XGIMI Elfin Flip Laser Projector Review

The XGIMI Elfin Flip Laser projector launches alongside the more expensive Elfin Flip 4K, which raises one obvious question: how much do you lose by spending $200 less? While the resolution drops to 1080p, the Laser retains the RGB triple-laser light source, claimed 1,600 ISO lumens brightness, Google TV, and folding design. After testing it for a week, set up beside the 4K model, here is my review.

Laser-powered picture

Using my 120” Duronic screen, the Elfin Flip Laser produced a crisp and colourful image. Like with the 4K variant, Movie mode was the highlight, particularly with HDR content, delivering rich colours without looking excessively saturated.

The Laser also appeared about as bright as the Flip 4K during back-to-back testing. It’s great to see XGIMI preserve the claimed 1,600 ISO lumens instead of heavily downgrading one of the specifications that matters most.

As always, dark environments produced the best results. Daylight viewing was usable for casual content in my room, but I wouldn’t choose it for anything where picture quality really matters. Movies and shows with impressive visuals lose too much impact when ambient light washes out the picture.

Resolution versus convenience

At smaller image sizes, I think many users would be perfectly happy with the 1080p picture. However, the resolution gap became more obvious as I ramped up the inches.

At 120”, I was still happy with the Laser’s image, but text and fine textures looked noticeably sharper on the 4K model. XGIMI recommends between 60-120” for the best results, and I’d say the resolution compromise becomes clearest towards that upper limit.

The folding design remains excellent. At 1.38 kg, it’s easy to carry between rooms or on the go, while autofocus, automatic keystone correction, and the screen-alignment tools make setup straightforward.

However, the Laser lacks the 4K model’s optical zoom, obstacle avoidance, and wall-colour adaptation. Those omissions become more noticeable if you regularly move the projector between different viewing locations. If it’s always set up in the same place, then these convenience factors won’t be missed as much.

Good enough for gaming

In my testing, gaming performance was perfectly fine for console play. I’d say that the new Modern Warfare 4 Beta on PS5 was the true test for the Elfin Flip Laser, but I managed to remain competitive despite my fast-declining Call of Duty skills. 

XGIMI officially rates latency at 20ms in Game Mode with automatic keystone disabled. That is perfectly respectable, but I’d still choose the Flip 4K with its 1080p/120Hz and VRR support if you’re at all serious about gaming.

The quiet fan and adequate 7W Harman Kardon speaker help make this a convenient all-in-one setup. Google TV occasionally felt a little sluggish, so I eventually switched to the always-dependable and speedy Fire TV Stick. 

Another difference from the 4K variant is that connectivity is limited to one HDMI/eARC input and one USB port. 

One aspect that the Laser and 4K share is the lack of a battery. This puts a dent in the portability factor, although mains power removes any battery anxiety during longer movies or multi-episode viewing sessions.

Disclosure: Review sample provided by XGIMI.