When it comes to certain tech gadgets, you get what you pay for and the same is true with projectors. Opting for a cheap projector is fine, but it won’t have as good a resolution as a quality one or be as easy to set up and control as a more expensive one.
The Samsung Freestyle 2 Projector It’s an expensive projector at $798, but its high-tech specs and portability understandably justify the price tag. However, this high-quality projector is currently $200 off on Amazon as part of a Black Friday deal.
Also: The best early Black Friday deals
I’ve personally tried and tested this projector, and it’s well worth the money – especially when you consider that it also doubles as a gaming console.
Freestyle 2 comes with Samsung Gaming Hub, which only allows you to play Freestyle 2, internet access and game controller games. You have to subscribe to cloud streaming like Xbox, GeForce Now, Luna and others, but there are also free games that you can play right off the bat.
Revaluation: Samsung’s latest sweeping projector is secretly the best gaming console you can buy this holiday season
In my testing, being able to play games outdoors or cast to our ceiling while lying down without being tied to a specific room or a specific gaming console was a unique experience.
Aside from its gaming perspective, the Samsung Freestyle 2 impressed me with its image quality, auto-focusing capabilities — whether it’s projected onto a slanted ceiling or projector screen — and the overall experience of both setup and streaming. This projector’s built-in speakers are also something to admire: the 5W 360-degree speakers pack a punch, even during very windy nighttime streaming of a movie.
Although expensive, this early Black Friday deal gets you $200 off, which puts the projector under $600. The Samsung Freestyle 2 Maybe out of your price range to gift someone, but if you want a projector and gaming hub, it’s definitely worth gifting yourself.