# Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen vs Sony VPL-XW5000ES: specs and price compared

A sourced, side-by-side comparison of the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen (Samsung) and Sony VPL-XW5000ES (Sony) among projectors. Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen is the cheaper of the two at $799.

## Side by side

| Spec | Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen | Sony VPL-XW5000ES |
| --- | --- | --- |
| US price | $799 | $5999 |
| Brand | Samsung | Sony |
| Released | 2023-08 | 2022-08 |
| Resolution | 1920x1080 | 3840x2160 |
| Brightness lumens | 230 | 2000 |
| Light source | LED | laser phosphor |
| Throw type | portable | standard |
| Smart OS | Tizen | — |
| Contrast ratio | 100000 | — |
| HDR | HDR10+ | HDR10 |

## Key differences

- Resolution: Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen 1920x1080 vs Sony VPL-XW5000ES 3840x2160
- Brightness lumens: Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen 230 vs Sony VPL-XW5000ES 2000
- Light source: Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen LED vs Sony VPL-XW5000ES laser phosphor
- Throw type: Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen portable vs Sony VPL-XW5000ES standard
- HDR: Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen HDR10+ vs Sony VPL-XW5000ES HDR10

## What reviewers say

**Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen** — Two whitelisted outlets cover this exact model. TechRadar lab-measured the projector and praises its compact design, Tizen streaming and built-in Gaming Hub while flagging weak brightness (6.6-7.3 nits on a 100-inch screen) and its single micro-HDMI port. What Hi-Fi's IFA 2023 hands-on was positive on portability and picture detail but was explicitly unmeasured and could not judge black levels or contrast. (2 sourced reviews.)

**Sony VPL-XW5000ES** — Two whitelisted testers cover this exact model: Projector Central lab-measured it (brightness, input lag, gamut, fan noise), and What Hi-Fi did a hands-on review. Both call it the cheapest true native 4K laser projector and praise its sharpness, black levels and X1 Ultimate processing. Both flag the imprecise non-motorized lens, the lack of HDR10+ and no 4K/120 gaming. RTINGS and other whitelisted outlets were not found for this model. (2 sourced reviews.)

## Sources

- Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen: https://www.projectorcentral.com/samsung-freestyle_2nd_gen.htm (projectorcentral.com, verified 2026-06-15)
- Sony VPL-XW5000ES: https://www.projectorcentral.com/sony-vpl-xw5000es-b.htm (projectorcentral.com, verified 2026-06-15)

Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/projectors/samsung-the-freestyle-2nd-gen-vs-sony-vpl-xw5000es/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen ($799) vs Sony VPL-XW5000ES ($5999) — sourced spec-by-spec comparison at https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/projectors/samsung-the-freestyle-2nd-gen-vs-sony-vpl-xw5000es/
License: CC BY 4.0.