RATING
PERFORMANCE
FEATURES
ERGONOMICS
VALUE
SONY’S PROJECTOR lineup is notable for its use of the company’s full 4K-resolution (4,096 x 2,160-pixel) SXRD (Sony's term for LCOS) chips. It’s also been notable for featuring a 5K model—5K as in $5,000, the price for the line’s entry-level projector. Back in 2021, the company replaced that model, the VPL-VW295ES, with the VPLVW325ES, an updated version offering a few new features, though at a higher $5,499 price. Are the updates worth the extra coin? Let’s find out.
The new VW325ES’s 1,500 ANSI lumens light output matches that of its predecessor. This is probably the main thing that will cause potential buyers to hesitate since it’s a fairly low spec, and one that will necessitate installation in a light-controlled room. The VW325ES also has the same input lag reduction mode for gaming, 2.06x powered zoom lens, and +85 percent, -80 percent horizontal and +/-31 percent vertical powered lens shift capability. Those last two features provide highly flexible setup options, while the projector’s front-facing fan allows for positioning on a high shelf on the back wall of a room.
Also carried over from the VW295ES is anamorphic lens compatibility—the only workable way to use the VW325ES in a constant-height configuration with
