BenQ has announced a dedicated gaming projector that’s powered by 4LED arrays to provide extra brightness and ensure the LEDs have a much longer lifetime than usual.
The BenQ X3000i is a 4K HDR projector that’s capable of ultra-low latency of just 4 milliseconds when displaying pictures in 1080p at 240Hz. For higher definition gaming at 4K/60Hz, it offers a latency of just 16 ms, making it an ideal device for anyone who wants an immersive, low-lag gaming experience.
The company said the BenQ X3000i is able to deliver a maximum of 3,000 lumens brightness, equal to around 924 nits, with a 500,000:1 contrast ratio thanks to its Dynamic Black algorithm. Other features include a 1.3X zoom and 2D keystone scaling to enable users to fine tune the output.
BenQ provides an in-depth explanation of the benefits of 4LED on this page, saying that it adds a fourth blue pump LED in addition to the usual red, blue and green LEDs found in most other projectors. Due to this, BenQ says the X3000i offers increased brightness of around 8% to 12% compared with 3LED projectors with similar-sized LEDs.
For a regular 3LED projector to achieve the same brightness, it would need to boost the surface area of its LEDs. That would require building a larger projector overall and would mean increased heat output, reducing the lifespan of the LEDs.
BenQ said its 4LED arrays have a lifetime in excess of 20,000 hours, which translates to five hours a day for 10 years. It also said the colours will remain consistent over that lifetime thanks to its automatic colour calibration functionality. That’s useful, because projector LEDs to decay over time, even before the end of their lifespan.
Elsewhere, gamers will appreciate the full range 5 watt speakers built into the projector that can apparently deliver virtual 3D surround sound. Alternatively, those who want something more powerful can hook up external speakers to take advantage of the BenQ X3000i’s support for Dolby Atmos and 7.1 passthrough via eARC.
The projector comes with two HDMI 2.0 slots, a single USB-A output, a 3.5mm audio output and one RS-282 port.
BenQ said the X3000i will go on sale in the U.S. first of all by the end of March, priced at around $1,999. It will also launch in the U.K. later this year, but no date has been set.
