YABER Pro Y9 4K Projector Review

I’ve been on the hunt for a good gaming projector for a while now, so when YABER came to me with the offer to review their YABER Pro Y9 4K Projector, I was curious. But what’s it like to set this projector up? How is the picture quality? And how’s the reaction time from a gaming device’s input to the projection? Find out in our YABER Pro Y9 4K Projector Review.

YABER Pro Y9 4K Projector Review - The Specs

The YABER Pro Y9 4K Projector is a small, sleek looking projector that the company touts as portable. And though it doesn’t come with wireless functionality or anything of that nature, its lightweight design and included carrying backpack do indeed make it easy to tote around.

Setting up the projector was a breeze, thanks to its user-friendly interface and Keystone Correction. With this Keystone Correction feature, I was able to achieve a perfectly aligned and rectangular image, even in situations where placing the projector centrally was challenging. 

On startup, the projector snaps into life quickly, and the picture quality is bright and crisp. I tested this in an indoor setting at night with the lights on, and we were able to clearly see the whole picture, with no fading or washed out moments. With the lights off, the picture is (as you’d expect) even more vibrant. 

The technical specs of this projector say that it has 500 ANSI lumens of brightness, and while I don’t really know what that means - I’m no technical wizard here - the result is a stunning picture with clean, clear colors. Based on the size of the projector, I'm not sure how well it would work over a large distance. I feel like - though I wasn't able to test this - the image quality would dip if it had to project too far. But for use in any given home or apartment, or even outdoors in a backyard situation, it's perfectly powered.

The projector also boasts powerful WiFi connectivity, resulting in very smooth, seamless screen mirroring functionality that 

From a sound perspective, while it’s easy to connect to wireless speakers via bluetooth, the built-in speaker is loud and perfectly suited for indoor viewing. I didn’t test this outside, so its hard to say how it would compete with the sounds of nature, but as a point of “white noise” comparison, we had window-unit air conditioning and fans going while using the YABER Pro Y9, and the sound was still loud and clear.

The one strange issue, and I’ve seen other people writing about this online, is that when watching certain shows or films on streaming services while using the built-in speaker, I needed to switch the audio setting in the streaming app to regular surround sound, and not 5.1., as the built-in speakers seemed to not recognize the hi-fi sound.

YABER Pro Y9 4K Projector Review - Is It Good For Gaming?

And while it was great to watch Netflix, Youtube, and other streamers on the YABER (we connected a Roku to the projector and it worked seamlessly), where the projector really shines is gaming.

In the past, when playing games on projectors, I could really feel that lag that comes from device to screen. But with the YABER, I immediately noticed how fast and responsive the whole process was.

Playing with a Switch plugged into the projector, input commands immediately played out on the screen near-instantaneously, and I didn’t notice any lag at all.

I also wanted to test the difference between running different kinds of games, so I started my review by playing a bunch of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, and was delighted to see the bright colors of the game really pop on the projector. 

Playing the game was a blast on the big screen, and the projector's speakers meant that ever little whoop! ha! and wahoo! rang out into the air.

I wanted to contrast this colorful experience with a game with darker color tones, to see how it would handle a more muted palette. So, as I always seem to do, I went back to Dark Souls Remastered. Here's where I was finally, fully sold on the YABER. Even in the grimmest, darkest regions of Undead Burg, the picture came through perfectly.

YABER Pro Y9 4K Projector Review - Final Thoughts

What really impressed me most in my YABER Pro Y9 4K Projector review was that, with all of the above praised I heaped on it, this was all with me not having the ideal setup. What I mean by that is, I don't have a projector screen, and I don't even have a proper shelf to project with. Yet. Thanks to the YABER Pro Y9, I'm now officially a "projector guy." The bright and clear picture, fast responsiveness, lack of lag, and ease of setup has made me want to run out and buy a proper screen, shelving, and any other accessories I can to get the most out of this projector.

Should I Buy The YABER Pro Y9 4K Projector?

If you're in the market for a projector for use mostly indoors, at closer ranges, and with a focus on gaming, the YABER Pro Y9 4K Projector could be the perfect projector for you. With its easy setup and powerful picture and sound capabilities, it should be more than capable of fitting right in with your home (and its minimal design won't clash with your decor). If, on the other hand, you're looking for something with more power, better for projecting across long distances, you may want to find a more powerful (and more expensive) option.

The YABER PRO Y9 4K Projector has an MSRP of $199.99 USD on Amazon, with a $60 coupon code built-in for Prime members. In addition, TechRaptor readers can use code YABERY9C for an additional $10 off. To learn more check out the listing on Amazon.

The YABER Pro Y9 4k Projector used in the creation of this review was provided by YABER. The author tested the projector over a week of consecutive use, testing the screen mirroring, device synch, and gaming latency. All photographs courtesy of the author.