Nebula Mars 3 vs XGIMI MoGo 4

How they differ in real use

Built from our battery projectors for outdoor movies scoring, each product's published specifications, and verified owner feedback — not hands-on testing.

Both the Nebula Mars 3 and the XGIMI MoGo 4 made our Top 5 Battery-Powered Projectors for Outdoor Movies, at #1 (best overall) and #4. The only projector here that is genuinely bright on battery: ProjectorCentral confirmed its 1,000 ANSI lumens, more than double the MoGo 4 Laser's 550 ISO rating and about 2.5 times the Mars 3 Air's measured 399, and its 185Wh battery ran about 2 hours at full brightness and just over 5 hours in Eco in The Smart Home Hookup's test. It is also the only pick with a water-resistance rating (IPX3) and the only one whose 40W speaker can carry a yard full of people. It costs about $230 more than the MoGo 4 Laser, weighs roughly three times as much and lacks native Netflix on Android TV 11, but no other battery projector here fills a 100-inch backyard screen as well. The MoGo 4 Laser's body, stand, 71Wh battery and Google TV for about $190 less. ProjectorCentral measured 404 lumens, a touch brighter than the Mars 3 Air's 399. It ranks fourth because What Hi-Fi found its sound thin next to the Mars 3 Air's 8W Dolby pair and its color slightly over-saturated, and its LED picture trails the Laser model's richer triple-laser image. It still beats the Dangbei Freedo on measured brightness (404 vs about 310 lumens) and speaker output.

We score battery-powered projectors for outdoor movies on Outdoor Brightness (25%), Battery Runtime (20%), Picture Quality (15%), Built-in Sound (15%), Smart Features (10%) and Value (15%). On that basis the Nebula Mars 3 totals 8.7 out of 10 and the XGIMI MoGo 4 7.8. The widest gap is Outdoor Brightness, where the Nebula Mars 3 scores 9.6 against 7 for the XGIMI MoGo 4: measured lumens on battery power and how large an image stays watchable at dusk or with nearby lights. Battery Runtime also separates them: 9.5 for the Nebula Mars 3 versus 7.4 for the XGIMI MoGo 4. The XGIMI MoGo 4 claws back ground on Smart Features and Value.

On paper, the specifications that actually differ: Rated Brightness: 1,000 ANSI lumens on the Nebula Mars 3 versus 450 ISO lumens on the XGIMI MoGo 4; Battery (Video): Up to 5 hrs (Eco); ~2 hrs at max brightness on the Nebula Mars 3 versus Up to 2.5 hrs (Eco, automatic on battery) on the XGIMI MoGo 4; Resolution: Native 1080p (DLP) on the Nebula Mars 3 versus 1080p on the XGIMI MoGo 4; Speakers: 40W (mono) on the Nebula Mars 3 versus 2 x 6W (Harman Kardon) on the XGIMI MoGo 4; Smart OS: Android TV 11 (no native Netflix) on the Nebula Mars 3 versus Google TV (licensed Netflix) on the XGIMI MoGo 4; Weight: 9.9 lb (4.5 kg) on the Nebula Mars 3 versus 2.9 lb (1.3 kg) on the XGIMI MoGo 4. They match on Light Source.

Check current pricing at the merchant links below. Owners praise the Nebula Mars 3 for rated 1,000 ANSI lumens, confirmed by ProjectorCentral: by far the brightest picture on battery power in this list and 185Wh battery: about 2 hours at full brightness and just over 5 hours in Eco mode in The Smart Home Hookup's test; the most common complaint is runs Android TV 11 with no native Netflix app, so most owners add a streaming stick. Owners praise the XGIMI MoGo 4 for same compact body, 360-degree stand and Google TV with licensed Netflix as the MoGo 4 Laser for less money and projectorCentral measured 404 lumens, slightly brighter than the Mars 3 Air in its brightest mode; the most common complaint is what Hi-Fi found the sound thin and the color slightly over-saturated.