Xiaomi Laser Projector 3: test/review
Published on: 25-10-2025 / Modified: 25-10-2025
I hadn't tested a Xiaomi projector for a few years, although Xiaomi had managed to produce some very good projectors in all price ranges. The Chinese tech giant had faded a little in this field to concentrate on Chinese territory, but with the arrival of this Xiaomi Laser Projector 3, things may be about to change. The version I'm going to test is a Chinese one, which you'll have to use with an HDMI stick or box (Google TV Chromecast, Apple TV,...), which fortunately represents only a small effort to be able to enjoy a triple laser projector of this caliber. As the Chinese versions are often better than the international ones, it would be a shame not to take advantage of them
I'm going to test this projector with my usual protocol based on real measurements to identify the strengths and weaknesses of this video projector. If you still have questions, don't hesitate to ask them in comments, and if this test has convinced you, don't forget to go through my links to make your purchase
Where to buy?
The Xiaomi Laser Projector 3 is available from NothingProjector, and I've got a discount of almost 10% to give you the lowest price without paying import duties. If the price drops, the promo code will allow you to lower it even more
To activate the promo code, click on the following link:
Activate promo
You'll be redirected to the home page, but the promo code will appear in your shopping cart
Then to purchase the projector, simply add it to the shopping cart:
Xiaomi Laser Projector 3 / NothingProjector
Price Xiaomi Laser Projector 3
Not yet available / testedTimeline
October 24, 2025: I receive the projector from NothingProjector.com, and the test can begin. I hope to complete the written test in a week, and it will probably take another week to publish the video test on YouTube.Why this projector?
With a price tag of around €800, this Xiaomi Laser Projector 3 enters the territory of the XGIMI Mogo 4 Laser, and that's interesting because on paper the Xiaomi should outperform the XGIMI...in theory anyway. Xiaomi claims 1000 lumens and 1600:1 contrast, which is quite rare in this price range. It certainly won't have the flexibility of the XGIMI and it doesn't have a battery, but this type of projector could be suitable for a wide audience. At this stage of the test, all this is very theoretical, but that's what I suggest you check out in the next few paragraphs.Unpacking
The box suffered a little on the journey, it must have done part of the trip crushed under a heavier box. Fortunately, the projector is very well packed and I did not notice any damage to it. The box contains the projector, a USB charger with European adapter, a remote control, two AAA batteries and a manual...in Chinese
Operating system
Not yet available / tested
Finish
This Xiaomi Laser Projector 3 marks a complete break with previous generations; Xiaomi has completely departed from what they've done in the past to take on a format that's fashionable at the moment, a flip-flop format. The projector has a metallic color that gives it an impression of solidity, but it's all plastic. It's also very light, weighing less than 3 kilos.
The toggle allows it to be tilted into the ceiling position and even a little beyond 90°, and the same is true in the other direction. The projector can be rotated through 130°
The optical compartment looks very imposing with this opening, but this is mainly a visual effect because the optical compartment is no larger than most other projectors of this type. This projector uses a 0.47 DMD chip, as do many other, more expensive projectors, and this is an advantage over the XGIMI Mogo 4 Laser, as it enables a larger image to be displayed without a grid effect
Rear connectivity is limited to the minimum, with only a USB port, a headphone output and an eARC HDMI port. As this is the Chinese version, you're going to have to associate an external HDMI solution with it, thus condemning this output without being able to connect anything else to the projector. This is probably not a problem for most buyers, but if you intend to connect a Blu-ray player or an amplifier, you'll have to plug and unplug the cable every time.
At the rear, there's a huge ventilation grille, which doesn't necessarily mean that this projector will be noisy - I'll come back to this point later in the review. Laser projectors are less power-hungry, so they don't generate as much heat as their LCD equivalents.
On top, there's nothing out of the ordinary, just the logo and a label on a perfectly smooth surface. The ignition button is on the back
The base is fixed, which means it can't rotate on itself like XGIMI's latest rocker projectors. You can therefore turn it up or down, but not sideways, without turning the projector completely.
You can use this projector with a tripod, as the screw thread on the underside of the base is quite standard.
The remote control is ultra-basic, made entirely of plastic, and the buttons are not illuminated. If you're using an external HDMI device, you probably won't need it except to switch to HDMI port 1. It remains to be seen whether it will be possible to access the menus in Chinese to manipulate the projector's settings and improve image quality.
Projection room
My projection room is rectangular, 4.6m by 2.9m (height 2.2m). I have two projection walls, one white wall 2.9m wide with just white paint with a possible 4m setback. I then have a 133 inch ALR screen on another wall with a possible setback of 2.8m. I mainly use the ALR screen except when the layout or type of projector is not suitable for this situation.Battery autonomy
Not yet available / testedPower consumption
Not yet available / testedOperating noise
Not yet available / testedImage quality
Not yet available / testedColorimetry
More explanations on colorimetry
Measuring color fidelity (colorimetry) is not a subjective question, it is something completely measurable. This measurement is carried out with a device (colorimeter, spectrometer, ...) which measures the difference between the real color and the displayed color. This difference is expressed in delta E (abbreviation: dE). A dE greater than 3 indicates a deviation perceptible to the human eye.
