The best all-in-one portable projector is one that makes all the right compromises. It needs to balance picture and sound quality, battery life, and responsiveness in a device that’s not too expensive and small enough to carry anywhere. TCL’s fun little PlayCube game It offers just the right combination to justify paying $800 for a 1080p projector in 2026.
I tested the TCL PlayCube powering Google TV during a two-month road trip, and then again for a few months at home. It’s so small, adaptable, and fun that I had no problem setting it up at a moment’s notice, day or night, wherever I was.
TCL says the PlayCube’s 90-degree rotating design is inspired by the Rubik’s Cube. Just twist it when you need to raise the image above obstacles. Otherwise, you can mount it on a tripod via the threaded connector at the bottom, or flip it on its back side for ceiling viewing at bedtime. The PlayCube also features all the autofocus modes you’d expect in a modern portable projector, including focus, keystone correction, obstacle avoidance, screen detection, and eye protection.
Another notable thing about the PlayCube is its brightness. 750 lumen ISO isn’t bright for a home theater projector, but it’s very bright for a portable device that fits easily in the palm of your hand, measuring 149.8 x 96.6 x 96.6 mm (5.90 x 3.80 x 3.80 in) and 1.3 kg (2.7 lbs).
It’s bright enough for watching videos during the day when all those lumens are focused into a tight 30-inch rectangle inside my truck, or at 100 inches when projected onto it at night. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the color adaptive technology found in Samsung’s new Freestyle+ projector (no battery), so the blue-gray body affected the panel. Regardless, it was still very watchable.
The sound produced by the PlayCube’s single 5-watt speaker is good. There’s no stereo separation, but it’s loud enough to fill the room. It just lacks fullness, warmth and detail. Music from Florence and the Machine and Kendrick Lamar sounds sharp and delicate. The loud tires, gunshots, and explosions from 007’s chase scene produced a somewhat distorted soundscape, but it was still enjoyable. The sound is uncomfortably harsh above 60 percent volume, which is still quite loud. During one outdoor movie night, I felt compelled to set the volume no higher than 20 percent to avoid disturbing the nearest neighbor about 50 meters away.
Alternatively, you can connect headphones or self-powered speakers through the audio jack or via Bluetooth. The projector can also be used as a Bluetooth speaker, annoyingly turning off the lamp but not the fan. This fan produces 27 dB when measured at a distance of 1 meter, which is fairly quiet for a projector but still noticeable during static moments.
The PlayCube’s 66Wh battery runtime has been inconsistent, but it performed very well in recent tests. TCL claims up to three hours – I measured exactly three hours and one minute after a full charge on the projector’s brightest mode while streaming The pilot Via Netflix, 2 hours and 50 minutes film. It also works with USB-C power banks if you need more time. The PlayCube recharged from zero to full power in 104 minutes using a 65W USB-C charger.
I experienced significant shifts in battery life over four months of testing, which I think can be attributed to TCL’s power management in standby mode. A short press of the power button puts the projector into sleep mode, allowing it to wake up in less than 30 seconds. In standby mode, the fan spins periodically, sapping power — which may be why I saw severe battery drain when working in warmer climates. The problem went away when I returned to moderate temperatures at home. A firmware update may have helped as well.
Regardless, you can long press the power button for a complete shutdown to avoid any phantom power drain in standby mode. Powering up the PlayCube takes about 80 seconds, but this can be speeded up by turning off some automatic screen adjustment features.
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The user interface can also be sluggish at times, like most battery-powered projectors. Sometimes, Google TV takes a frustrating second or two before it responds to navigation commands from the remote. The autofocus features are also somewhat slow to operate. But I’m grateful when you do, even if the obstacles could have been avoided or missed. Fortunately, it’s still possible to adjust everything manually.
TCL says the PlayCube is “Specially designed for drop camping“. This makes me – an ardent lover of life – its primary purpose, and I came away very impressed. In $799.99, TCL Playcube The projector isn’t cheap, but you won’t typically find this combination of brightness, battery life, and portability for less. Xgimi’s Halo+ is close to the same price, just in a larger package that delivers improved stereo sound but shorter battery life… but it’s currently on sale For only $449which is a very good deal.
Photography by Thomas Ricker/The Verge