Sega Toys Homestar Classic star projector review

When you hear the name "Sega," you probably think of Sonic The Hedgehog. But it turns out the Japanese entertainment company does a lot more than create video games: it’s also one of the leading manufacturers of realistic star projectors.

The Sega Toys Homestar Classic is one of three in Sega Toys’ lineup, sitting alongside the Homestar Flux and the Homestar Matataki. All three models are similar, but this is the least expensive of the trio. The Flux offers a more powerful projector, and the Matataki has a built-in speaker. The Homestar Classic is a little more barebones, but it’s still one of the most powerful projectors on the market, particularly if you’re looking for a realistic projection of the night sky.

This is a quality product, delivered in attractive packaging that feels every bit as premium as its price tag suggests. It ships with two discs: the Northern Hemisphere and the Northern Hemisphere with constellations, but more discs are available (costing around $20 each), making this one of the most versatile projectors on the market, provided you don’t mind spending a little more.

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The other Sega Toys Homestar projectors have earned themselves a place on our guide to the best star projectors, and we think the Homestar Classic deserves a place right alongside them. Read on to our full review to find out why.

Sega Toys Homestar Classic: Design

• Easy to use
• Premium build quality
• Uses mains power

There’s something wonderful about the design of the Sega Toys Homestar Classic. It feels suitably space-age, thanks to its orb-like shape. It’s not over the top or too flashy, either. Compared to some star projectors, it feels minimalist and understated — particularly if you opt for the black or white colorway. The Homestar Classic is also available in red or blue, which we think are perhaps more suited to a kid’s bedroom, though perhaps you just prefer bolder colors.

Whichever color you opt for, the Sega Toys Homestar Classic of course functions exactly the same. There is no remote control, with all actions taking place on the unit itself. There’s an on/off switch, and three buttons which turn on or off shooting stars, movement and a sleep timer.

The projector ships with an AC adapter, which means you’ll need to place it near a power outlet. It’s something to bear in mind, especially considering many other projectors are USB-C powered or even have a rechargeable battery.

The Homestar Classic has a great build quality that doesn’t feel cheap or plasticky. Thanks to a metal stand, it feels very sturdy and it’s easy to adjust. No matter what position you have the projector in, you should feel confident that it isn’t going to move.

Sega Toys Homestar Classic: Performance

• Whisper-quiet
• Projections are beautiful and realistic
• Requires total darkness to really shine

If you appreciate silence, the Sega Toys Homestar Classic is a great choice. It’s whisper-quiet in operation, which is a boon to those who are looking for a projector to fall asleep to. That’s largely because, unlike some other projectors, the Homestar Classic doesn’t have a noisy rotation motor inside. Instead, projections can gently and slowly pan. Personally, we prefer this: it’s subtle, calming and more realistic.

The projections provided here are simply stunning. According to the official Sega Toys website, you’re seeing up to 60,000 twinkling stars when the projector is turned on. We have of course not counted, but we can believe it: you’ll want to project the Homestar Classic onto a large wall or ceiling to really get the most out of it. It’s immersive and striking, thanks to how sharp and detailed it is.

Perhaps the only downside is that you’ll want your room to be fully dark to truly appreciate the Sega Toys Homestar Classic’s projections. With only 3 watts of power (compared to the Flux’s 5 watts), it’s a little dull if you still have a light source in your room. Wait until dark, pull the curtains, and you’ll truly appreciate how gorgeous the projections are. If it’s still light, it can be a little underwhelming.

Sega Toys Homestar Classic: Functionality

• A variety of discs are available
• Has a built-in sleep timer
• Focus wheel can be a little fiddly

Since this is the cheapest projector offered by Sega Toys, it doesn’t have quite the full suite of bells and whistles you’ll find on the company’s other projectors. The Flux boasts improved visual quality, for example, and a brighter projector. And the Matataki has a built-in speaker with a built-in library of natural sounds. Those features come with a higher price tag, though, and if you’re just wanting a realistic projector, the Sega Toys Homestar Classic packs in all the features you’ll want or need.

While it doesn’t have full rotation, you can turn on a gentle movement, which some users will prefer. You can also enable or disable shooting stars, which add a welcome sense of motion to projections. Finally, there’s a sleep timer, which can be set to 15, 30 or 60 minutes, after which time the projector will power itself off. It’s ideal if you’d like to use it to fall asleep to, so you can be confident it won’t stay on all night.

To focus the Sega Toys Homestar Classic, you’ll need to turn the focus wheel manually, which is located around the outside of the projector lens itself. We initially had a little difficulty in getting the projector clearly in focus; the focus wheel feels a little loose, and you may need to turn it for a long time before you notice any difference. Once it’s in focus, however, it should stay there — so as long as you keep the projector in the same position, you should not need to refocus.

Placing the projector somewhere between 59 and 90 inches (150 and 230 centimeters) away from the flat surface you’re projecting onto is the ideal distance. If you’re struggling to find a clear focus point, it may be that the projector is too close or too far away, so try placing it elsewhere.

Should I buy the Sega Toys Homestar Classic?

The short answer is yes, you should buy the Sega Toys Homestar Classic. The long answer ultimately depends on your budget. At $150, this is among the most expensive star projectors on the market, despite being the cheapest model offered by Sega Toys. But if you’re looking for a realistic, believable projection, you won’t find much better than this.

If you’re simply looking for a pretty light show to help you relax before bed, we’d recommend finding a cheaper projector elsewhere. But for an accurate, scientific display of the night sky, this really is one of the best star projectors on the market.

If the Sega Toys Homestar Classic isn’t for you

If you want the very best, we’d recommend taking a look at the Sega Toys Homestar Flux. This offers similar functionality to the Classic, but with even better projection quality, a brighter bulb, and a larger choice of projection discs available. It carries a higher price tag, of course, but that’s to be expected given its additional features.

There are, of course, cheaper projectors that offer similar functionality. We’ve previously called the Orzorz Galaxy Lite the best star projector on the market: it has a lower price tag and still offers realistic displays with interchangeable discs.

And if you’re really on a budget, the Blisslights Sky Lite Evolve is worth considering: it doesn’t offer scientific projections, but it’s an impressive display nonetheless, and thanks to app functionality, there’s plenty you can do with it.