BenQ X300G review: A compact gaming projector

Verdict

The BenQ X300G delivers a solid 4K HDR picture, making it a good choice for casual film fans, but it’s the extensive selection of gaming-related features that makes this compact and capable all-round short-throw projector a great option for gamers with limited space.

Introduction

The BenQ X300G is primarily aimed at gamers who want big screen immersion but have limited space.

This 4K HDR short-throw beamer uses an LED light source with a claimed brightness of 2,000 lumens and a lifespan of 20,000 hours.

In addition there are game modes with super-low input lags, an FPS Crosshair feature for easier aiming, a built-in sound system with BenQ’s CinematicSound spatial audio, and the brand’s SettingXchange feature for firmware updates and custom gaming modes.

Availability

The BenQ X300-G is available now and can currently be picked up for £1,599 in the UK, $1,799 in the US, €1,599 in Europe, CA$1,899 in Canada, and AU$2,599 in Australia. All these prices are reasonable for a 4K HDR projector with a number of cutting-edge gaming features.

If you’re looking for alternatives, the XGIMI Horizon Ultra is worth considering. This hybrid LED/laser beamer is just as easy to setup, and includes Android TV 11. It’s also a bit brighter, has better connectivity, and includes Dolby Vision support, making it a great choice for film fans. The Horizon Ultra can be purchased for £1,649 in the UK, $1,699 in the US, €1,899 in Europe, CA$1,999 in Canada, and AU$3,499 in Australia.

Design

• Compact body
• 1 x HDMI 2.0 (ARC)
• DisplayPort over USB-C
• Remote control

The BenQ X300G is a literal cube, with a gloss black front, offset lens, and white plastic chassis. There are air vents on the sides, along with illuminated LED lighting towards the back, and some basic controls on top. Overall it’s attractive, has compact dimensions, and is well made.

There’s a hinged stand on the bottom that doubles as a handle, and there’s an optional carry case, plus a tripod screw mount underneath, but there’s no battery pack, so ultimately you still need to plug the X300G into a power socket. This does limit the beamer’s actual portability.

On one side there’s an HDMI 2.0 connector with ARC, a standard USB-A port, and USB-C port that also supports DisplayPort – which is something of a rarity on projectors. The single HDMI connector might prove something of a limitation if you’re using more than one console, but at least the wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Chromecast and AirPlay.

BenQ claims built-in Android 11.0 OS in its marketing, this isn’t strictly true. In reality there’s a removable panel at the rear, behind which you’ll find Mini HDMI and Micro USB connectors for attaching the included BenQ QS02 Android TV dongle, which you then slot into a provided space.

While this is internal, it’s definitely not built-in. However once attached you simply follow the instructions for setting up both the projector and the Android OS, and once completed you have a full smart system on the beamer with access to all the main video streamers.

The provided remote is dual purpose, controlling both the projector and the Android TV dongle. While it’s comfortable to hold and easy to use with one hand, it identifies the buttons using obscure icons, so you will need to familiarise yourself. On the plus side, the system is responsive.

Features

• Flexible installation
• CinematicColour
• CinematicSound
• Optional 3D support

The BenQ X300G is a short throw projector, which means it can produce 30-150-inch screen sizes from a limited distance. The 0.69-0.83 throw ratio can project 100-inch screen from just 1.6m, and there’s even a 1.2x optical motorised zoom, which is rarely found on a DLP projector.

The LED light source has the benefit of long life, which is important for anyone with enjoys indulging in day-long gaming sessions, but with a claimed brightness of 2,000 lumens it’ll struggle in rooms with ambient light. The darker you can make the environment, the better the results.

The X300G may not be genuinely portable, but as long as there’s a wall socket within reach of the its brick power adapter and cable, setup is simple. Point it at a white wall or screen and the auto focus and 3D keystoning will do the rest – although there are manual controls for fine tuning.

In most other respects the X300G is a standard single-chip DLP projector with a claimed resolution of 4K – although this is achieved using a Full HD DMD and XPR four-way pixel shifting. The X300G also supports high dynamic range, specifically HDR10 and HLG (hybrid log-gamma).

The X300G sports a built-in sound system based around a pair of symmetrically positioned speakers, 2 x 8W of amplification, and a passive radiator facing downwards. BenQ call this system CinematicSound, and it’s designed to deliver spatial audio using a Bongiovi DSP chipset.

Finally there’s BenQ’s SettingXchange, which is a piece of software you can download on your PC and use to sync with the projector. It allows you to update the beamer’s firmware, but also import custom gaming modes and colour parameters created by experts and professional gamers.

Performance

• Big images from limited space
• Excellent motion handling
• Reasonable sound quality

The BenQ X300G delivers a solid picture, with a reasonable level of accuracy. Thanks to the use of a single DLP chip the sharpness is excellent, with no alignment issues, while the use of LEDs rather than a colour wheel should eliminate possible rainbow artefacts, but it can’t be guaranteed. 

The absence of a colour wheel does at least mean there’s no high-pitched whine as it whizzes around, but there is still a degree of fan noise. However, with the beamer’s built-in sound system blasting away, any fan noise is generally drowned out and shouldn’t be a issue most of the time.

Speaking of the sound system, it’s generally pretty good for more casual viewing, but a degree of expectation management is required. This 2.1-channel system doesn’t have the scale or power to create a soundstage that complements the big screen images, but it makes for a quick and dirty solution.

At only 2,000 lumens I found the X300G’s LED light source isn’t bright enough to combat ambient light, so I’d recommend keeping the room as dark as possible. Brightness, rainbows and fan noise aside, the X300G demonstrates all the usual strengths and weaknesses of a DLP projector.

The blacks are more a dark grey, and this was especially obvious when watching The Batman on 4K Blu-ray. Even with the Dynamic Black feature engaged the actual intra-frame contrast ratio is a far cry from the claimed 600,000:1, and an on/off contrast ratio of 2,000:1 is closer to reality.

In addition the colours only cover 84% of the DCI-P3 gamut, and when you combine this with weak blacks and limited brightness the tone mapping has a lot of work to do. Thankfully it is up to the task, delivering HDR content without crushing shadow detail or clipping specular highlights.

As you’d expect from a DLP beamer motion handling is superb, with the lightning fast response times of the technology smoothly delivering all the movement in a movie like Mad Max: Fury Road, and its frenetic action scenes are delivered with no signs of blurring, judder or other artefacts.

Since the X300G is primarily aimed at gaming it excels in this area, and while limited to 24p or 60Hz when watching films and TV shows, you can go as far as 1080p at 240Hz with games. The result is a super-responsive gaming experience with input lags that range from 16ms with 4K/60Hz, down to an incredibly low 4ms at 1080p/240Hz.

The X300G automatically detected my PS5 and switched into the appropriate game mode, and playing Call of Duty: Black Ops I absolutely loved the incredibly smooth motion, along with the sharp and detailed 4K HDR imaging. Thanks to its big screen pictures, gaming is an immersive experience regardless of the limited sonics.

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