Most projectors make you choose. You can have a big picture, or you can have a fast one. You can have brightness, or you can have black levels. JMGO‘s IRIS Ultra Max says you can have all of it at once. It is the first smart projector to run true 4K at a full 120Hz refresh rate, from the HDMI input all the way to the wall. It debuted at IFA 2026, and it started shipping to pre-order customers on October 19. I have not used one yet, so this is a launch report, not a review. But the spec sheet reads like someone finally built the projector gamers and movie lovers have both been asking for.
The Picture: 6,500 Lumens and a Triple-Laser Engine
The heart of the IRIS Ultra Max is JMGO’s MALC 6.0 triple-laser engine. It uses separate red, green, and blue lasers instead of a single laser and a phosphor wheel. The result is up to 6,500 ISO lumens of brightness, which is enough to hold a picture in a room that is not pitch black. The claimed native contrast is 10,000:1, helped by a 15-blade dual iris system and AI Dynamic Black Level processing that adjusts laser output scene by scene. Color coverage is 110 percent of BT.2020, with color accuracy rated at Delta E of 0.7 or better. Dolby Vision HDR is supported at full 4K and 120Hz. The image scales from 40 inches to 300 inches, so it can replace a television outright or turn a blank wall into a personal theater.
The Gimbal Changes Where a Projector Can Live
The part I keep coming back to is the motorized gimbal. It pans a full 360 degrees and tilts 150 degrees, so the projector can aim at a wall, a ceiling, or a screen from an off-center spot on a shelf. It pairs with a 0.88 to 1.7 to 1 optical zoom and four-way lens shift, plus autofocus and AI screen fitting that squares the image up on its own. You do not need a ceiling mount, a perfectly centered table, or a weekend of keystone fiddling. You set it down, and it finds the picture. It weighs 7kg, so it is movable rather than portable in the backpack sense, but it is easy enough to carry from the living room to the bedroom. Noise is rated at 26dB or less, which should fade behind the movie.
Built for Gaming, Not Just Movie Night
This is where the IRIS Ultra Max separates itself from every other bright projector I have seen. Both HDMI 2.1 ports carry a full 4K signal at 120Hz, and one supports eARC for passing audio to a soundbar or receiver. Input latency is rated at 1ms, with variable refresh rate and auto low latency mode in Game Mode. The game menu pops up automatically when a console connects. JMGO built in seven crosshair options and different visual modes for FPS, RPG, racing, and sports games. It is made for a PS5, an Xbox Series X, or a high-end PC, and the 120Hz refresh rate means fast motion stays smooth instead of smearing.
That is the thing projectors have always given up to TVs. This one does not.
Everything Else in the Box
Google TV 5.0 is built in, so Netflix, Prime Video, and the rest run without a streaming stick. The two 12.5W speakers support Dolby Audio and DTS-X, and they reach down to 35Hz on the bass end, which is better than most projector speakers. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 are on board, along with USB 3.0 and a 3.5mm audio jack. The whole thing runs on JMGO’s MT9679 chipset with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It is a complete home theater in one box, and the only thing it needs from you is a wall.
The Price, and the Cheaper Sibling
The IRIS Ultra Max is $3,299, against a $3,499 list price. It is available now from JMGO’s official store and Amazon, with deliveries that started October 19. There is also a step-down model, the IRIS Ultra, at $2,199. It keeps the same 4K at 120Hz core, optical zoom, and lens shift, but drops to 4,500 lumens and 7,000:1 contrast and loses the smart gimbal positioning. For a dedicated dark theater room, the Ultra might be enough. For a bright living room and a gaming setup, the Max is the one to get. I have not used either one yet. But if the spec sheet holds up in real rooms, this is the projector that finally lets one box do movie night and game night without compromise.
