3D Projectors in 2026: Which Ones Still Support 3D

One of the 22 current projectors that support 3D: the BenQ TK710, a 4K laser model. Image: BenQ.

This page is about projectors that show 3D movies through 3D glasses, not "hologram" fans, galaxy night lights or holiday window projectors.

Which projectors still support 3D

These 22 models support 3D: 14 standard-throw and 8 short-throw or ultra-short-throw. Each was checked against its maker's own product page, datasheet or manual on October 7, 2026. Prices are US prices that day from the maker's store, many of them sale prices; "street" marks a ProjectorCentral street price. Glasses are extra: see the glasses section.

Standard-throw 3D projectors

Last checked October 7, 2026: prices and stock.

Eight more standard-throw models from JMGO, XGIMI and Valerion, and notes on the tables

Model	Price and availability	Type	Glasses	3D formats it accepts
JMGO N1S Ultimate	$1,299 (list $2,799), in stock [24]	4K DLP, RGB laser, 3,300 ISO lumens	DLP-Link [27]	Not stated; the page has a "Step into 3D Reality" section [24]
JMGO N3 Ultimate	$2,199 (list $2,999), in stock [25]	4K DLP, RGB laser, 5,800 ISO lumens	DLP-Link [27]	Not stated; nothing on 3D in the spec list [25]
XGIMI HORIZON 20 Max	$2,599 (list $2,999), ships in 1 to 3 days [22]	4K DLP, RGB laser, 5,700 ISO lumens	Not stated for this model [18]	Not stated; the page says 3D: "Yes" [22]
JMGO IRIS Ultra Max	$2,999 pre-order (list $3,499), ships October 19 to 25 [26]	4K DLP [1], triple laser, 6,500 ISO lumens	DLP-Link [27]	Not stated; "3D" is in the feature list [26]
Valerion VisionMaster Max	$3,199 (list $3,999), in stock [15]	4K DLP, RGB laser, 3,500 ISO lumens [15][79]	DLP-Link [17]	Not stated for the Max; the page says "Active 3D" [15]
XGIMI TITAN Noir, Noir Pro, Noir Max	$3,999; $3,999 (list $4,999); $5,999, shipping by mid-October [19][20][21]	4K DLP, RGB laser; 4,800, 6,000, 7,000 ISO lumens	DLP-Link [18]	Not stated; the pages say 3D: "Yes" [19][20][21]

• "Not stated" means the maker's page does not say. Where a model lists no formats, the last column gives what the maker does say about 3D.
• JMGO. The N1S Ultimate has no 3D line in its spec list [24]. The N3 Ultimate is sold in a bundle with two pairs of 3D glasses, and is on ProjectorCentral's new-3D list [2][25].
• Sync sources. BenQ's DLP-Link comes from its FAQ for all its 3D projectors [8], and Valerion's from its blog [17].

Short-throw and ultra-short-throw 3D projectors

An ultra-short-throw (UST) projector sits inches from the wall [37]; a short-throw model sits a few feet back [40].

Last checked October 7, 2026: prices and stock.

Three more short-throw and ultra-short-throw models: AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro, Hisense PX3-PRO, BenQ AK700ST

Model	Price and availability	Type	Glasses	3D formats it accepts
AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro	$1,899 (list $2,999), in stock [28]	4K DLP, UST (0.25:1), RGB laser, 2,000 ISO lumens	DLP-Link [32]	Not stated; the page says Active 3D: "Yes" and that it plays 3D Blu-ray [28]
Hisense PX3-PRO	$2,499.99 (list $3,499.99) [34]	4K, UST (0.22:1), triple laser, 3,000 ANSI lumens [34]	Not stated [34]	Not stated; the page says "active 3D technology" [33]
BenQ AK700ST	$2,899 street [11]	4K DLP, short throw (0.69 to 0.83:1), laser, 4,000 ANSI lumens	DLP-Link [8]	Not stated; "3D" is one of its picture modes [10]

"Not stated" means the maker's page does not say.

Hisense's manual for the PX3-PRO says to pick a 3D mode, without listing the formats [35].

How much does a 3D projector cost?

• Under $1,000: the Optoma HD146X, a 1080p lamp model, at $499.
• About $1,300 to $2,600: most 4K laser models.
• $2,900 to $6,000: brighter 4K laser models.
• $19,000 and up: JVC's two D-ILA models.

Add $29 to $40 for each pair of DLP-Link glasses; the glasses section has each maker's price.

4K and 3D: the 1080p limit

A 4K 3D projector gives you 4K in 2D and 1080p in 3D. None of the makers lists a 3D format above 1080p.

