Forget movie night, Samsung is making the first portable projector with built-in cloud gaming
Samsung is upgrading its Freestyle projector into a portable cloud gaming device, offering up to 100 inches of high-definition screen space without the need to lug around an actual screen.
The Freestyle Gen 2 comes with Samsung's Gaming Hub, which gives you access to numerous cloud gaming apps like Xbox Cloud Gaming, Nvidia's Geforce Now, and Amazon Luna. It's the same gaming hub we've seen on the newer Samsung Smart TVs. Connect a Bluetooth controller (and have a membership to one of these services), and you're ready.
The projector outputs at 1080p with a refresh rate of 60Hz, which is quite suitable for cloud gaming. The screen size can be adjusted from 30 to 100 inches, depending on the available projection surface. Aside from gaming, this projector has all the Samsung smart TV apps like Hulu and Netflix for watching movies, shows, and sports.
The Freestyle Gen 2 has a listed peak brightness of 230 ANSI Lumen, which is fine for a 1080p projector—you just want to ensure the space you are projecting is dimly lit, so maybe invest in some blackout curtains. It has one micro-HDMI port if you want to plug in a laptop or console, but you might need to find an adapter to make all the necessary connections.
The Freestyle Gen 2 also strives for foolproof usability with its 'Easy Setup' feature, which automatically levels, focuses, and optimizes the picture. This aims to eliminate the need for extensive tweaking, though we haven't been able to test out how well it works ourselves. It's at least a welcome idea if you've encountered the complexities annoyances of setting up a projector for gaming.
You can also buy yourself a battery base for $190 should you often find yourselves in the middle of the woods with the need to stream some Xbox games against a large tree. Samsung doesn't list the battery size anywhere, so it's hard to say how much time you've got before it goes dark. That's something you'll probably want to look into before shelling out that kind of cash.
Judging from the product shots, there isn't an ethernet port on this projector. Since you're relying on your wi-fi connection for streaming, your mileage for streaming and gaming will definitely vary depending on the strength of your signal. If your home setup needs a little attention on that front, this may be a good time to have a look at our rundown of the best gaming routers currently on the market.
The Samsung Freestyle Gen 2 with Gaming Hub ships out on September 1 for $799.99; however, if you pre-order now, Samsung will throw in a special travel case free of charge. Between the Steam Deck, this projector and LG's weird suitcase TV, it seems like there's never been a better time to play videogames outside.