It’s taken all year, but the CES announcement of a new pint-size portable projector is finally on its way to Australia.
If you’re a fan of the big screen but don’t have a place to specifically put it, and would prefer the big screen to be anywhere, you might have seen your options expanding as of late.
Portable projectors are moving beyond the mediocrity that pics projectors offered a decade ago, as technology shrinks and portable models become brighter and more capable than ever.
Xgimi offers pretty solid competition in this space as does Anker, and they’re not alone. Samsung is vying for a piece of the portable projector plot, something we saw with one of its lifestyle TVs of sorts, “The Freestyle”.
Essentially a compact projector on a specialty tripod, The Freestyle provides what is essentially the Samsung TV interface in a use-it-anywhere style of projector.
You’ll still need a power port to give it some juice, but the moment you have one, any surface can be your big screen. A wall, a ceiling, a cupboard door, and so on and so on. It’s essentially entertainment made for any surface, though it’s one that could do with some improvements.
Fortunately, those could well be on the way, with Samsung using IFA 2023 to launch The Freestyle 2nd-gen.
Previously hinted at CES earlier in the year, the second-generation of The Freestyle includes Samsung Gaming Hub, essentially make it an Xbox projection system provided you have access to Xbox Cloud Gaming by way of an Xbox Gaming Pass subscription. Bring a controller and you can project an Xbox game anywhere, and there’s more going on for the portable projector.
While still Full HD only, the new version of The Freestyle can pair with another, as two Freestyle projectors come together to create a wider 160 inch panoramic view covering a screen that’s 4 metres, while vertical screens can be as tall as 120 inches (3 metres).
Samsung Australia hasn’t announced pricing yet for The Freestyle, but given the naming, we’s expect it to outright replace the initial generation, suggesting a local price of around $1299 to $1499 when it lands.