The signal sets the limit: the 3D formats HDMI 1.4a requires stop at 1080p [71], and frame packing from a 3D Blu-ray player is 1080p at 24 frames a second [3][7].

Three makers state the 3D resolution outright.

The rest do not say. ProjectorCentral's database labels the 3D mode of the BenQ TK710 and AK700ST, both Valerion models, the XGIMI TITAN Noir Max, and the Hisense C2 Ultra and PX4-PRO "Full HD 3D", meaning 1080p [9][11][78][79][80][81][82].

Which brands kept 3D, and which dropped it

BenQ, Optoma, Epson, Hisense and JVC each still have current models with 3D; Sony has none. Models named here as discontinued may still show up in store listings.

Brand by brand: the models, prices and sources behind the table, and what we could not confirm for Sony

• BenQ. The W2720i and W4100i list a 3D picture mode and optional 3D glasses [66][67]. The HT2060 is a popular older 3D model.
• Optoma. The ZK431ST, a 4,100-lumen sibling of the GT3900UHD, lists the same 3D formats [42], and the UHD38x lists "Full 3D" [68]. The Photon Life PH31 is on ProjectorCentral's list of top 3D projectors [1], but Optoma's page lists 3D as "No" [62].
• Epson. Its two 3D models are lamp models, and Epson's site showed both as out of stock on October 7, 2026; the 5050UB is $3,799.99 [44][49]. Its newer laser models dropped 3D: ProjectorScreen.com's review of the QB1000 lists "No 3D support at all" among its cons [54], and ProjectorCentral's page for the Pro Cinema LS12000 shows no 3D mode [55].
• Hisense. The C2 Ultra's specification sheet and the PX4 Pro's store listing ($3,999.99) list "3D Ready" as "Active" [36][37], and the L9Q ($4,499.99) and PT1 ($1,999.99) list active 3D [38][39]. Hisense's US store did not list a new C2 Ultra that day; ProjectorCentral shows it at $1,898 street [81].
• JVC. The DLA-RS4200 and DLA-RS3200 match the NZ900 and NZ800 at the same prices. The DLA-NZ700 costs $9,999.95 and the DLA-NZ500 $6,999.95 [50][53].
• Sony. The current three are the VPL-XW5100ES, VPL-XW6100ES and VPL-XW8100ES, and the two earlier models listed "Full HD 3D" [60][61]. ProjectorScreen.com's review of the BRAVIA Projector 7 says it "does not support 3D. This functionality has been removed on this new model." [59] Sony's own specification pages would not load for us, so the Sony row rests on ProjectorCentral and ProjectorScreen.com.

How to play a 3D video on a projector

It takes three steps: connect a 3D source, set the projector's 3D mode, and switch on the glasses.

1. Connect a 3D source by HDMI. Use a 3D Blu-ray player, or a computer or media player showing a side-by-side or top-and-bottom video full screen.
2. Set the 3D mode. When the source sends 3D information with the signal, the projector switches by itself [5][13]. For a file played from a PC, pick the format that matches the file in the 3D menu [13].
3. Switch on the glasses. XGIMI's wake when they see the DLP-Link signal [18], AWOL Vision's have a single button [31], and BenQ says to press the DLP Link button on the glasses to re-sync them [13].

If the glasses will not sync, BenQ's advice is to darken the room, check their battery, and make sure no other projector nearby is sending a DLP Link signal [13].

Where the 3D setting is in six makers' menus, and 3D video from an app on the projector

Maker	Where the 3D setting is	Choices
Optoma	Display > 3D [5]	3D Tech (DLP-Link or 3D Sync); 3D Format (Auto, SBS, Top and Bottom, Frame Sequential); 3D Sync Invert
BenQ	Display > 3D > 3D mode [13]	The 3D format
AWOL Vision (Aetherion)	Settings > Projector > 3D [31]	Frame Packing, Side-by-Side, Top-Bottom
Hisense	Laser Settings > 3D [35]	The 3D mode
Anker Nebula	All settings > Picture > 3D mode [75]	Side-by-side, over-under
XGIMI (2022 models)	Shortcut button > 3D Video Setup [76]	Up/down or left/right

3D video from an app on the projector. A side-by-side video in an app works the same way on Anker's Nebula models: its guide says such videos can be found on YouTube, and to turn on the matching 3D mode in the picture settings once one is playing [75]. It does not work everywhere: Hisense warns that its 3D setting "may not be applicable in some input sources or applications" [35].

