Is the NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII worth buying?
The Aurora Pro MKII is an enthusiast's projector at a mid-range price. NexiGo states a 4,000:1 native contrast, rising past 30,000:1 with its dynamic iris and laser dimming, 107% of BT.2020, Dolby Vision and HDR10+, 60 W of sound with Dolby Atmos, and one of the most complete input lag disclosures here: 4.2 ms at 1080p/240 Hz, 17.6 ms at 4K/60. The projector alone was $2,299.99 on November 13, 2026; with a 100-inch Fresnel ALR screen, $2,499.99. The catch: the page names no smart TV system, the warranty is one year, and no return window is stated.
Buy it if
- You watch in a dark room and want deep blacks without paying AWOL prices
- You game and want real numbers at both 1080p and 4K before you buy
- You already use an Apple TV, a Fire TV stick or a console for streaming
Skip it if
- You want everything built in: the Hisense PT1 has Google TV and a 2-year warranty for $300 less
- Your room is bright: 2,400 lumens is on the low side; look at the JMGO O2S Ultra
Why do home theater fans like this projector?
Black level. A projector can't switch pixels off the way an OLED TV does, so in a dark room the "black" bars above and below a movie glow dark gray. How gray depends on native contrast. Most DLP ultra short throws state 3,000:1. NexiGo states 4,000:1 native, then adds a dynamic iris and laser dimming (it calls the system Scene Adapt Engine) for more than 30,000:1 on dark scenes.
The projectors that state more all cost $3,499 or more. That is why the MKII sits No. 8 of 9 in our ranking of UST projectors for home theater despite a modest 2,400 lumens. In a dark room, contrast is the number you see; brightness you turn down.
How honest are the gaming numbers?
More than most. NexiGo's headline is "4.2 to 8 ms", and unlike several rivals it tells you where that comes from: measured at 1080p/240 Hz in low-latency mode. Then it gives the figure most brands leave out: 17.6 ms at 4K/60. That second number is what a PS5 or Xbox owner playing at 4K will actually get, and under 20 ms is still comfortable for anything short of tournament play.
What the page doesn't list is VRR or ALLM, so plan to switch modes by hand. For the side-by-side with a rival that documents less but includes more, see Hisense PT1 vs NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII.
Video: "Can the Nexigo Aurora Pro MKII Beat the Hisense PX3-Pro and Formovie Theater Premium?", The Hook Up on YouTube. Not made by us; chosen because it shows the projector or the topic clearly.
What's in the box?
NexiGo's product page doesn't list the box contents for the projector-only option. The bundle option adds the 100-inch Cinematic Fresnel screen; other options on the page add a sliding tray and 3D glasses.
How do you set it up?
It is a big cabinet: 22 lb, 21.5 inches wide and 16 inches deep. With a 0.21:1 throw ratio, the lens plane sits about 18.3 inches from the screen for 100 inches. Mount the screen, slide the projector until the image fills the frame, then connect your streaming box to HDMI 1 if you use eARC for a soundbar, or to any of the three HDMI 2.1 ports. Switch to low-latency mode yourself before gaming.
For another picture size, our throw distance calculator works out the gap between lens and screen for the Aurora Pro MKII.
What does it really cost?
Three small ones add up. A streaming stick or box if you don't have one ($30 to $130). Shipping, calculated at checkout. And the warranty: 1 year as standard, with NexiGo selling an extra year (2 in total) or two (3 in total). On the plus side, the Fresnel screen bundle at $2,499.99 was the cheapest projector-plus-ALR-screen package among the brands we compare on November 13, 2026.
Per 1,000 lumens claimed, that is $958: the figure our tie-break uses when two projectors land on the same score.
What do we like, and what should you know?
- 4,000:1 native contrast, per NexiGo: the highest stated figure under $3,000 on our list, tied with JMGO
- Input lag published twice: 4.2 ms at 1080p/240 Hz, 17.6 ms at 4K/60
- Dolby Vision and HDR10+ with 107% of BT.2020
- 60 W speakers with Dolby Atmos; three HDMI 2.1 ports; 3D
- A 100-inch Fresnel ALR screen adds only $200 to the price
The catch: NexiGo's page doesn't name a built-in smart TV platform; its own video guide shows how to add a Fire TV stick. The warranty is 1 year unless you buy an extension, the return window isn't on the product page, and shipping is calculated at checkout. Brightness is 2,400 lumens, with no ISO or ANSI label.
NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII specifications
| Price | $2,299.99 at NexiGo, checked November 13, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Shipping | Shipping calculated at checkout |
| Light source | Tri-color laser (ALPD 5.0) |
| Brightness | 2,400 lumens, per NexiGo |
| Resolution | 4K UHD (3840 × 2160) |
| Imaging chip | DLP |
| Native contrast | 4,000:1 native (over 30,000:1 with the iris and laser dimming) |
| Color gamut | 107% BT.2020 |
| HDR formats | Dolby Vision, HDR10+ |
| Throw ratio | 0.21:1 |
| Lens to screen | 18.3 in for a 100-inch picture, 22 in for 120 inches |
| Picture size | Not stated |
| Focus | Not stated |
| Alignment | Manual keystone |
| Input lag | 4.2 ms at 1080p/240 Hz, 17.6 ms at 4K/60, per NexiGo |
| Gaming features | 120 Hz |
| Inputs | 3 HDMI 2.1 (eARC on HDMI 1) |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Smart TV | Smart platform not named on the page; NexiGo's own guide walks through adding a Fire TV stick or Apple TV |
| Speakers | 60 W, Dolby Atmos |
| 3D | Supported, per NexiGo |
| Fan noise | No dB figure |
| Size (W × D × H) | 21.5 × 16 × 4.8 in |
| Weight | 22 lb |
| Laser life | 30,000 hours, per NexiGo |
| Warranty | 1 year (NexiGo sells an extra year that brings the total to 2) |
| Returns | Return window not stated on the product page |
| Screen bundle | Aurora Pro MKII + 100-inch Cinematic Fresnel screen: $2,499.99 on November 13, 2026 |
| Price per 1,000 lumens | $958 per 1,000 lumens |
"Not stated" means NexiGo doesn't publish the figure on the pages we read on November 13, 2026.
Why 8.5/10? The score, criterion by criterion
Each criterion is marked from the figure NexiGo publishes; anything it doesn't publish gets the lowest mark. The weighted result is placed on our 7.5 to 9.6 scale. This projector rounded to the same figure as the one ranked just above it; the published tie-break (price per 1,000 lumens, then warranty) places it one step below, so that no two projectors show the same score. The scales and the weights are on our methodology page.
| Price, against the catalog median (dated, US) (20%) | Good |
|---|---|
| Brightness (lumens claimed by the brand) (20%) | Average |
| Picture: color gamut, native contrast, HDR formats (20%) | Strong |
| Gaming: input lag, 120 Hz, VRR, ALLM (10%) | Average |
| Placement: throw ratio, picture size, focus and alignment aids (10%) | Weak |
| Smart TV and sound: streaming apps, speakers, Atmos, eARC (10%) | Average |
| Warranty and return window (10%) | Weak |
How much is the NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII, and where do you buy it?
$2,299.99 on NexiGo's own US store on November 13, 2026. Price of the projector alone ("No screen" option) on NexiGo's store on November 13, 2026. With NexiGo's 100-inch Cinematic Fresnel screen the page showed $2,499.99.
If that is more than you planned, the XGIMI AURA 2 costs $2,239 and scores 8.4/10. We link to the brand's store because that is where we read the price and the stock.
What should you ask NexiGo first?
- What is the return window, and who pays return shipping on the projector and on the screen?
- What does shipping to my ZIP code cost?
- Which smart TV system, if any, is built in, and which apps does it run?
- How much does the extra-year warranty cost?
Which projectors should you compare it with?
The two closest in price: XGIMI AURA 2 ($2,239, 8.4/10) and JMGO O2S Ultra ($2,199, 8.7/10). Put all three side by side.
Head-to-heads: Formovie Theater Premium vs NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII, Hisense PT1 vs NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII.
Rankings with this projector: best ultra short throw projectors, best ust projector for gaming, ust projector with screen, best ust projector for home theater.
Guides that mention it or help you decide: ALR screens for UST projectors.
Where do these figures come from?
- nexigo.com/products/nexigo-aurora-pro-mkii-ust-tri-co…, read November 13, 2026
