Samsung has announced the second generation of its tilting 1080p projector. The Freestyle Gen 2 is reported to be the first portable projector in the world to come with cloud gaming cooked in, for console-free gameplay using a Bluetooth controller.
The new model shares much with its predecessor, including Full HD resolution and throw ratio of 1.2, a 30,000-hour LED light source, 100,000:1 contrast, auto keystone correction and autofocus, and the same dimensions and weight. And as before, the business end can be quickly moved from 100-inch visuals thrown on the wall up onto the ceiling courtesy of the hinge-packing cradle.
Users still cable to content sources over HDMI, while streaming and casting is possible thanks to integrated Wi-Fi 5. On the face of it, this projector would appear to suffer a serious brightness dip, but the claimed 550 lumens of its predecessor were not ANSI lumens whereas the 230 peak lumens of the Gen 2 are. The projector also now supports HDR10+.
The biggest news for this edition is that Samsung has included its cloud-based Gaming Hub platform for access to thousands of games from partners such as Xbox, Amazon Luna, Utomik, Anstream and Blacknut. Casual gamers get wall-filling gaming visuals at a refresh rate of 60 Hz, but the projector doesn't ship with any games controllers – Samsung reckons that it should work with any Bluetooth controller though.
The Freestyle Gen 2 runs Tizen OS for access to services and apps found on Samsung's Smart TVs, with an ad-supported TV and video-on-demand service also baked in. There's 360-degree Dolby audio too, for onboard game sounds or listening to tracks from Spotify and the like. Though powered by a USB adapter, the projector can also be cabled up to a portable powerbank for outlet-free campsite or backyard entertainment.
The Freestyle Gen 2 is up for pre-order now at US$799.99, and if you're quick Samsung will throw in a free IP55-rated storage case.
Product page: Samsung Freestyle Gen 2 with Gaming Hub
