BenQ X500i 4K 4LED Gaming Projector Review

The BenQ X500i is a 4LED, 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160p) 0.65" DLP short-throw gaming projector. The X500i is one of three projectors in the company’s 2024 X-series 4K gaming projectors. The X500i offers a BenQ-rated 2,200 ANSI lumens of brightness, displays vibrant colors that cover 84% of the DCI-P3 color space, and supports super low latency gaming with speeds as low as 4.2 ms (1080p 240Hz). The X500i fully supports HDR for gaming, HDR10, and HLG content, all at an MSRP of $1,699.

The X500i keeps the same high-performance 0.65-inch DMD found in the company's other 2024 X-series gaming projectors. This larger Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) allows the X500i to display a 600,000:1 dynamic contrast for improved black levels and shadow details. This larger DMD also supports 1440p 120 Hz games from popular consoles like the Microsoft X-Box series X and S without the need to upscale to 4K 60 Hz.

The X500i is a gaming-optimized home entertainment projector packed with many powerhouse features. BenQ has added Cinematic Sound, which utilizes MAXXAudio DPS dynamic enhancement and a symmetrical speaker placement design. This gives users a lifelike 3D audio experience to help them tune out distractions and pull them deep into the game.

The X500i is one of three X Series 4LED displays announced in late 2023 that make up BenQ's X-series 4K gaming projectors. X-Series projectors are designed to provide users with an industry-leading gaming experience. A cinematically immersive gameplay experience is achieved using a state-of-the-art light source, a super-sized Texas Instruments DLP imager, smart hardware, and software.

BenQ X-Series gaming projectors offer many features to create the best possible gaming experience across various gaming consoles, including Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony. Often, users can have multiple gaming sources plugged into the projector, so features like Auto Game Mode (AGM) make setting up and configuring the projector easy. AGM allows the X500i to identify the gaming hardware used at any given time, quickly recalling your previous game mode settings for a tailor-made gaming experience.

BenQ has also included a very convenient feature called FPS Crosshair. The FPS Crosshair feature projects a targeting reticle onto the screen, empowering players to swiftly and accurately lock onto adversaries in ever-challenging battles. This feature helps improve first-person shooters' accuracy should the game not provide a crosshair option.

Precise sound placement maximizes in-game sound, so everything from explosive blasts on the battlefield to tranquil, quiet moments improves the overall gaming experience.

BenQ's new X Series gaming projectors have a big immersive sound that matches the displayed content. BenQ refers to this as Spatial Audio, which focuses on creating the right sound for the content being played and factors in the environment where the projector is used.

LED light sources, especially BenQ's 4LED light engines, offer incredible perceived brightness. Because LEDs appear but don't measure brighter than other light sources, many manufacturers have developed a new LED lumens rating to avoid pre-judging an LED-powered projector based on its ANSI lumens rating. At Projector Reviews, we only calculate and report brightness in ANSI lumens. With the introduction of high-brightness projectors like this one, the performance gap between LED and laser light sources is rapidly closing.

This new 4LED light engine produces 2,200 ANSI lumens of brightness, creating an excellent picture in fully light-controlled spaces and even in spaces with small amounts of uncontrolled ambient light sources. I’m not going to claim that 2,200 ANSI lumens are bright enough for all situations, but I will say that LED light sources, particularly BenQ 4LED light sources, tend to punch above their weight when it comes to perceived brightness.

LED light sources offer many advantages over lamps and even laser-based projector light sources.

First, LEDs last ten to fifteen times longer than traditional projector lamps. You never have to replace your light source, short of unforeseen product failures, saving you time and money.

Additionally, LED projectors start up instantly. LEDs are ready almost immediately, unlike traditional projectors, which need time to warm up. This feature is particularly beneficial for on-the-go gaming at parties where playtime is critical.

LEDs use less power than traditional lamps and even equivalent laser light sources in terms of energy efficiency. This translates to electricity cost savings and contributes to a lower environmental impact. The combination of a long lifespan and low power use makes LED projectors an economically and environmentally wise choice.

Another notable advantage of LEDs is their ability to maintain consistent color accuracy throughout their operational life. As traditional lamps age, their color output can diminish or shift, leading to inconsistent and lower-quality visuals. On the other hand, LEDs provide stable and consistent color performance, ensuring that the projector's image quality remains high from the first use to the last. This reliability in color consistency is particularly important in settings where visual fidelity is paramount, like 4K or high frame rate gaming.

The BenQ X500i's 4LED light source and exclusive CinematicColor technology can natively reproduce up to 84% of DCI-P3 and 95% of the Rec.709 color spaces. CinematicColor technology can also perfectly balance the projector's brightness and colors, ensuring that even with ambient light present, images will display properly saturated colors.

The X500i is a 4K projector that displays a 4K image using Texas Instruments 0.65-inch DMD with XPR Technology. Using a newer Texas Instruments 0.65-inch DMD over the more common 0.47-inch for 4K and gaming offers several benefits to the X500i.

In terms of brightness, the 0.65-inch DMD handles more light, resulting in a brighter image. This is helpful in bright rooms or for larger screens. The increased light also means more accurate and vivid colors, which is crucial for movies and games.

The 0.65-inch DMD supports 1440p 120 Hz gaming. This higher refresh rate and resolution results in smoother motion and less blur at a resolution higher than 1080p, giving gamers a competitive edge.

The 0.65-inch DMD still uses Texas Instruments XPR technology to achieve 4K (3,840 x 2,160p) and displays 8.3 million distinct pixels regardless of the DMD chip's number of native pixels. XPR shifts the 0.65-inch DMD chip's pixels to generate true 4K, 8.3 million pixels with lightning-fast pixel shifting speed. Projector Reviews has a glossary for additional details on 4K DLP with XPR Technology; be sure to check it out. DLP projectors are generally preferred for gaming because they have fast response times and smooth motion handling. This makes them a good choice for fast-paced gaming. DLP technology reduces the processing required to project an image, resulting in less lag and total input latency.

The X500i uses BenQ's newest QS-02 streaming media stick. The QS-02 is powered by Android 11. The QS-02 is BenQ's most powerful streaming media stick, offering the largest media library ever found on a BenQ projector. In addition, BenQ has added support for all the major streaming platforms, including full support for Netflix using the official Android TV application. This is a significant step up compared to previous BenQ projectors that either required a complicated custom launcher outside of Android to run a limited version of Netflix or, worse, had no Netflix support. With the BenQ QS-02, you can enjoy your favorite movies and shows in 4K on today's most popular and easy-to-use streaming media OS.