Sony's latest 4K laser projector is an almost affordable alternative to a big TV

The likes of Samsung, LG and Sony itself will happily sell you a TV that’s upwards of 80 inches, but what if we told you that for the same sort of cash you can shop for a seriously high-performing 4K projector that’ll make such a display look teeny by comparison?

Sony has announced two new 4K HDR laser projectors, one of which is as scarily high-priced as you’d expect for this sort tech, but the other might just tempt you away from the TV. The £5,999 VPL-XW5000ES is clearly not a bargain bin purchase, but its price-point puts it in line with many of the flagship models in the big TV market, and for your money you get a 2,000-lumen projector that delivers the brighter, far more vibrantly colourful image that laser projectors are known for, but with a 30% reduction in power consumption per lumen. You can expect more impressive black levels and amazing contrast for the same money you’d have handed over for an inferior lamp-based projector with the same kind of specs not so long ago.

The VPL-XW5000ES is 30% smaller and 35% lighter than the VPL-VW790ES it is effectively replacing, making it, according to Sony, the most compact native 4K HDR laser home projector in the world. More importantly, it should a better fit for smaller rooms.

Also new is the VPL-XW7000ES, which comes in a considerably more wallet-worrying £14,999, but for that you get 3,200 lumens of brightness and a new 70mm lens that promises a sharper big-screen picture.

Both models feature the “world’s smallest native 4K SXRD 0.61in panel”, so you can expect true 4K resolution, while Sony’s X1 Ultimate processor excels at motion processing and remastering SDR content so it looks like HDR. Gamers are looked after too, with the new range promising an impressively low 13ms of input lag in 2K 120Hz. In other words, expect Gran Turismo 7 to look very nice indeed in motion.

Both the VPL-XW7000ES and VPL-XW5000ES will launch in summer 2022, replacing all of Sony’s existing lamp-based home theatre projectors.

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I'm fascinated by all things tech, but if you were going to leave me on a desert island, I'd probably ask for my Nintendo Switch, a drone, and a pair of noise-cancelling cans to block out the relentless seagull racket. When I'm not on Stuff duty you'll probably find me subscribing to too many podcasts, playing too many video games, or telling anyone who will listen that Harry Kane is never going to leave Spurs.