What you need to know
- Samsung just announced a new projector that can stream Xbox Cloud Gaming, NVIDIA GeForce Now, and other gaming services without a console.
- The Samsung Freestyle Gen 2 can span across a screen of up to 100 inches.
- You can pair the Freestyle Gen 2 with a battery base for a portable entertainment experience.
Gamers have a new option for enjoying their favorite titles on a massive screen. Samsung just unveiled the Freestyle Gen 2 projector, which can create a screen between 30 and 100 inches. The projector’s 1080p resolution and 60Hz refresh rate aren’t enough to compete with the best TVs for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, but the Freestyle Gen 2 has other advantages.
Samsung’s Freestyle Gen 2 costs $799.99. That’s more expensive than most small televisions but is a much more affordable price than what you’d pay for a TV as large as the 100 inches the projector can span across. Samsung’s new gadget can also do something many televisions cannot, allow you to game without a console.
The Freestyle Gen 2 features Samsung Gaming Hub, which includes cloud gaming services such as Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now. You can connect a Bluetooth controller to the Freestyle Gen 2 and get to gaming right away (assuming you have an internet connection and an appropriate subscription).
In addition to its gaming hub, the Freestyle Gen 2 includes entertainment services such as Netflix and Hulu.
If you do want to hook up a physical device, that’s an option as well. Samsung’s Freestyle Gen 2 has a single micro-HDMI port that can work with a console, PC, or other devices, though you’ll need an adapter or a specific cable.
Samsung’s new projector plugs into an outlet for power, but you can also use it with a battery base. That Freestyle Battery Base has a 32,000mAh battery and can also be used to charge other devices, such as a phone. It costs $189.99 though, so pairing it with a Freestyle Gen 2 will cost you almost $1,000.
The Freestyle Gen 2 is available for preorder now and will start shipping on September 1, 2023. If you preorder before the launch date, you’ll get a Freestyle Case at no additional cost.
