Nebula’s $700 R2-D2 portable projector could be the droid you’re looking for

By Simon Cohen Published April 21, 2022

Nebula Capsule II R2-D2 portable projector — Nebula

It just wouldn’t be Star Wars Day if there weren’t a new gadget or device themed around George Lucas’ hugely popular sci-fi franchise. This year, the honor goes to Nebula, which has launched a limited-edition $700 Capsule II portable projector that is designed to look like what might be the most famous droid of all time: R2-D2.

Nebula — a division of Anker — plans to make just 1,000 of these 72op-resolution projectors, which you can buy on Amazon.com or Nebula’s website.

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In addition to the special paint job that covers the exterior of the Capsule II projector, Nebula says that Star Wars fans will be treated to startup sounds that are “evocative” of R2-D2’s famous beeps, boops, and whistles.

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Beyond these two details, the Star Wars-themed Capsule II projector sports some pretty cool specs. Just like Luke Skywalker’s companion, the projector is pint-sized, standing only 5.9-inches tall. Its built-in, rechargeable battery, which lasts for 2.5 hours, can get you through a viewing of even the longest movie in the Star Wars universe, Episode VIII — The Last Jedi.

It’s powered by Android TV 9, which means you get to talk to Artoo as long as you press the Google Assistant button on the included remote first. In addition to all of the streaming apps supported by Android TV (including Disney+, naturally), Chromecast is also available, so you can stream your phone’s content to the projector. You can also connect Bluetooth accessories, like wireless headphones.

Nebula says the Capsule II can project up to a 100-inch diagonal image, but with a max brightness of just 200 lumens, your Star Wars watch parties will likely be more successful in a room that has been (temporarily) given to the Dark Side.

It recharges via USB-C and can be operated while charging. It has a USB-A port for reading media from a flash drive, and an HDMI port in case you want to connect a game console or laptop. A 3.5mm analog output makes it easy to connect an external speaker (or wired headphones) in case the built-in speaker just isn’t cutting it for all of those exciting lightsaber duels.

The real question is whether this limited-edition Capsule II is worth the hefty premium Nebula is asking. The non-R2-themed Capsule II sells for $580. As an encouragement, Nebula is offering an $80 discount to those who order the Star Wars edition before May 9, but you’ll have to use the code “WSMAY4TH” if this happens to be the droid you’re looking for.

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Contributing Editor, A/V

Simon Cohen is a contributing editor to Digital Trends' Audio/Video section, where he obsesses over the latest wireless…

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