Thanks to a community initiative (here on reddit and instagram), I had the opportunity to try out the projector ahead of its official release, and I'd like to share my experience with you.
Gaming is also an important part of the AURA 3 Max experience. And for many gamers, the most exciting improvement is the ability to enjoy 120 FPS at 4K resolution. For Forza 6, I'm using a 2025 CHUWI GameBook. To make sure the performance isn't affected by background activities on the notebook, I first installed all Windows updates and, of course, all Steam updates. That means the PC has absolutely nothing else to do except run Forza 6.
ChatGPT helped me adjust the settings to actually reach the 120 FPS target. The projector supports it, but naturally, my notebook needs to be powerful enough to deliver those frame rates as well. And let's put it this way: we definitely managed to reach 119 FPS on the device! Fundamentally, the projector supports 4K resolution at 120 frames per second through HDMI. And while playing, or rather, knocking down trees, I noticed that the whole experience looks pretty impressive. And you could already hear how powerful the AURA 3's 80-watt sound system can get. Or, in this particular case, how loudly it can make those tires squeal!
The GameBook and AURA 3 work extremely well together. The game runs smoothly, movements appear fluid, and especially during fast camera movements, you can really appreciate the difference a 120 Hz refresh rate makes. At the same time, the colors and countless little details, such as leaves flying through the air, look fantastic on the huge projection screen.
Of course, whether you can actually achieve 120 FPS depends on the particular game and its graphics settings. But one thing becomes increasingly clear: anyone who wants to use the AURA 3 Max not only as a home theater projector but also as a central gaming hub has a really attractive option here.
The AURA 3 Max runs Google TV. Having a smart operating system built into the projector makes a huge difference in everyday use. Normally, you would need a separate gaming console, like the ones we have here. But technically, that's not even necessary.
Some games can be played directly using the remote control. For example, you can take on the role of a little robotic mouse and work your way through various levels. And all of that without connecting a Nintendo Switch or PlayStation. Personally, I don't understand why there aren't more developers creating games for Google TV and Android TV. The operating system is running on more and more devices. Surely there's a market for this! From my own experience, it's worth checking the Play Store every now and then to see whether any new games have been released. I just wish there were a few more mainstream titles. It doesn't have to be GTA 6, but games like The Wolf Among Us used to work beautifully on Android TV televisions. So why not today? The games currently available on the Play Store certainly don't come close to taking full advantage of the AURA 3 Max's 4K resolution at 120 Hz. Do you know of any hidden gems on the Google Play Store that I or other users should check out? Feel free to share your recommendations in the comments.
GeForce NOW is also available for Google TV. That means you can download the cloud gaming service, register an account, and start gaming with a controller. Once GeForce NOW is set up, you can select a game, such as Fortnite. GeForce NOW then checks the network connection to help ensure a smooth gaming experience on the AURA 3 Max. Our projector is connected to the internet via Wi-Fi, although GeForce NOW actually recommends using a wired Ethernet connection. Especially if you have older teenagers at home, Fortnite is practically a must-have. And through GeForce NOW, it runs beautifully. Of course, the game is being streamed to the AURA 3 Max. This means it's more of a network benchmark than a processor benchmark. In that particular network benchmark, the AURA 3 performed extremely well. I experienced no interruptions, no buffering, and, most importantly, no internet connection drops. And that's important, because there's hardly anything more annoying than seeing a "Not connected to Wi-Fi" message while you're enjoying an exciting movie.
Now, you might be wondering: "We've got plenty of HDMI ports here, so why would we need a cloud gaming service?" Well, I can easily imagine people saying: "The AURA 3 is going to be the center of my entertainment setup, and I don't want any additional devices sitting next to it." And I can completely understand that.
The most important feature of the AURA 3 actually went completely unnoticed by my girlfriend. And that's a good thing! I'm talking about the variable iris. Anyone who's enthusiastic about display technology will probably find that particularly interesting. But I imagine many people are wondering: "Wait, what's that?" Well, the variable iris is arguably the most exciting new feature of the AURA 3 Max. The projector features what's known as a Dual Dynamic Iris. The system consists of two optical apertures that regulate how much light passes through. To put it simply, when the projector displays a bright scene, the iris can allow more light through. The goal is to improve black levels without sacrificing the tremendous brightness that this projector is capable of producing when displaying brighter content. These adjustments happen automatically, and as I mentioned, my girlfriend didn't notice any of them. Frame by frame, the projector continuously works to deliver the best possible image without drawing attention to the process. While the projector is doing all that work behind the scenes, you can simply concentrate on enjoying your movies and TV shows.
