Review: BenQ X3000i 4K Gaming Projector

Review: BenQ X3000i 4K Gaming Projector
Review: BenQ X3000i 4K Gaming Projector

BenQ is one of the few brands that offer high-end projectors with a focus on gaming. Their latest addition is the new BenQ X3000i, a high-end gaming projector that can output 4K visuals that are optimized for the newest game consoles. Here are our thoughts about BenQ’s latest 4K gaming projector.

Design

With the popularity of the white color going around in the gaming industry (yes, including the Sony PlayStation 5), the new BenQ X3000i also features white color chassis, while the front-facing plate has a brown glossy finish with a hexagon pattern. There is the power LED light on the top right angle on the front portion, and the main projection window is located on the left.

The projector features a dimension of 272 x 197 x 259mm and weighs 6.4 kg (this is without the adjustment feet). There are massive air vents on the left and right sides of the projector. The control buttons and the massive dials for zoom function and focus adjustments are located on the left side of the projector. The I/O ports are seen on the rear side of the device and this includes two HDMI 2.0 ports, one USB-A port with support for the power supply, one RS232 port, the main DC 12V port for power, one S/PDIF audio out and one headphone jack.

There are also dual 5W stereo speakers on the rear side that features dynamic stereo enhancement, powered by Bongiovi DPS technology. The projector’s audio return port with eARC lets users enjoy Dolby Atmos and 7.1 channel audio pass-through for full-resolution audio signals that are fed to the sound system.

The RCI068 remote control is the same one that comes with most of the other BenQ projectors and is also white. The remote has most of the basic controls for the Android OS, along with shortcuts for apps such as Amazon Prime and other functions such as screen adjustments, input selector, voice control, and more.

We are already familiar with BenQ’s QS01 Android TV dongle that performs well when we navigate through the menus and the device runs on Android TV 10 OS. The packaging of the projector also includes the power cord, user manual CD, quick start guide, universal ceiling mount, and more.

Features

With 4K gaming now popular among game consoles and gaming PCs, it’s about time that we see a gaming projector that can handle 4K gaming. The BenQ X3000i can handle several refresh rates, depending on the resolution that is selected. While choosing 4K resolution gives the best visuals and details, you are only limited to 60Hz refresh rates, which is kind of a disappointment.

However, by selecting 1080p resolution, users will be able to play at 120Hz and 240Hz refresh rates. Both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X is capable of selecting 1080p resolutions at 120Hz refresh rates. And if you connect a gaming PC, you can easily select 1080p resolution with up to 240Hz refresh rates for high-speed gaming.

We hope that the next 4K gaming projector from BenQ will come with HDMI 2.1 ports to achieve 4K gaming at 120Hz refresh rates. The input lag also differs based on the resolution and refresh rate selected. With 1080p or 4K resolution at a 60Hz refresh rate, the input latency is 16.7ms, which is quite deceent, considering that it’s a projector. Increasing the refresh rate to 120Hz for the 1080p resolution gives a lower input latency of 8.3ms. And for further improvement, choosing the 240Hz refresh rate gives an impressive input latency of 4.2ms.

An interesting point to note is that the projector is capable of recognizing the type of device that is connected to the HDMI ports. When we connected the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 consoles. the input selector showed the words “XBOX” and “PS5”, respectively.. The HDMI-3 port is for the QS01 Android TV dongle that is connected internally. We also should mention that the projector also features Bluetooth 4.2 wireless connectivity. Gaming with the X3000i feels as good as playing with a proper 4K television.

For true-to-life colors while gaming, the BenQ X3000i features HDR10 as a part of its picture modes. There is also another picture mode called HDR Game, along with 3D, Bright, Cinema, HLG, Living Room, Sports, and user-customizable profiles. For the best colors, the device offers 100% DCI-P3 coverage and 98% Rec. 709 coverage.

The projection system features 3000im of brightness and the native 4K resolution offers 30-bit display with a total of 1.07 billion colors. The light source used here is 4LED and the source life is 20,000 hours in normal mode, 30,000 hours in ECO mode, and 20,000 hours in SmartEco mode.

For better blacks, the FOFO contrast ratio with light source dimming is 500,000:1. The lens has an F/# focal range between 1.8mm and 2.5mm. The 2D keystone can be adjusted ± 30 degrees vertically and ± 30 degrees horizontally, and the variable throw distances can be set 1.3x times.

Verdict

If you are looking for a high-end 4K gaming projector that can handle the latest game consoles and gaming PCs, and watch the latest online movies at the best resolution, then take a look at the new BenQ X3000i. While the native resolution and refresh rate are 4K at 60Hz, gamers will also be able to play at 1080p with 120Hz or 240Hz refresh rates.

The projector offers dual HDMI 2.0b ports with HDCP2.2, along with a USB-A port, RS232 port, S/PDIF out, and more. The HDMI audio return has support for eARC and Dolby Atmos. The internal BenQ dongle runs on the Android TV 10 OS. The device also has support for HDR10 that delivers true-to-life colors for games and movies. The 4LED light source offers up to 20,000 hours in normal mode. And the projector also comes with dual 5W speakers for immersive audio effects.

9.3

Amazing

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