AWOL Vision has officially lifted the curtain on its most ambitious projector lineup to date: the Aetherion Series, headlined by the Aetherion Max and Aetherion Pro. Positioned as the company’s new flagship range, Aetherion represents a major leap forward for ultra short throw (UST) projection and is being touted as the world’s sharpest 4K triple-laser UST system.

At the core of the Aetherion platform is PixelLock, AWOL Vision’s proprietary pixel-alignment technology, paired with a newly developed precision optical engine and a collection of first-of-their-kind hardware innovations. The result is a projector series designed to excel across three critical performance pillars: Speed, Scale, and Sharpness.

With support for true 4K projection up to an enormous 200 inches, 1ms-class gaming latency, VRR and ALLM, 6,000:1 native contrast, and up to 3,300 ISO lumens, Aetherion isn’t just pushing UST performance forward — it’s attempting to reset the benchmark entirely.

Notably, AWOL Vision claims Aetherion is the first ultra short-throw projector capable of preserving full 4K detail at a massive 200-inch screen size, a long-standing weakness of the UST category.

“See the Difference Down to the Pixel”

“Aetherion is the culmination of everything we’ve learned while pushing the boundaries of UST projection,” said Andy Zhao, Founder and CEO of AWOL Vision.
“It’s engineered to outperform on every axis — speed for gamers, scale for home cinema and sports fans, and sharpness that outclasses every other 4K UST projector. Whether it’s in a living room, dedicated theatre, man cave, or even outdoors, Aetherion lets you see the difference down to the pixel.”

Both the Aetherion Max and Aetherion Pro will be showcased at CES 2026, where AWOL Vision will be exhibiting in Central Hall, booth 20410.

SCALE: True 4K Preserved All the Way Up to 200 Inches

Ultra-short-throw projectors are notoriously difficult to scale without losing sharpness. Their steep projection angles and complex optical paths often lead to pixel drift, colour fringing, and soft edges as image size increases.

This is exactly the problem PixelLock was built to solve.

PixelLock is not a software trick or post-processing enhancement. Instead, it’s a tightly integrated optical, mechanical, and digital alignment system designed specifically for the challenges of UST projection. It continuously synchronises and fuses every pixel of a 4K image, ensuring precise alignment even at extreme sizes.

Key elements of the PixelLock system include:

• Congruent pixel alignment, eliminating colour fringing and misalignment even at 200 inches

• An industry-first DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) coated lens system, boosting light transmission to 99.97% while reducing parasitic reflections by 30%

• A Sapphire-series optical lens with a high refractive index and exceptional surface hardness, reducing aberrations while improving long-term durability

• The thinnest terminal imaging lens AWOL Vision has ever produced, engineered for uniform light distribution and minimal dispersion

• A motorised dust-seal lens cover, helping preserve optical clarity over years of use

PixelLock also compensates for real-world variables such as temperature expansion, micro-warping caused by extreme UST angles, reflective path inconsistencies, and even DLP sequencing artefacts.

The result is a genuinely cinema-scale image with no edge softness, no resolution drop-off, and no visual compromises, whether you’re filling a dedicated home theatre or projecting onto a wall in a large living space.

SHARPNESS: Effortless, Reference-Grade Visuals

Sharpness is where the Aetherion series aims to clearly distance itself from existing UST competitors. Out of the box, the projector delivers a strikingly crisp 4K image with minimal setup, while advanced users are given deep calibration tools to fine-tune performance to their exact preferences.

Visual performance highlights include:

• 6,000:1 native contrast and up to 60,000:1 Enhanced Black Level (EBL) contrast

• EBL Shadow Refinement with a 7-level IRIS system, dynamically shaping brightness and shadow detail on a scene-by-scene basis

• A zero light-leakage optical design, producing cleaner blacks and purer highlights

• 3,300 ISO lumens on the Aetherion Max and 2,600 ISO lumens on the Aetherion Pro, ensuring punchy images that hold up in real-world living rooms

• Anti-RBE technology, reducing rainbow artefacts by 99.99% for distraction-free 2D and 3D viewing

• Full support for Dolby Vision, IMAX Enhanced, HDR10+, and Filmmaker Mode

• Dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM) for real-time HDR optimisation

Together, these technologies deliver richly detailed images with accurate colour reproduction, smooth tonal transitions, and impressive depth across every frame.

Beyond visuals, Aetherion can also function as a built-in centre-channel speaker when paired with compatible audio systems, such as AWOL Vision’s own ThunderBeat setup, allowing audio to be routed directly through the projector.

For enthusiasts, AWOL Vision provides extensive control over contrast behaviour, colour mapping, tone curves, and pixel geometry, offering a level of customisation rarely seen in the UST category.

SPEED: Built for Gaming, Sports, and Fast Motion

Aetherion isn’t just about cinematic visuals — it’s also engineered for speed.

Thanks to advanced processing hardware and intelligent motion handling, the Aetherion series delivers ultra-responsive performance for both gaming and high-action content.

Key performance features include:

• 1ms-class input latency at 240Hz, making it suitable for competitive gaming

• Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) for smooth, tear-free gameplay and sports viewing

• Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) for instant switching to optimal gaming settings

• Dolby Vision Gaming, making Aetherion the first projector to support it

• Gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi 7 for high-bandwidth streaming and cloud gaming

• Powered by the MT9655 chipset with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, described as the most powerful SoC ever used in a Google TV projector

• Running Google Android TV 14, offering the latest features and performance improvements

Fast-paced action remains smooth, stable, and responsive, positioning Aetherion as one of the most gaming-capable UST projectors ever announced.

Availability and Pricing

The AWOL Vision Aetherion Max and Aetherion Pro are scheduled to launch commercially in March 2026.

• Aetherion Max: $4,999

• Aetherion Pro: $3,499

Ahead of retail availability, AWOL Vision will run a Kickstarter campaign starting in late January 2026, lasting seven weeks and offering early-bird pricing, limited-run perks, and exclusive bundle options.