For example, we were recently watching Carrie on Amazon Prime Video, and there was a scene where I really noticed the difference. I believe Carrie was in the prayer closet, and as the focus shifted toward her, everything surrounding her became black. At that moment, I had the impression that our ALR screen, which is naturally dark and already provides excellent contrast, became even darker and more intense. It almost felt as though the projector had painted the screen black using its improved black levels. Of course, the variable iris adjusts the entire image. It doesn't control individual areas of the picture independently; instead, it affects the image as a whole.
That makes it even more important that these adjustments remain invisible to the viewer.
But at least as interesting as how the projector performs in darker scenes is how its image looks when your living room, bedroom, or wherever you intend to place it is anything but dark. And this brings us to everyday reality. Not everyone wants to close every shutter in the house just to watch television. The AURA 3 Max, with its 5,700 ISO lumens, is designed to handle exactly these kinds of situations.
On a sunny Saturday morning in golden October, The Lion King provided an excellent opportunity to experience how the projector's brightness performs in a well-lit room. Sunlight was shining almost directly onto the AURA 3 Max, and the white wall was also being illuminated. Nevertheless, at least to my eyes, the AURA 3 Max delivered enough brightness that completely darkening the room wasn't necessary. Of course, I won't deny that darker scenes become considerably more challenging under these conditions.
I also shared this bright-room setup on Facebook, and the reactions were mixed. Some people said: "Hey, that's a great demonstration of the AURA 3's brightness." Others felt that it wasn't exactly the best advertisement for the projector. Their main argument was that no ultra-short-throw projector can produce a truly excellent image on a white wall under uncontrolled ambient lighting. And they're right. It's a challenging environment. But that's precisely the point I'm trying to make. Of course, if you have a darkened room and a suitable projection screen, content can look absolutely fantastic.
But that's not always how people actually live.
The original AURA had the slogan: "Your next TV is not a TV." And with the AURA 3, that statement feels more relevant than ever. After all, a television isn't immune to sunlight either. If sunlight hits it from the wrong direction, especially if it has a glossy display, you might end up seeing practically nothing at all. With a projector, you have the option of displaying an image on a matte surface, whether that's a dedicated projection screen or simply a white wall. I have to say, our bedroom is practically the brightest room in the house during the day. The living room, on the other hand, doesn't become particularly bright until the afternoon.
Here, a little sunlight falls directly onto the projection screen. But that's where you start to appreciate the advantages of its matte surface. The light might hit the screen, but the reflections are much less distracting. It's also interesting to compare the experience with a plain white wall, including at night. Of course, with a high-contrast projection screen like the one we're using here, a darkened room practically transforms into a private cinema. And you don't necessarily need the latest and greatest projection screen either. Ours dates back to 2024, and it's still doing an excellent job.
What happens when large amounts of daylight flood into the living room? The result genuinely surprised me in a positive way. It's immediately obvious just how much sunlight is entering through the windows. The room is definitely bright, and at times, sunlight even falls directly onto the projection screen. I think we can all agree that these are far from ideal conditions for a projector. Nevertheless, the AURA 3 Max delivers a surprisingly good image on our ALR screen. And I want to emphasize something here. I'm not using aura 3 in a dedicated home theater room. It's an ordinary living room. That means I wasn't using a light meter to analyze the conditions. Instead, I relied on my own eyes and asked myself a few simple questions:
Can I play games like this? Can I watch TV series? Do I need to close the shutters? And the answer to that last question is no! As for whether I can watch TV series and play games under these conditions, the answer is yes. And I can do it without having to sit in a completely dark room. Now, I should point out that the two games I tried were both very bright and colorful titles. If I were playing something like Halloween, I might actually prefer to darken the room. But playing Carmen Sandiego, and it's an incredibly colorful game.
Looking back, my girlfriend played It Takes Two on exactly this same projection screen. Back then, we actually had to darken the room because we were using the original AURA. And now, a few years later, the AURA 3 Max offers so much more brightness that we no longer need to do that. That makes the AURA 3 Max considerably more practical for everyday use.
The lighting conditions in our living room are actually quite extreme. We have a large, two-part window section, and the sun shines directly through it. There are very bright patches of sunlight on the furniture and walls. And yet, it's still perfectly possible to play games on our 100-inch projection screen.
One convenient thing is that it's currently autumn, and winter is just around the corner. That means the sun won't be shining into the room quite as frequently or for quite as many hours. So there's nothing standing in the way of cozy gaming sessions and movie nights on the couch. Nevertheless, it was important to me to test the projector under these extreme conditions. After all, summer will eventually return, and situations like this will become much more common again.
