TCL’s PlayCube projector is more fun than a Rubik’s Cube

The best portable projector is one that makes all the right compromises. It needs to balance picture and sound quality with battery life and responsiveness in a device that isn’t too expensive and too small to take anywhere. TCL’s fun little PlayCube delivers the right mix to justify paying $800 for a 1080p projector in 2026.

I tested the TCL PlayCube running 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 was inspired by the Rubik’s Cube. Just turn it whenever you need to lift the image over obstacles. Alternatively, you can mount it on a tripod via the threaded connector on the bottom, or flip it on its back for ceiling viewing while sleeping. The PlayCube also features all the automatic adjustment 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 ISO lumens isn’t bright for a home theater projector, but it’s plenty bright for a portable 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 inches) and 1.3 kg (2.7 pounds).

It’s bright enough to watch videos during the day when all those lumens are focused into a tight 30-inch rectangle inside my van, or 100 inches when projected against it at night. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the color-adjustment tech found on Samsung’s new (battery-less) Freestyle+ projector, so a bluish-gray hue affects the palette. Regardless, it was still very watchable.

Audio produced by the PlayCube’s lone 5W speakers is fine. There’s no stereo separation, but it’s loud enough to fill a room. It just lacks fullness, warmth and detail. Florence and the Machine and Kendrick Lamar’s music sounds fast and thin. The screeching tires, gunfire, and explosions from the 007 chase scene made for a messy soundtrack, but it was still enjoyable. The sound is harsher than 60% volume, which is still quite loud. During a night of outdoor movies, I felt compelled to set the volume higher than 20 percent to avoid disturbing the nearest neighbor about 50 meters away.

Alternatively, you can connect more headphones or self-powered speakers to the audio jack or Bluetooth. The projector can also be used as a Bluetooth speaker, which turns off the lamp but, annoyingly, not the fan. This fan produces 27dB when measured at a distance of one meter, which is fairly quiet for a projector but still noticeable during moments.

Runtime on the PlayCube’s 66WH battery was 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 in the projector’s brightest mode, while streaming. the aviator More than Netflix, a movie that runs 2 hours and 50 minutes. It also works with USB-C power banks if you need even more time. The PlayCube went from zero to full in 104 minutes with a 65W USB-C charger.

I experienced wild swings in battery life during my four months of testing, which I think can be attributed to TCL’s power management in standby mode. A short press on the power button puts the projector to sleep, allowing it to wake up in less than 30 seconds. In standby, the fan spins periodically, which consumes energy – which may be why I noticed severe battery drain when vaneleafing in hot climates. When I returned home to a milder temperature, the problem disappeared. A firmware update may have helped as well.

Regardless, you can long press the power button for a full shutdown to avoid any phantom power drain in standby. The PlayCube then takes about 80 seconds to boot up, but can be sped up by turning off some of the automatic screen adjustment features.

Like most battery-powered projectors, the user interface can be slow at times. Sometimes it takes a frustrating second or two before Google TV will respond to navigation commands from the remote control. The automatic image adjustment features are also slow rather than kicking. But when I am grateful for them, even if the obstacles can be avoided or missed. Fortunately, everything can still be fixed manually.

TCL says the PlayCube is “specifically designed for camping projection.” That makes me—an avid winelifer—his prime target, and I’m impressed. At $799.99, TCL’s PlayCube projector isn’t cheap, but you won’t usually find this combination of minimal brightness, battery life, and portability. xgimi’s Halo+ comes close to the same price, only in a bigger package that offers better stereo sound but shorter battery life… but it’s currently on sale for just $449, which is a great deal.

Photography by Thomas Ricker/The Verge