My favourite projector from Samsung doubles as a gaming hub, and it is discounted for Labor Day

The Samsung Freestyle 2 projector is on sale for $341 off if you buy it at Walmart, making the brand new worth $459 over Labor Day weekend. 

Also: The greatest Labor Day offers reside now

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Samsung Freestyle 2 is a stable projector out there for $800.
• Sharp picture high quality, an inside battery, and the power to play video games with out a console make this projector ultraportable.
• The second-generation function upgrades are geared towards gaming, which might not be related for all customers.

There’s a saying that goes one thing like, “Don’t fix what isn’t broken.” I firmly consider in that — particularly relating to tech merchandise and their sometimes-pointless updates.

That mentioned, after experiencing the not too long ago upgraded technology of the Samsung Freestyle 2, this transportable projector might have taken the cake for one of the best tech gadget I’ve examined prior to now yr.

Review: Samsung The Freestyle: A well-rounded projector, inside and outside

There aren’t many important variations between the unique mannequin and the second-generation projector, however listed here are just a few value noting. Smart Edge Blending allows you to use two Freestyle projectors to make one huge picture with help for widescreen content material at a side ratio of as much as 29.3:9, there is a photo voltaic distant as an alternative of a battery-operated one, and also you get extra reminiscence for sooner efficiency. The most notable distinction, nevertheless, is the Samsung Gaming Hub.

While I’m no gamer, my husband is an off-the-cuff one, so I put him to the take a look at to do that function out. What’s cool concerning the Samsung Gaming Hub is you do not want a bodily console to play a sport, however simply the Freestyle 2, web entry, and a sport controller.

Also: The greatest outside projectors for epic film nights

You can subscribe to cloud streaming like Xbox Cloud Gaming, GeForce Now, Luna, and others, however there are additionally free video games you possibly can play proper off the bat.

My husband was in a position to play Rocket League with a free membership to GeForce Now, and different free video games like Fortnite had been additionally out there. The general gaming expertise will rely in your Wi-Fi connection, however the graphics had been crystal clear, and the Freestyle 2 loaded the video games quick with just about no glitches.

It was a novel expertise to have the ability to play video games exterior or forged them to our ceiling whereas mendacity down with out being tied to at least one particular room or a specific gaming console.

Gaming apart, the Samsung Freestyle 2 is a top quality projector. It is tremendous simple to arrange and get going — all you want is a Wi-Fi connection. You additionally needn’t lug an extension twine round since its transportable battery simply connects to the system, letting you employ it just about anyplace (which was excellent for our yard).

It comes preloaded with many streaming providers like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video, and extra, so you possibly can sign up to your accounts shortly and begin streaming.

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The sound impressed me essentially the most: It comes from the built-in, 5W 360-degree speaker, and for such a small speaker, it packs a punch. During a really windy outside nighttime film streaming, we might hear the sound clear and loud, virtually as if we had been indoors and the sound was surrounding us.

The Samsung Freestyle 2 impressed me with each picture high quality, the power to autofocus — whether or not it was projecting onto a slanted ceiling or a projector display — and the general expertise of setup and streaming. To me, know-how ought to make issues faster and extra accessible, and this system does simply that — particularly with its portability side.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

If you are a gamer and wish to play a wide range of titles with out a console, the Samsung Freestyle 2 is a superb possibility that allows you to play video games whereas tenting, outdoor, or actually wherever. 

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If, nevertheless, you are shopping for a Samsung Freestyle for the film expertise, the first-generation’s specs are comparable sufficient to this new model and means that you can save just a few hundred bucks whereas nonetheless getting a high projector. Whatever mannequin you select, if you happen to’re on the lookout for a transportable or outside projector, that is, in my view, one of the best one available on the market.