I always associated the staid school projectors with poor resolution with “beamers”. Samsung The Freestyle or the Xgimi Halo+ challenges this idea, while the conservatively designed Xgimi Elfin relies on its inner values.

A projector with Mac loans

At first glance, the Xgimi Elfin is reminiscent of a white Apple Mac Mini. An almost square, compact footprint, rounded corners, no frills. You could also say that the Elfin does not stand out at all, unlike the Samsung The Freestyle or the Xgimi Halo+ want.

On the front, behind scratch-resistant glass, you will find the projector lens and some sensors for image correction. On the back are ventilation slots, a USB-A port, an HDMI connection and the power connection.

Although the device is very small and portable, this projector does not have a built-in battery, nor is it compatible with power banks. If you want to use the Elfin, you have to plug the supplied cable into the socket.

Xgimi Elfin
Dimensions: 19*19*5cm/ Weight: 900 grams
Playback Technique: 1-chip DLP technology / Light source: LEDs / Lamp life: 30,000 hours
Solution: 1,920 * 1,080 pixels / Screen size: 102cm to 507cm / throw ratio: 1:1.2 / Contrast: after / Brightness: 800 ANSI Lumens Corrections: Auto Level, Auto Keystone Correction, Obstacle Detection, Auto Focus, HDR10/ sound: integrated Harman Kardon stereo speakers (2x 3 W)
Operating system: Android TV 10.0 / App Store: Yes / Side Load: Yes / Voice control: yes (Google Assistant)
Connectivity: 1x HDMI; 1x USB-A; WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac; 1x 3.5mm jack Bluetooth 5.0, DLNA
Energy consumption: 65 watts

Scope of delivery and initial installation

The scope of delivery includes the projector, an Xgimi remote control, the power cable and detailed instructions. Setting up the Eflin is simple and based on Android phones. No wonder, because the projector uses a version of the mobile operating system that is adapted to the TV experience.

With YouTube, Disney+ or Amazon Prime, Android TV already comes with all major streaming services. Additional services and apps can be found in the small 16 GB internal memory via the Google Play Store. A small workaround is only necessary for Netflix, but Xgimi describes it in a specially printed manual.

A big minus in the Elfin lineup is the lack of a kickstand. The Halo+ has integrated this into the bottom, Samsung’s The Freestyle takes it even more radically. But the elf lies flat on the table like a bone, sticking bone out in front of him.

Fortunately, every tripod fits on the 3/4 thread of the Elfin. Depending on where you want to set up the compact projector, you’ll need a real tripod or small versions like the Manfrotto Pocket.

The Elfin eliminates the annoyance of the tripod and convinces with a good image. Depending on the time of day and the weather, the 800 ANSI lumens are enough to project a fairly powerful image onto the screen.

Image clarity and quality

When the sun shines, only a little bit can be seen. If a few clouds move in front of it, the overall impression is fair. The Xgimi projector only shows rich colors and high contrasts in a darkened room.

Thanks to the two 3-watt speakers from Harman Kardon, the sound is sufficient for the size of the device, although the Elfin falls a bit behind its “big brother” Halo+.

But apart from the missing battery, the somewhat weaker projection and the smaller speakers, the technology built into the Elfin is identical to that of the Halo+.

Game qualities – especially for retro

Therefore, this projector can display more than just media. The Google Play Store has a slew of games for download, including top-notch games like “Liberty City Stories” or “Chinatown Wars” from the GTA series.

The best way to expand your gaming capabilities is with the Retroarch multi-emulator, which brings your games from NES to SNES, MegaDrive, GameBoy to PlayStation to the big screen. ScummVM via sideload also makes point’n’click adventures easy to play. Solving criminal cases in “Baphomet’s Curse” or reliving the dystopia of “Beneath a Steel Sky” is a lot more appealing in the XXL view than playing on the small PC monitor.

If you are thirsty for other games, you can always use the sideload to load Android apps from unknown sources. What works and what doesn’t is a bit of a gamble. “Metal Slug 3” and “Sonic CD” ran immediately, but “Tomb Raider” kept crashing.

If you prefer to play new games, connect your Xbox Series S|X, PlayStation 5 or Switch to the projector via the HDMI connection. A low-latency mode shortens the time between controller input and image output, so even fast-paced competitive titles like “Call of Duty” can be played well.

Conclusion: Compact projector with unbeatable value for money

If you want to use a projector on the go or independently from the mains, you should use the Xgimi Halo+. But if you’re okay with the mini projector only being used stationary, you can save a lot of money here and still get a nice 1080p experience with rich colors, high contrasts and a huge selection of apps.

The Xgimi Elfin is available from EURONICS.