Where the 3D comes from

Not from a streaming service: we found none that streams 3D to a projector as of October 2026, and FlatpanelsHD's 3D movie database says 3D 4K movies are "available only on the Apple Vision Pro headset" [73]; the detail is in which streaming services have 3D movies. That leaves three sources:

1. Discs: a 3D Blu-ray player and 3D Blu-ray discs.
2. 3D video files: side-by-side or top-and-bottom files played from a computer or media player. See where to find 3D videos.
3. Your own 2D videos, converted to 3D files, as described next.

Converting your own 2D videos

If a video exists only in 2D, a converter can make a 3D file from it. Owl3D, which publishes this guide, makes one: a desktop app for Windows and Mac that runs on your own computer. It turns 2D video files that you have the right to use into side-by-side, half side-by-side or top-bottom 3D files, layouts that many 3D projectors accept. There is a free tier, and there are paid plans.

It is built for quality, not speed: you convert the file first, then play it. Its highest-quality model, StereoGen, is coming soon. It takes hours to convert a film on an NVIDIA RTX graphics card, and it is the best 3D Owl3D makes; Owl3D describes the result as "Hollywood-grade 3D at the highest quality".

The result is an AI conversion of a 2D video, not a studio's 3D release. We have not tested its files on any particular projector, so check your projector's format list first.

Owl3D also converts 2D video to 3D instantly, in real time as it plays, but for two other screens: the Owl3D Shift, a 14-inch glasses-free display, and Meta Quest headsets.

From Owl3DOwl3D converterA desktop app for Windows and Mac that turns 2D videos and photos into 3D.

The 3D formats a projector accepts

A 3D signal carries two pictures, packed in one of four ways:

• Frame packing: both full-resolution pictures in one signal. It is what 3D Blu-ray players send [7][70].
• Side-by-side (SBS): the two pictures share one frame as left and right halves [70].
• Top-and-bottom (also top-bottom or over-under): the same, as upper and lower halves [70]. BenQ ties these two to streamed video [7].
• Frame sequential: left and right frames alternating at 120 Hz, sent by a PC [7][65].

HDMI 1.4a requires 3D displays to accept the first three [71], and Optoma, Epson, JVC, Valerion and AWOL Vision list all three [3][14][31][45][51]. Others take fewer:

• XGIMI MIRA: frame packing and side-by-side only [23].
• BenQ HT2060: BenQ says its current firmware supports only frame sequential and frame packing [64].
• Anker Nebula: frame packing is enabled only when the source is detected as a 3D Blu-ray disc [75].

A label such as "Full 3D" or "Active 3D" does not tell you which formats a projector takes. The format list on the specification page or in the manual does.

The glasses: DLP-Link vs RF

Every maker in the tables sells or specifies active shutter glasses. The projector shows the left-eye and right-eye pictures in turn, and each lens, a liquid crystal panel, goes dark and clear in step [69]. For the other kinds, see types of 3D glasses.

What trips buyers up is sync: how the glasses know which picture is on screen. Two methods are on sale.

DLP-Link is Texas Instruments' method for DLP projectors. The projector flashes white briefly between frames and the glasses pick the flash up, so there is no separate emitter [69].

RF (radio frequency) sends the timing by radio [69].

By maker: Optoma, BenQ, XGIMI, JMGO, Valerion and AWOL Vision name DLP-Link [4][8][17][18][27][32], Epson and JVC use RF [45][50], and NexiGo and Hisense do not say for the projector [33][43].

Glasses by brand: sync method, each maker's own pair and its price, the makers' own words, and what we could not confirm

Brand	Sync, per the maker	The maker's own glasses, Oct 7, 2026
Optoma	DLP-Link [4]	Sold separately [4]
BenQ	DLP-Link [8]	DGD5 [12]
XGIMI	DLP-Link [18]	$29 a pair [18]
JMGO	DLP-Link [27]	$39 a pair; two pairs free in some bundles [24][25][26][27]
Valerion	DLP-Link [17]	$160 for four pairs; the $80 two-pack showed as sold out [15][16]
AWOL Vision	DLP-Link [32]	$79.90 for two pairs [32]
NexiGo	Not stated for the projector [43]	$79 for two pairs; free in some bundles [43][83]
Hisense	Not stated [33]	None named [34]
Epson	RF [45]	ELPGS03, discontinued [47]
JVC	RF, with the PK-EM2 emitter [50][51]	PK-AG3, sold separately; emitter $99.95 [50][52]

The makers' own words:

• Optoma: "DLP Link active shutter 3D glasses" [4].
• NexiGo: its glasses are sold for DLP-Link projectors [43][83].
• Hisense: "Active 3D Glass needed, sold separately" [34].
• Epson: "optional RF active shutter glasses" [45]. ProjectorCentral's review says "Epson and Vesa RF glasses only, glasses not included" [48].
• JVC: the PK-EM2 "3D RF Emitter" and PK-AG3 glasses [50][51].

