With its knowhow in bringing some of the best projectors to market, BenQ is set to launch two new models built with both gaming and affordability in mind. And they could be a great alternative to the best OLED TVs.
These far-throw laser projectors wrangle together some exciting specs and features that make them particularly interesting in the projector market. This includes up to 100-inch picture, 3,200 ANSI lumens of brightness, HDR10 support and a 20,000-hour lifespan.
Neither the TK710 or the TK710STi prove better spec-wise than the Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS800, but BenQ’s new projectors do bring some ample gaming chops to the ecosystem. BenQ claims the TK710 offers a 4.2ms input lag for 1080p gaming and as much as 16.7ms for 4K gaming at 60Hz.
While not as good as conventional TVs, with the more recent LG C4 OLED leveraging a 9.2ms input lag for 4K gaming, what the two new BenQ projectors do enjoy over the competition is an impressive price that starts at just $1,799.
Projectors made for gamers
It’s no secret that BenQ is on a warpath in delivering exceptional value underpinned with some of the best gaming features across several of its products. The BenQ X3100i is one example, consistently mentioned as one of the best projectors for gaming — but the company is set to bring even more to the table with two new projectors built with affordability at the forefront.
Called the TK710 and TK710STi, BenQ’s new projectors could make gaming on an OLED feel like yesterday’s fare. These new projectors, which will take up after the BenQ TK700, leverage new laser-enhanced light for a remarkable 3200 ANSI Lumens — a good sign, as anything over around 3,000 lumens is ample enough against most ambient light sources.
Both new BenQ projectors will have a max image size of just 100 inches, but throw distances will vary as the TK710 will hit that size at 2.5m away, whereas the TK710STi will hit 100-inch at just 1.5m away. The TK710STi will also come with a dongle that sports Android TV as its interface, which might not be ideal for those hoping for either Roku or Google TV and leaves those buying into the TK710 with no OS out of the box.
At just $1,799 and $1,999 respectively, the TK710 and TK710STi are pretty affordable in the face of far more expensive options in the projector sphere, like the $3,500 Formovie Theater or the aforementioned BenQ X3100i, which costs around $2,400. Against some of the top OLED TVs, like the $2,599-starting Samsung S95D or the $3,299 Sony Bravia XR A95L OLED TV, BenQ's projectors look promising.
That being said, it’s clear that BenQ went a bit cheap in its design, as neither projector sports an HDMI 2.1 input for improved gaming features, like ALLM and VRR, which are provided on modern consoles. You will also want to get one of the best soundbars if you’re thinking about having either of BenQ’s newest projectors, as all but a mere 5W speaker system isn’t that exciting.
The BenQ TK710 and TK710STi 4K projectors are set to launch on July 23, but preorders are already available on BenQ’s store page.
