The BenQ X500i is a short-throw 4k HLG/HDR10/HDR10+ 4LED projector primarily marketed as a gaming projector. Still, it offers a plethora of features for watching movies, many of which come with the projector's bundled QS02 streaming dongle. The dongle supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, casting capabilities with Google Chromecast and Apple AirPlay, and support for Google Assistant and Google Voice Search.
Otherwise, the projector has two HDMI 2.0b ports with support for 4k @ 60Hz or 1080p @ 240Hz. It has one extra internal HDMI 2.0b port that's reserved for the included Android TV 11 QS02 dongle but can also be used with other devices. Due to its short-throw capabilities, it projects a 60-inch image at a distance of about three feet and up to 120 inches at a distance of 6 to 7.2 feet. Finally, the projector has an integrated 10W speaker system.
Our Verdict
The BenQ X500i is very good for watching movies, as long as you stick to dark rooms. It's just not bright enough to look good in rooms with many lights. Once the lights are dimmed, the projector looks impressive due to its great contrast ratio, wide color gamut, and nearly perfect image accuracy right out of the box. It also comes with an impressive list of features, including HDR10+ support, thanks to its included QS02 streaming dongle.
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Great contrast for deep blacks in dark rooms.
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Wide color gamut.
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Nearly perfect pre-calibration accuracy.
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The included QS02 streaming dongle has many wireless and streaming features.
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Not quite bright enough to pop in rooms with a few lights.
- 7.8 Movies
- Updated Sep 13, 2024: Review published.
- Updated Sep 10, 2024: Early access published.
- Updated Sep 05, 2024: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Aug 21, 2024: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Aug 15, 2024: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
- Updated Aug 11, 2024: The product has won our suggestion poll, so we'll buy and test it soon.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The BenQ X500i doesn't have any variants, but it's part of BenQ's 'Immersive Gaming Series,' alongside other products such as the BenQ X3000i, BenQ X3100i, and the BenQ TK700STi. All of these projectors are marketed primarily as gaming devices, but they all have advanced capabilities for watching movies.
Our unit was manufactured in May 2024; you can check out our unit's label for more information.
Compared To Other Projectors
The BenQ X500i is a very good projector, especially for those looking for a versatile short-throw unit. Its included BenQ QS02 dongle is packed with features, and the projector can also project images at a short distance due to its short-throw capabilities. It's also a good option for gamers due to its 1080p @ 120Hz and 240Hz capabilities. The X500i is part of BenQ's Bedroom/Living Room series alongside the BenQ TK700STi; they're similar projectors, but outside of its lower peak brightness, the X500i is better in every way, as it has better contrast, is much more accurate, and has a wider color gamut. If you don't need streaming or gaming features, you could consider the Epson Home Cinema 3800 instead, as it's much brighter than the BenQ, but it's not a short-throw unit, so it needs to be placed much further away from the wall or screen than the BenQ. Ultimately, anyone looking for a short-throw projector that can do it all should consider the BenQ X500i.
Check out our recommendations for the best 4k projectors and the best projectors for home theater. If you're specifically shopping for a short-throw projector, look up the best short-throw projectors instead.
The BenQ TK700STi and the BenQ X500i are both part of BenQ's 'Immersive Gaming' series, and share many similarities. Still, outside of the TK700STi's higher peak brightness, the X500i is the better product overall due to its much better contrast, wider color gamut, and superior pre-calibration accuracy. Plus, the X500i comes with the newer QS02 dongle, which has more features than the older QS01 dongle that comes with the TK700STi.
The BenQ X3100i is a higher-end model than the BenQ X500i and is better overall. The X500i does have some minute advantages, such as slightly better contrast and pre-calibration accuracy, but they can't overcome the X3100i's edge in brightness and colors. The X500i is a short-throw projector, however, making it easier to place closer to your screen than the X3100i. They both come with the advanced QS02 streaming dongle, giving them identical streaming and wireless features. If you're planning on using the projector solely in a dim or dark room, then you might not need the extra brightness of the X3100i, but for anyone hoping to use their projector in a brighter room, the X3100i could be worth the extra money.
The Epson Home Cinema 3800 and BenQ X500i are very different projectors and appeal to different needs. The Epson is a barebones projector that offers the best possible image quality at its price point but without any streaming features or any advanced gaming capabilities. The BenQ, on the other hand, has a well-rounded set of features, looks great in dim or dark rooms, and has full streaming and wireless connectivity due to its included dongle. If you're looking for the best possible image quality and you don't care about extra features, go for the Epson, but if you have varied needs and are mostly planning on using the projector in a dim or dark room, then for most people the BenQ has a bit more to offer.
The BenQ X500i is much more expensive than the BenQ TH671ST, but it also outperforms it in every way. They're short-throw projectors with an identical throw ratio, meaning that they can both be placed at the same distance from the wall or screen. Still, the X500i is a bit brighter, has better contrast, and is more accurate out-of-the-box. The X500i also has more features for gamers and comes with the advanced QS02 dongle, giving it a well-rounded set of streaming/wireless features. In comparison, the TH671ST doesn't come with a dongle and doesn't have any wireless features or a smart OS as a result.
The Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS800 and BenQ X500i are very different projectors. While the BenQ is a short-throw projector and can be placed relatively close to the wall, the Epson's ultra-short-throw capabilities let you place the unit almost flush with the wall. The Epson is also one of the brightest projectors we've tested, while the BenQ is too dim for rooms with lots of lights. Still, the BenQ is a much smaller and lighter product, so it's easier to move, is more accurate than the Epson, and has better contrast. If you need a projector for a bright room, then the Epson is better overall, but the BenQ is more well-rounded and much cheaper.
The Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS300 is significantly brighter than the BenQ X500i, but the BenQ is better overall due to its superior contrast, wider color gamut, and advanced gaming features. The BenQ is also a much smaller unit overall, making it far easier to move around than the bulkier Epson. Finally, the BenQ projects a sharper image due to its 4k pixel shifting capabilities, while the Epson is limited to 1080p. If you need a projector for a bright room, then the Epson is better overall, and the BenQ is more well-rounded.
The BenQ X500i is better than the BenQ HT3560. They're about equally as bright, but the X500i has better contrast and is slightly more accurate out-of-the-box. The X500i also comes with the advanced BenQ QS02 dongle, giving it a plethora of wireless and streaming features, while the HT3560 doesn't have a smart OS or any wireless features out-of-the-box. Finally, the X500i is a short-throw projector, so you can place it closer to the wall than the HT3560.
Test Results
The BenQ X500i is a mid-size but relatively lightweight projector without an integrated battery, so you must plug it in. The projector has auto keystone correction, but only on the vertical axis, so you must center it horizontally. It also doesn't have autofocus, so you must manually adjust that to get the clearest image possible. Its feet are slightly adjustable, and it comes with a set of extra extender feet to increase the vertical angle of the projector. Finally, the projector has a 10W speaker system.
The BenQ X500i uses an LED bulb as its light source, so you likely won't ever have to worry about replacing it; the manufacturer claims the bulb lasts anywhere from 20,000 to 30,000 hours, depending on the selected eco mode. It's not a true 4k projector, as it uses pixel shifting to create a higher-resolution image. This offers better quality than a pure 1080p projector but isn't as good as a native 4k projector. It has a 1.2x optical zoom, allowing you to adjust the projection distance without moving the projector.
This BenQ X500i's peak brightness is alright. It's bright enough for dim rooms but not for moderately lit rooms. Its brightness uniformity is adequate, but its corners are noticeably dimmer than the rest of the image. It's also not quite bright enough to make its colors pop, which is unfortunate as it has a wide color gamut.
This projector has great native contrast and particularly excels in darker scenes. However, its contrast performance is only decent in brighter scenes. On average, however, its great contrast leads to deep blacks when viewed in a dark room, especially in darker titles.
The BenQ X500i has truly fantastic pre-calibration image accuracy, as it's almost perfectly calibrated right out of the box. Its white balance is nearly perfect, with most colors only barely overrepresented in grays. Its gamma is almost right on target, with only brighter scenes being a tad over-brightened. Colors are mostly exactly as they should be, with minor color mapping issues in yellows, cyans, and blues. Finally, the color temperature is right on the 6,500K target.
The projector has a full-color calibration mode and a 2-point white balance calibration. Still, there's no need to use these modes as the projector's default calibration is nearly perfect, and you're likely to itation worse by trying to fix its extremely minor issues. Purists can give it a shot, but otherwise, leave it at default.
The projector has a great color gamut, although not in the suggested Cinema picture mode, as Cinema clamps the color gamut to the Rec. 709 color space. However, the projector achieves a wide color gamut when set to the 'FPS' picture mode. The projector covers almost all of the Rec. 709 color space used with SDR content, leading to a very pleasant SDR viewing experience, and does an okay job with the wider Rec. 2020 color space.
This projector runs the Android TV 11 smart interface on its included QS02 dongle and is fully cast capable through Google Chromecast and Apple AirPlay. The dongle also supports Google Voice search and Google Assistant. Plus, unlike the QS01 dongle previously included with some of BenQ's other projectors, the QS02 dongle natively supports Netflix. The projector also has a 10W speaker system.
The projector two easily accessible HDMI 2.0 ports, one with eARC support, and has one extra HDMI port behind the top cover reserved for use with the bundled QS02 Android TV Dongle. The dongle supports Chromecast and AirPlay, as well as Bluetooth 5.0. The dongle also has Wi-Fi 6 support and supports HDR10+. The USB port on the projector itself is a service port that you can use for power delivery.
If you need a USB data port for a USB key, for example, you can use the dongle as a USB reader; you can connect USB devices to the dongle, and the projector will recognize them. Or, you can use the projector's USB-C port as a data port instead. The USB-C port has DP Alt Mode capabilities, so you can use it to directly project content from a connected compatible device to the projector.