BenQ X300G Review – Casual Gaming Projector?

BenQ’s X300G gaming projector is a little different. It’s an unusual form factor, and it’s very much meant to be a more casual solution – despite actually costing a touch more than the X500i I reviewed a few weeks ago. So, let’s take a look at this unconventional thing and see if it’s worth your cash. The X300G is a true 4K60 DLP LED projector with the magical feature that when you drop the resolution to 1080p, it’ll run at a buttery 240Hz. That, coupled with the decent onboard processing is what makes this a “gaming projector”. 

As for what makes it a more casual setup – well first is the form factor. Being a cube means it’s a little more compact than a more traditional projector shape. It’s just a bit easier to drop it down somewhere and fire it up. Second is the mounting options. On the bottom you’ll find an adjustable arm that lets you tilt the projector pretty far upwards with infinite steps – it’s basically just a stiff hinge. There does also seem to be a bit of differential movement on either side – as in the bar can twist to help level the projector at least a little bit. I don’t know if that’s on purpose or not, but it works. Your other option is actually just a tripod mount. That’s actually pretty cool, because it means you can have a slightly more adjusted setup with less need for keystone corrections – and as we found out on the X500i video, that can actually make a difference to your gaming experience! 

Inputs are actually a little more limited on the X300G with just one HDMI 2.0 port and a USB C port with both USB PD (up to 18W it seems) and DisplayPort ALT mode. There is technically one extra HDMI connection, in this hidden pop-out area at the back which houses the exact same BenQ QS02 AndroidTV dongle we saw with the X500i. After having reviewed Acer’s 4K60 gaming projector recently too, I’m now even more convinced this is the best solution. All of the ‘smarts’ here are in this external, removable device. That means when – not if – this becomes obsolete, the projector isn’t end-of-life too, and you can just replace this with a newer version. That is a genuinely neat feature, plus the fact the remote pairs nicely with it, and that it’s tucked away in a little cubby is pretty great. 

As for the UI experience itself, it is pure Android TV, so it’s smooth, responsive and has all the apps you’d expect. It’s easy to use, especially with the nice light-up remote. The projector itself actually has both auto-focus and auto-keystone built in using a sensor at the front, and that works really well. That also helps it be a more casual choice as you can stick it down in roughly the right place and it’ll autofocus for you. Of course, being a gaming projector, you’d likely expect to spend most of the time using one of the external inputs, which is exactly what I did. Gaming on this is beautifully smooth. Dropping the resolution to 1080p means you can run at the full 240Hz refresh rate, making for a buttery-smooth gaming experience. Despite not featuring adaptive sync, tearing seemed to be a non-issue here (unlike the Acer GM712), which means this is a great playing experience. 

BenQ quotes this as having just 4.2 milliseconds of input lag, or one frame, and with no keystone corrections or digital zoom, that’s exactly right. It takes between one and two frames to render an input, exactly what I’d expect to see. With keystone corrections it’s a fair bit slower, actually twice as slow at around 8 milliseconds. That still isn’t too bad, although personally I’d want to mount the projector so I don’t need to deal with that. As for response times, since this is a DLP projector it is functionally instant. It flickers like mad, which means people like me can’t use these for too long, but isn’t quite as bad as ULMB modes on monitors so I guess that’s good. Either way, it’s sharp and snappy, and great for gaming. 

As with all the other projector reviews, I don’t have the equipment to give you a detailed analysis on things like brightness, contrast and colour gamut coverage and accuracy – you’ll want to check out some more seasoned projector reviewers for that sort of info, but to my eye I’d say this looks great. I do tend to use these in a darker room which I think helps improve the experience a fair bit, but even on the frankly nasty looking wall I’m projecting on – with a cream paint job no less – it still looks vibrant and rich. I have no issue watching films with this. 

One thing I must admit I don’t really understand is the whole ‘casual’ ‘set up and play’ style to this. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a projector-screen-sized, flat, white section of wall that’s free of picture frames or furniture. And if I did, what’s the odds it is in a convenient place for me to then play games on it? AND why would I want it to be a more casual setup and not hard-mounted for regular use? I mean this is a £1,600 projector, that’s a lot of money for a ‘casual’ setup. Personally, I think the X500i makes more sense to me. You get an extra HDMI port, 200 lumens extra of quoted brightness, and it’s meant to be mounted more permanently so you can actually make use of it. Plus, you get to save £100. If the more casual style does fit you though, the X300G is still an awesome bit of kit. It’s a great gaming experience, and just outright user experience too.