projector sounds like it might be a sensible choice for gamers trying to get pleasure from an enormous screen expertise in less than ideally suited viewing conditions.

However how effectively does the GT1080 really carry out within the common living rooms, where light-coloured walls and light reflections might significantly have an effect on image quality? Are the massive screen sizes made possible by utilizing a projector enough to supply an immersive cinematic expertise at dwelling over a traditional HDTV or desktop set-up? And are there any downsides to playing games on mammoth screens, especially when native 1080p resolutions usually are not set in stone for PS4 and Xbox One?