The Acer G550 Nitro is a projector designed for speed and smooth frames. Imagine going into a purchase expecting all the latest features that are available on modern projectors, but ending up with outdated ports, a lack of smart features, poor sound, and frankly, worrisome lamp life.

Sadly, this is the story of the Acer G550 Nitro, which only managed to hit a few bars in the game. This is a good thing, because there are plenty of non-speed related features that users should look for in a gaming projector.

Speaking of blinding, one thing should be made clear before proceeding: while you may have spotted 4K in the G550 Nitro's description, this is not a 4K projector; while it does support 4K input, it can switch the output of most input devices to the projector's native 1080p This will be of little use in most situations, as the output of most input devices can be switched to the projector's native 1080p. There is also no upscaling to 4K approximation like the BenQ TK700STi, only downscaling. Basically, when it does this, it is just drawing more processing power than it needs.

The G550 Nitro runs quite warm. Thankfully, there is no hot air coming into your eyes from the rear end, and there is a warning lamp to let you know that the lamps are getting too hot. Sadly, however, the lamps still have a short lifespan.

By our calculations, 3,500 hours is less than two years, assuming about five hours of use each night. This is far from the 20,000-30,000 hours we can expect with some of the best gaming projectors we have tested (open in new tab), although Acer claims that "Extreme Economy Mode" can extend lamp life to 12,000 hours but even then, the lamps are only warranted for one year. In addition, we were unable to find replacement lamps at online retailers.

Comparing the Acer G550 Nitro to the £1,200 BenQ X1300I (opens in new tab) with similar specs, it is indeed now available for much less (£420 at time of writing). And while the two essentially match in terms of 120Hz refresh rate and 8ms response time, and both tout HDMI 2.0, Nitro does not reach for other important quality-of-life features, as BenQ does.

As for software options, there is not much on the unit. To access game modes, etc., the Acer Display Widget (opens in a new tab) must be downloaded to the device being used. There is at least a rudimentary trapezoid correction feature, but it is very basic compared to many current projectors. Most competing products will automatically correct for this.

Also, the lack of Android TV is not a problem if you always have your gaming PC connected to the projector, but if you want to watch movies on Netflix without turning on your PC, this projector is not for you.

This is because the built-in speakers are weak, and you won't hear sound below 100 Hz or above 15 kHz. Brightness and contrast are also a bit lacking. In rooms with significant ambient light, the image can appear a bit white. Colors are vibrant: this is evident when playing Divinity: Original Sin 2. Ghosting is also quite minimal.

Still, even though the Acer G550 Nitro touts some impressive qualities that make it ideal for competitive gaming, it is very much a drag in today's market. Simply put, the G550 Nitro looks like it's past its prime: it's full of VGA ports and even has an old DB-9 port on the back. Since this type of connectivity is now legendary, there is a lot of almost useless stuff on the back where a more modern kit would have had DisplayPort or USB Type-C.

Sure, you can get them for much less than they cost these days, but they won't last that long as an option in this day and age. If you have a single-minded focus on retro or competitive gaming, it's a good budget option, but if you want to make the most of your money, spend a little more on something like the Xgimi Halo (opens in a new tab). The input latency is a bit higher and the refresh rate is limited to 60Hz, but for only a few hundred pounds more, you get something portable, sleek, and modern, with a much longer lamp life.

Frankly, if Acer thought they could distract from the Nitro's shortcomings by offering a small carry bag and a plastic shield for the lamp, they had other ideas.