Xiaomi launches Redmi Projector 5 and 5 Pro in China only

A 120Hz projector with a 5ms latency claim for under 2,000 yuan is the headline from Xiaomi's 3 August 2026 announcement of the REDMI Projector 5 and REDMI Projector 5 Pro. Both are native 1080p DLP models built around an integrated metal gimbal, and both are priced well below what European buyers are used to paying for a projector with automatic setup.

The standard model carries a recommended price of 1,299 yuan with a launch price of 999 yuan, and went on general sale on 11 August. The Pro is listed at 1,999 yuan with a launch price of 1,899 yuan.

Before anything else: this is a China-market launch. Neither model has an international SKU, and Xiaomi's Redmi-branded projectors have stayed domestic for several generations. Nothing in the announcement suggests that changes.

Redmi Projector 5: a dark-room device at 400 CVIA lumens

The base model is rated at 400 CVIA lumens with a claimed 1,500:1 contrast ratio, a 1.2:1 throw ratio and a maximum image size of 120 inches. It uses a one-piece metal gimbal with 360-degree rotation, so it can be pointed at a ceiling without a separate stand.

Setup is handled by a dual time-of-flight sensor arrangement with autofocus, automatic keystone correction and auto-levelling. The internals are modest: a MediaTek MT9-series chip, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of eMMC storage, a single 6W speaker, dual-band Wi-Fi, HDMI, USB-A and a 3.5mm output.

CVIA is a Chinese industry brightness standard and its numbers are not interchangeable with ANSI or ISO lumens, so the 400 figure should not be read as equivalent to a 400 ANSI-lumen rating from a Western brand. Either way, this is a projector for a darkened room.

The Pro is the more interesting product

The Redmi Projector 5 Pro is rated at 1,000 CVIA lumens, supports HDR10, and runs a 120Hz panel refresh with a quoted 5ms input latency and MEMC frame interpolation. Xiaomi pairs a sealed optical engine with an all-glass lens and claims roughly 10 per cent better clarity than the previous generation, a claim with no published measurement behind it.

The gimbal here allows 150 degrees of tilt rather than a full rotation, and the projector supports side projection at angles up to 30 degrees. Processing comes from a MediaTek MT9660 with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Audio is a pair of 10W drivers with a passive bass radiator and Dolby Audio decoding. Connectivity includes two HDMI ports, one of them HDMI 2.1 with eARC, Wi-Fi 6, USB 2.0 and a headphone jack. Xiaomi quotes 28 dB(A) operating noise. It is the kind of specification sheet that travels well on social media.

Grey-market imports come with Chinese software

Grey-market listings for Chinese projectors appear quickly on European marketplaces, and the price looks compelling next to any locally sold equivalent. The problems are practical rather than theoretical.

The software is the Chinese build: a Chinese app store, no Netflix, Prime Video or Disney+ licences, Chinese-language menus in places, and Xiaomi's domestic voice assistant. Xiaomi's warranty does not apply outside China, the power supply and plug are domestic, and firmware updates arrive on the Chinese schedule if a reseller passes them on at all.

Sources

• https://www.ithome.com/0/985/219.htm
• https://www.ithome.com/0/988/225.htm
• https://projector.zol.com.cn/1226/12266543.html
• https://www.gizmochina.com/2026/08/04/xiaomi-redmi-projector-5-pro-launched-specs-price/
• https://www.notebookcheck.net/Xiaomi-launches-affordable-120Hz-projector-with-1-000-lumens-brightness-rating.1358817.0.html