Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Optoma - UHZ65UST | XGIMI - Horizon S Max |
|---|---|---|
| Brightness | 3500 lm | 3100 lm |
| Short-throw | true | false |
Between the UHZ65UST and Horizon S Max, the UHZ65UST comes out ahead in brightness / short-throw, while the Horizon S Max wins on several specs. Overall, the UHZ65UST scores 78.2 and the Horizon S Max scores 75 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The UHZ65UST edges ahead on the Mars Score (78.2 vs 75), but the 3.2-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the UHZ65UST if you care most about brightness / short-throw. The biggest gaps in its favor are brightness, short-throw. The single most decisive one: Brightness — 12.90% more. 3500 lm vs 3100 lm.
The Horizon S Max similarly does not carry a headline advantage on the popular specs — look at the full table for category-specific deltas.
Both ship with comparable resolution, light source, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Optoma - UHZ65UST or XGIMI - Horizon S Max?
Optoma - UHZ65UST leads the current Mars Score by 3.2 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare brightness, short-throw against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Optoma - UHZ65UST if…
Optoma - UHZ65UST has the measurable edge on brightness lumens, is short throw.
Choose XGIMI - Horizon S Max if…
XGIMI - Horizon S Max does not lead a decisive measured field here, so choose it for price, ecosystem, design, or availability when those matter more to you.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Optoma - UHZ65UST wins
- ▲Brightness — 12.90% more. 3500 lm vs 3100 lm.
- ▲Short-throw: true (vs false).
Why XGIMI - Horizon S Max wins
- No decisive advantages.
Spec comparison
Image
| Spec | Optoma - UHZ65UST | XGIMI - Horizon S Max |
|---|---|---|
| Resolutionⓘ | 4K | 4K |
| Brightnessⓘ | 3500 lmlead | 3100 lm |
| Contrast | 2500000:1 | 2800:1 |
| Light source | Laser | Laser |
| Short-throw | truelead | false |
Smart & Connectivity
| Spec | Optoma - UHZ65UST | XGIMI - Horizon S Max |
|---|---|---|
| Smart OS | None | Android TV |
| HDMI inputs | 3lead | 2 |
| Built-in speakers | true | true |