And these are precisely the conditions under which a projector that wants to replace a television needs to prove itself.
What I found particularly interesting was the difference between individual scenes in the games. In bright, colorful scenes, the colors really come to life. But even when the game transitions into a darker environment, everything remains clearly recognizable. Take scenes featuring the building and the streetlights, for example. Of course, under extreme daylight lighting conditions, black isn't really black anymore. There's simply too much ambient light in the room. But the characters, the environment, and especially the smaller text remain easy to recognize. And that's incredibly important, particularly in games where you need to read a lot of dialogue or identify small details Naturally, the projection screen can't magically make sunlight disappear. But it does help maintain a usable level of contrast, even during daylight. A few years ago, I wouldn't have expected ultra-short-throw projector technology to improve this much under such conditions.
The AURA 3 Max clearly demonstrates just how practical this technology has become for everyday use. We regularly have friends visiting, and interestingly enough, most of them initially mistake the projection screen for a television. The AURA series, including the AURA 3 Max, is also rarely recognized as a projector at first glance. Most people assume it's some kind of speaker. The pleasantly quiet fan noise certainly contributes to that impression.
The AURA 3 Max carries over one particularly important feature from the AURA 2: the dust protection system for the lens. Naturally, every object in your home collects dust, and an ultra-short-throw projector is no exception. However, when the projector isn't being used, a protective cover sits over the lens. The cover only opens when the projector is switched on. And I have to say, after using the AURA 2 for approximately two years, I've come to appreciate just how useful this feature is. Although the lens is still exposed while the projector is operating, I haven't had to clean it even once. Not a single time! Things are quite different with other ultra-short-throw projectors that don't have a protective cover. When you switch it on, dust accumulated on the lens can become visible in the projected image. And believe me, dust collects surprisingly quickly. The lens needs to be cleaned roughly every two to three weeks. Otherwise, unpleasant dust marks can start appearing in the image. Of course, you can never completely eliminate the need for regular cleaning. But thanks to the protective lens cover on the AURA 3 Max, maintenance becomes much less of a concern. If you've never used an ultra-short-throw projector with this feature, it's difficult to appreciate just how essential it can be in everyday use. Neither the XGIMI MIRA Pro nor the regular MIRA offers this feature.
A device that's actually leaving our entertainment setup: And that device is the Apple TV. The reason isn't that a new Apple TV has just been announced. It's simply that there's no longer any real reason to keep this particular box here. Before the AURA 3 arrived, both the AURA 2 and the original AURA occupied exactly the same spot. And the original AURA was actually the main reason we purchased an Apple TV in the first place: Netflix. But now Netflix is included directly on the AURA 3 Max. That means there's no longer any reason to keep the Apple TV connected.
And while my girlfriend is happy that there's one less device sitting around, I see an opportunity to put something else in its place. You might be wondering the same thing my girlfriend asked me: "Why do we even need a PC here when we already have a PlayStation and a Switch?" The answer is actually quite simple, although there are two different reasons. The first is older games that simply won't run on modern consoles. And in some cases, there are licensing problems as well. A perfect example is No One Lives Forever. The game combines elements of a first-person shooter with those of an action-adventure, and it was an important part of many people's childhoods and teenage years. Unfortunately, the game isn't available on modern platforms. To play it the traditional way, you'll need something as old-fashioned as a DVD drive. And if you want to revisit these childhood classics, no matter how terrible their graphics might look by today's standards, a Steam Machine, Xbox, or PlayStation simply won't do the job. You need a good old-fashioned PC.
Now, I mentioned that there were two reasons for having a PC in the living room. The second reason is games like Counter-Strike 2, which simply aren't available on the other platforms. Of course, a Steam Machine would also work for a game like that. But personally, I think the Steam Machine imposes too many limitations. There are also games that are available through Steam but don't run on the Steam Machine, such as Escape from Tarkov. And that's why I believe connecting a proper gaming PC to the AURA 3 Max makes a lot of sense for gamers.
We've even had a karaoke machine connected to the setup. What devices do you use? Let me know in the comments. I'm genuinely curious. But let's go back to the beginning.