The dE must therefore be as low as possible but projectors rarely have a dE lower than 3 out of the box. They are often between 5 and 10, only a calibration can correctly adjust the colors.
For a perfect calibration, you must call a professional. I give you my parameters which correspond to my situation. These settings might work for your situation but it is not a guarantee, so take them as an indication of the direction to follow.
Not yet available / tested
Image Settings
Not yet available / tested
Brightness
More explanations on brightness
The brightness for a projector is absolutely crucial. The brightness is measured in ANSI lumens and the values provided by the manufacturer are very often higher than reality.
I measure the brightness with a lux meter and I convert my measurements into ANSI lumens in relation to the projection surface. You thus obtain a real value.
A video projector, even if it is bright, cannot compete with a television. The contribution of light (natural or artificial) will have the effect of drastically reducing the contrast of your image. With a brightness lower than 1000 ANSI lumens, the projector must be used in total darkness.
Not yet available / tested
Sharpness
Not yet available / tested
Contrast
More explanations on contrast
Contrast (on/off) is used to measure the difference between white and black. This measurement gives an indication of the ability of a projector to produce a good rendering in dark scenes.
A contrast lower than 500:1 should be considered as a very low contrast and the consequence will be especially visible in dark scenes where you will lose details. This is less of a problem for sports, bright films or even cartoons.
A low contrast ratio does not mean that a projector is not usable, you just have to be aware that for films like Aliens, dark scenes will no longer allow you to distinguish details.
Not yet available / tested
Motion compensation
More on Motion Compensation (MEMC)
Many projectors use a frequency of 60 Hz, which means that they broadcast 60 frames per second. Many films were designed to broadcast 24 frames per second. This means that for each second, the film does not have enough frames to fill the 60 frames broadcast by the projector.
This most often results in a jerkiness in the image. Some projectors are able to attenuate this jerkiness with a motion compensation system (also called MEMC). If you abuse this compensation, you will get what is called the 'soap opera' effect which makes the image a little artificial like the TV series of the 80s.
Not yet available / tested
Image size and projection distance
More explanations on the projection distance
The projection distance determines the size of the image and the size of the image is determined by the projector's throw ratio. If a projector has a throw ratio of 1.2, it will have an image width of 83 cm with possibly a gray border.
The distance also plays a role in the brightness because the brightness decreases with the square of the distance. A projector placed at 4 meters will therefore lose 4 times more brightness than a projector placed at 2 meters.
Keystone image correction does not modify the projection cone, it resizes the image inside the projection cone. This means that in the event of a significant correction, you will see a large gray border appear around your image.
Not yet available / tested
Screen choice
Not yet available / tested
Audio quality
More explanations on audio quality
I use several types of music tracks to illustrate the sound quality of the projector but the rendering will always be limited by the recording device. Since I always use the same device, you will be able to compare the difference on the same basis.
I regularly use well-known songs protected by copyright to illustrate the sound quality of a video projector. It therefore sometimes happens that YouTube decides to block my videos for these reasons. In this case, you can listen to the soundtracks directly on YouTube and hope that YouTube has not completely blocked my channel.
Not yet available / tested
Video games
More explanations video games
To be able to play in good conditions with a projector, the latency must be low. Latency is the reaction time between pressing a button on your controller and the reaction on the screen, this latency is expressed in milliseconds and is also called 'input lag'.
I measure this latency with a specialized device. To be able to play fast-paced FPS-type games online, you need to obtain a latency of less than 30 ms. For games where the reaction time is less important, a latency of less than 100ms should be suitable for most situations.
I generally test ShadowRunner from Geforce Now on my Nvidia Shield except when this is not possible. I'm not used to playing with a controller, so I'm not very good at it, but the point is to show the projector's ability, not mine.
Not yet available / tested
Encoutered bugs
Not yet available / testedALR/CLR Projection screen
Are you looking for a good ALR/CLR screen for your projector? I may have what you need:ALR/CLR NothingProjector Screen
Test / Review conclusion
Not yet available / testedStrengths
Not yet available / tested
Weaknesses
Not yet available / tested
LAURENT WILLENHead of myself on this blog
I share my passions on my blog in my free time since 2006, I prefer that to watching nonsense on TV or on social networks. I work alone, I am undoubtedly one of the last survivors of the world of blogs and personal sites.
My speciality? Digital in all its forms. I have spent the last 25 years working for multinationals where I managed digital teams and generated revenues of over €500 million per year. I have expertise in telecoms, media, aviation, travel and tourism.
Questions/Comments