BenQ has unveiled its latest 4K gaming projector, and it looks set to be the brand’s best yet, but there's something important to bear in mind if you're planning to use it with a console.
The new BenQ X3000i projector (via WhatHiFi) promises to deliver a true 4K resolution with vibrant colors thanks to its HDR10 support. The inclusion of 100% DCI-P3 means it can produce a full spectrum of colors to bring your gaming experience to life, and it can deliver a 1080p resolution at 240Hz for smooth gameplay.
If you're looking to snatch one up for yourself it's currently up for pre-order on the BenQ store for $1,999 / £1,699 / AU$3299. It's expected to start shipping in early March on a first-come-first-served basis.
However, if you’re thinking about snatching up this projector to use with your Xbox Series X or PS5, there are a few things to consider first.
For one, and most importantly for console gamers, you might struggle to actually achieve those ultra-high settings. That’s because this projector only has HDMI 2.0 ports, limiting you to 1080p gaming at 120Hz or 4K at 60Hz.
Plus at these lower refresh rates, your input lag will go up. At 1080p / 120Hz you’ll experience an 8ms delay and 16ms at 4K / 60Hz.
Smoother gaming
These aren’t the worst stats in the world, but you can do better. To get the most out of your PS5 and Xbox Series X (which are capable of 4K gaming at 120Hz) you might be better off opting for a TV of a similar price as this projector. Sure, the image won’t be as large, but you can find TVs with HDMI 2.1 support and input lags as low as 1ms for a better gaming experience.
On top of that, as this is a long throw projector, you’ll need to place it a fair distance from the wall you’re projecting onto. For a 100-inch image, it’ll need to be 2.5m (8.2ft) away from the wall you’re using, and for a 150-inch picture, you’ll need to position it 3.8m (12.5ft) away.
Thankfully the BenQ projector boasts solid keystone correction tools so it can sit at an angle and still deliver solid performance, but we’d recommend working out where you could put it before placing your pre-order.
The audio is also a little lackluster. The X3000i only offers a pair of 5W speakers that likely won’t deliver a top-notch performance. That said, thanks to the X3000i’s eArc audio port and its Dolby Atmos support if you can hook up one of the best soundbars to this projector you’ll get a significantly better experience.
If that's enough to put you off you can check out our picks for the best 4K projectors out there, as well as what we think are the best gaming TVs too.
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