XGIMI Horizon 20 Max Projector Review

The XGIMI Horizon 20 Max is the flagship projector in the company’s new lineup, so it’s no surprise that it boasts all of the spec bells and whistles that lead to a practically no compromises setup. This thing is outrageous in all of the best ways, with XGIMI pitching it as the projector to finally replace the television, even in daylight viewing conditions. After using the Horizon 20 Max for watching movies and playing games — including competitive shooters like Battlefield 6 — it’s time for my review.

All about the specs

Let’s start by discussing some of the key specs. When talking projectors, the big spec everyone wants to know about is brightness. The Horizon 20 Max, with its X-Master Red Ring Lens and triple-laser engine, can put out up to 5,700 ISO lumens. No, that isn’t a typo. This consumer-grade projector can output more than the competition which makes for a superb viewing experience whatever the time of day.

While sure, users will want to close the blinds and/or curtains for better visibility, it’s not a necessity. The image, especially at smaller sizes, is perfectly viewable with daylight shining through. This is what many potential projector owners have been waiting for and XGIMI truly delivers. 

Elsewhere on the spec sheet is confirmed support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Filmmaker Mode, IMAX Enhanced, and DTS:X. Here at GameRevolution, we’re also looking for the gaming-focused specs, and I was happy to see a rating of 1ms input lag at 1080p and support for 240 Hz. VRR and ALLM are here, too, with XGIMI checking the boxes on must-have settings for a modern gaming display. 

Getting set up

The setup process is smooth thanks to Google TV, which the XGIMI Horizon 20 Max runs flawlessly. Users can enjoy Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Video, Disney+, and all other go-to apps without issue or the need for pesky workarounds. 

When fine-tuning the displayed image, I was most impressed by the vertical and horizontal lens shift, which allows users to move the image in four different directions without adjusting where the projector is sitting. This is great for when the projector is placed a little off-center, like by a couch or armchair, as the image can be nudged a little to the side.

It’s so bright!

After consuming hundreds of hours of content, it’s easy to see what makes the Horizon 20 Max stand out from the crowd. The biggest highlight is the brightness. As mentioned, the specs are impressive, but actually witnessing it in your own viewing space and seeing a projector be this visible in daylight, and not becoming washed out and losing lots of color, is really something. 

Overall image sharpness, even at larger output sizes, is also worthy of highlighting. I was especially impressed how, even during intense first-person shooter gameplay, where the camera is frequently whizzing around, motion blur was minimal and response times were great. 

Speaking as a projector fan, but also a lover of video games, seeing the Horizon 20 Max deliver a no-compromised gaming experience is truly exciting.

Some shortcomings

As impressed as I have been with the Horizon 20 Max, I do have some criticisms. The first is fan noise, which does ramp up when the projector is pushed all-out over long watching or gaming experiences. The fans are more of a deep hum than an annoying whine, but they can be heard during marathon viewing sessions at maximum brightness. The good news is that the fans are doing their job, as I never witnessed any overheating issues. 

My other criticism is the lack of a USB-C port. It might seem nitpicky to some, but the sheer number of USB-C devices I own in 2025, which I’d love to use with the projector, makes me a tad disappointed that this port isn’t available on such a premium and touted-as-modern projector. You really want this thing to be future-proof and USB-C seems like an easy checkbox to have ticked.

Disclosure: Review sample provided by XGIMI.