Optoma has taken the wraps off an innovative portable Ultra Short Throw projector that marks the debut of a whole new “groundbreaking” projector series.
The laser-lit Optoma Photon Go, which can be seen at The Bristol Show in the UK today (Friday February 20, 2025), is engineered from the ground up to deliver on-the-go entertainment – despite the challenges associated with delivering UST projectors that are both small enough to easily move around, and easy to set up.
On the portability front, the Photon Go measures in at just 252(w) x 157(d) x 62(h)mm, and weighs just 1.72kg. These are all remarkably low numbers for any projector, never mind an ultra short throw model where a complex internal lens system is required to bounce the image around so that it’s able to emerge at a substantial size without needing much external throw distance.
The Photon Go also sports an integrated battery pack supporting 1.5 hours of true wireless playback anywhere, while the simple fact that you can place the Photon Go close to your wall (a 100-inch image is possible from less than 25cm) rather than having to find somewhere for it in the middle of your room instantly enhances its portable convenience factor.
It also supports auto keystone and focus features that should give you a sharp and clear image instantly without the significant amount of manual fine tuning usually required with UST projectors.
The Photon Go doesn’t even require an external source thanks to its built-in Google TV smart system. This carries thousands of apps including most of the world’s most popular streaming services – though if you do fancy attaching a games console or Blu-ray player, the Photon Go’s connections include an HDMI 2.0 port alongside a USB-C power input, an RJ45 control port, and USB-A power and optical digital audio outputs.
There’s no need to attach the Proton Go to an external audio system, either, as it carries a dual 10W built-in speaker system with Dolby Audio support. The projector even supports Bluetooth streaming if you’re in the mood for music rather than a movie.
As usual with Optoma projectors, the 1080p-resolution Proton Go uses DLP technology, while its triple RGB laser lighting system makes it a long-lasting solution that won’t need any lamp replacements over the course of its 20,000-hour claimed lifespan. The laser lighting also unlocks a claimed 150% of the DCI-P3 color spectrum, 650 lumens of brightness (1,200 using the so-called HK brightness scale developed to reflect the way laser projectors typically appear significantly brighter than regular single laser and lamp projectors that claim the same Lumens brightness level), plus a native 800:1 contrast ratio and a dynamic contrast ratio of 2,500,000:1.
The Optoma Photon Go is set to go on sale in April 2025. Pricing in Europe and the U.K. is confirmed at €999 and £899 respectively, and while U.S. pricing is yet to be announced, a simple currency conversion suggests it should be somewhere around $1,100. I will update this article with the official U.S. price as soon as it’s available.
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