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TCL’s new PlayCube isn’t just another portable projector—it’s one of the more unusual designs we’ve seen in a while. After showing it off as a concept earlier this year, the company has now fully launched it with specs, pricing, and availability. And while the portable projector market is already crowded, the PlayCube’s Rubik’s Cube-inspired design helps it stand out in a sea of black rectangles.
Instead of a standard box with a fixed lens, the PlayCube is made of two connected blocks. One contains the projection hardware, the other the speaker, and they’re attached by a hinge that lets you rotate them up to 90 degrees. That means you can easily point the image at a wall, screen, or even the ceiling, without dragging out a tripod or stand.
It also has some built-in smarts to help with setup. The projector automatically focuses, corrects the keystone angle, and even adjusts the image if it detects an obstacle. For anyone who’s fought with aligning a projector before movie night, those little touches could make a difference.
On the technical side, the PlayCube uses a 0.33-inch DLP chip to deliver a 1080p Full HD picture. You can get screen sizes between 30 and 150 inches, depending on distance. The Osram tri-color LED light source outputs 750 ISO lumens. That’s bright enough for evening viewing and controlled indoor settings, though it’s not designed to compete with midday sunlight.
Color reproduction is one of TCL’s talking points here. The PlayCube covers 124% of the Rec.709 color gamut and comes with the company’s ImmersiColor technology, which tweaks brightness and contrast to suit different types of content.
Since it runs Google TV, the PlayCube comes with streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video ready to go. It also supports voice search through Google Assistant and screen mirroring if you want to cast content from your phone.
One limitation is storage. There’s only 16GB of internal memory, so downloading a lot of shows for offline viewing isn’t really practical. Fortunately, the projector has a full-size HDMI port and USB input, so you can always plug in an external device.
The built-in 5-watt speaker is powered by Dolby Digital Plus, which should be fine for casual use. TCL also includes a few EQ presets if you want to tweak the sound. But if you’re after a bigger audio experience, the PlayCube has options: you can connect a speaker via the 3.5mm headphone jack or go wireless with Bluetooth 5.0.
Wi-Fi 5 is built in for streaming, and there’s also HDMI and USB for connecting additional gear. TCL says the projector runs at less than 26 decibels of noise, which should be quiet enough not to distract from what you’re watching.
At 5.9 x 3.8 x 3.8 inches and 2.7 pounds, the PlayCube is small enough to toss into a backpack. TCL clearly sees it as something you might take camping, use in a dorm, or set up in the backyard.
The built-in 66Wh battery should last up to three hours per charge—enough for most movies. And if you’re in a rush, the fast-charging feature gives you about an hour of playback from just a 30-minute charge.
Technical Specifications:
The TCL PlayCube is up for pre-order in the U.S. on Amazon for $799, with an early coupon that drops the price to $699. Shipping is expected to start later this month, with Amazon listing dates between September 21 and October 13.
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