What we could not confirm: the price of BenQ's DGD5, which did not load for us [12]; a price for JVC's PK-AG3 [52]; and any current glasses listing on Optoma's US site.

Last checked October 7, 2026: glasses prices and listings.

Another brand's DLP-Link glasses should work. XGIMI and AWOL Vision sell theirs for "other DLP-LINK 3D projectors" too [18][32], and BenQ accepts any active shutter DLP-Link glasses that support 96 to 144 Hz, noting that reception can differ by brand [8]. Look for 144 Hz in the specifications: Optoma's datasheet says a 24-frame film is shown at 144 Hz, 72 frames for each eye [4].

"3D ready" does not mean glasses in the box. Optoma's manual calls its model "a 3D ready projector with DLP-Link 3D solution" [41]; you still buy the glasses. The only projectors we found sold with glasses were bundles from JMGO, Valerion and NexiGo [15][24][25][26][43].

Passive 3D projectors

Passive glasses use polarized lenses and no electronics [70]. They are the kind RealD cinemas use [72]; see RealD 3D vs IMAX 3D. None of the 22 projectors in the tables is passive. Passive 3D at home takes one of two costly routes, and both need a special screen.

A polarizing module added to one projector. BenQ calls the cost "quite prohibitive for the average consumer" [70]. Some Optoma models have a "3D sync out" port and a "3D Sync" setting that Optoma describes as "for IR, RF or polarized 3D Glasses" [40][41]; Optoma's pages do not name a module to use with it.

Two aligned projectors with polarizing filters [72].

Do you need a special 3D screen?

Not for active 3D. The glasses do the separating at your eyes [69], so the screen only has to show the picture.

One caution for active 3D: JVC warns that its glasses "may not work with certain polarized/Ambient Light Rejecting screen materials" and that the picture may look "excessively dark" through them [52].

How much brightness 3D costs

Half the 2D brightness is the ceiling, and about a quarter is the usual estimate. None of the makers' pages we opened gives a brightness figure for 3D, so treat this as a rough rule.

Where the half and the quarter come from, and what two reviewers observed

• Half is the ceiling. Each lens is shut about half the time, which, in the words of Projector Reviews' buying guide, "starts you out with a 50% maximum" [74].
• The lenses take more. They do not pass all of the light even when open [74]. AWOL Vision and Valerion state "38% high transmittance" for their glasses, without saying how it was measured [16][32].
• About a quarter is the usual estimate. Projector Reviews wrote that first-generation projectors with active glasses "were very lucky if they even achieved just 25% of the brightness of the same projector doing 2D" [74].

It varies: ProjectorCentral found the Epson 3800 "delivers far brighter 3D images compared to its 2D brightness than most projectors offer" [48], and its reviewer described Valerion's glasses as "noticeably not as dark as other 3D glasses I've used" [77].

Buy more brightness than you would for 2D alone, and watch 3D in a dark room.

Is a 3D projector worth it?

Yes, if you own 3D Blu-rays or plan to collect them, or you want several people to watch a large 3D picture together. A $499 projector, a disc player and glasses for each viewer will show the discs at their own 1080p. And if you are buying a 4K laser projector anyway, many include 3D, so it costs you only the glasses. For the TV alternative, see 3D TVs in 2026.

No, if you expect 3D in 4K, a bright picture in a lit room, or 3D from a streaming app.

If you watch alone, the other routes are a VR headset and a glasses-free 3D monitor: see how to watch movies in VR and glasses-free 3D monitors compared. Every route is in how to watch 3D movies at home.

Frequently asked questions

Can any projector do 3D?

No. A projector has to be built to show the left and right pictures in turn and to keep the glasses in sync [69]. Look for a 3D line and a list of 3D formats on the maker's specification page; a 3D glasses bundle in a store listing is weaker evidence.

Can you watch 3D on a projector?

Yes, with three things: a projector that supports 3D, active glasses that match its sync method, and a 3D source, which is a 3D Blu-ray player or a side-by-side or top-and-bottom video file.

What is the best 3D projector in 2026?

It depends on the budget; we have not tested them ourselves. The Optoma HD146X costs the least, and its datasheet states the glasses type and the formats [3][4]. The BenQ TK710 and NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII are the 4K models whose makers list four 3D formats, including frame sequential [7][43]. For an ultra-short-throw setup, the AWOL Vision Aetherion models list three formats in their manual [31]. JVC's DLA-NZ800 and DLA-NZ900 are the high end [50].