XGIMI’s Aura 3 ultra-short-throw projectors push brightness and contrast to new extremes

If you’re looking to seriously upgrade how you consume media at home, there is no single more impressive change you can make than picking up a projector. A great Google TV projector not only taps into all your favorite services, but blows them up to cinema size. While there are options running the gamut of affordability and features, when you’ve got the cash to drop on one, ultra-short-throw (UST) projectors are arguably your best option — huge picture, minimal space requirements. We’ve already been impressed with the UST options from XGIMI’s Aura series, and right now we’re learning about its very latest, the Aura 3.

The Aura series has been a great UST solution for projector fans with a couple thousand bucks to spare and a big, blank wall they’re looking to fill with crisp 4K content. And with the Aura 3, XGIMI is pushing the limits of this already impressive tech even further.

Probably the easiest way to appreciate the upgrades is looking at the Aura 3’s brightness and contrast. While the Aura 2 managed a respectable 2300 ISO lumens output with a contrast ratio of 1400:1, the Aura 3 doubles down with up to 5700 lumens brightness and a staggering 8000:1 contrast ratio. It pulls that feat off with the help of a new triple-laser RGB source and a dual-iris light path.

Another big upgrade is one gamers will appreciate, with the Aura 3 now capable of a blazing 120Hz refresh rate while running at full 4K resolution. Just imagine playing GTA VI this fall on a screen that feels as big as life. With ultra-low 1ms latency, the Aura 3 tries to sidestep the kind of lag other projectors can struggle with.

As for regular media content, Dolby Vision support means that the Aura 3 is equipped to display the best, highest-contrast footage available from all your streaming services. And a crazy-low 0.163:1 throw ratio means that you can set the Aura 3 up closer to the walls in your home than previous models, while still enjoying a wall-filling picture.

XGIMI plans to make the Aura 3 available in two different configurations: the Aura 3 Pro and Aura 3 Max. Both offer the same high refresh rate and contrast, and the main difference between the two is the brightness ceiling, with Max hitting the full 5700 lumens, while the Pro comes in at a slightly more conservative 4100 lumens. Either way you go, the Aura 3 sounds like a whole lot of cutting-edge projector in a form factor that’s easy to find space for in your home.

Interested shoppers can get their pre-orders in now, ahead of the Kickstarter going live in October.