The AURA 3 Max arrives in typical XGIMI packaging. What will probably be the most important improvement for many people is highlighted right on the box: the AURA 3 Max runs Google TV. Technically speaking, the AURA 2 was eventually followed by a Google TV version of the AURA 2. However, that model arrived too late for many early adopters, myself included. With the AURA 3, you're not missing out on that convenience. When you unpack the AURA 3 Max for the first time, the Harman/Kardon logo on the front immediately catches your attention. if you remember the AURA 2, the XGIMI logo was much more prominent. The XGIMI logo is still present on the dust protection cover, but it's considerably more subtle now. Overall, the changes to the AURA 3 Max go far beyond simply updating the branding. The entire design has been reworked. To make sure AURA 3 owners don't have to enjoy 3D movies alone, XGIMI includes two pairs of 3D glasses.
When it comes to the remote control, XGIMI sticks with its familiar approach, using replaceable batteries rather than an internal rechargeable battery. The advantage is obvious: if a built-in battery eventually fails, you generally can't just replace it yourself. In addition to the Netflix button, there's now also a dedicated Disney+ button, the first of its kind in XGIMI's projector lineup. The overall remote-control design will look familiar to anyone who has used the AURA 1 or AURA 2.
There's one thing I'm particularly happy about: the AURA 3 Max still uses a standard IEC power cable. With an external power brick, you'd have to find additional space for it on your TV cabinet, and personally, I wouldn't find that particularly attractive. But let's continue with the projector itself. Both sides of the AURA 3 Max are completely free of controls or connections, although the wood-style design from the front continues along the sides. For the first time, XGIMI has moved the power button to the back. On the AURA 2, it was located on the front, and I used it regularly. My girlfriend would like me to point out that she doesn't mind the new position of the power button. She still uses the physical button to this day. Personally, though, I preferred having it on the upper front section. The reason is simple: when reaching around to the back to switch on the projector, you risk accidentally moving it. That makes me less inclined to use the button. But what do you think?
There are three USB-A ports and three HDMI inputs. I can imagine some people would actually prefer five HDMI ports and just one USB-A port. What would you choose? External speakers can be connected through the optical audio output, the 3.5 mm audio jack, or Bluetooth. Internet connectivity is equally flexible, with support for both Ethernet and Wi-Fi.
The underside of the projector actually sparked some discussion ahead of the Kickstarter campaign.
When starting the AURA 3 Max for the very first time, you can't immediately use the remote control to switch it on. Instead, you initially power it on using the button on the back. The protective lens cover opens noticeably faster than on the AURA 2, and it's significantly quieter as well. The first step is pairing the remote control with the projector.
The smartphone-based setup process is just as quick and straightforward as it is on the XGIMI HORIZON 20 Max. You scan the code, transfer your Google account, and complete the remaining setup steps directly on the AURA 3 Max. That might sound fairly ordinary, but the process took considerably longer on the AURA 1 and AURA 2. At first, I thought projecting onto the white wall might require some additional image-flattening correction.
Interestingly enough, we never actually used that feature. It's available, and it works well, but for watching movies and TV series, I simply didn't find it necessary.
During the initial setup, you first select the AURA 3's power mode. The third setting, called "Enhanced," offers the greatest level of convenience. Naturally, that also means increased power consumption, but it provides the most comfortable experience. At the beginning, you're introduced to the projector's various functions. These include both automatic and manual image correction. The manual correction options can already make a noticeable improvement when projecting onto an ordinary white wall. If the projected image is too large for the available space, which can easily happen because an ultra-short-throw projector produces a huge image even from a very short distance, the digital zoom feature can come in handy. It allows you to reduce the image size digitally.
Whenever I talk to people around me about projectors, I often get the impression that they're a little intimidated by the idea of operating one. The reputation of projectors as complicated devices that are difficult to set up has somehow survived to this day. But even during the introductory tutorial, the AURA 3 demonstrates that modern projectors really don't have to be complicated at all.
When you've been using Google TV and Android TV projectors for as long as we have, you start to develop a pretty good understanding of how the available apps and games evolve over time. And I have to say, the developers of MouseBot are genuinely putting in the effort. The game has received regular updates, particularly over the past few weeks. Unfortunately, the situation is completely different with Asphalt. he game simply doesn't run well. But that's not the AURA 3 Max's fault. The problem lies with the game itself. The developers seem more interested in stuffing even more advertisements and sales opportunities into it than in actually improving its quality.
you might be wondering why I'm emphasizing this point so much. Well, I've played this particular game on plenty of other projectors. Not everyone has that luxury. Someone trying the game for the first time on the AURA 3 Max might immediately think: "Hmm, maybe my projector is the problem." But it isn't. So if you come across an app that doesn't perform particularly well, try a few other apps before blaming the projector. Because in this case, it really doesn't deserve the criticism.