The Quick Verdict
Get the BenQ AH30ST 1080P Short Throw LED Golf Simulator Projector. BenQ publishes more of what a sim build depends on: a native 1920x1080 resolution, a zoom lens that gives you some mounting slack, a 1:1 mode for square impact screens, an input-lag figure and a warranty term. The Optoma ZW350ST lists $150 lower and puts up a wider image from the same distance. That makes it the pick if the projector has to hang closer to the screen than the BenQ's range allows. Otherwise, get the BenQ. Check price at Amazon →
What They Have in Common
Both are short-throw projectors by the numbers, and each maker names a golf picture mode. Both list 4:3 among their stated aspect modes, and neither has lens shift. Neither maker states the standard behind its lumen figure. One runs on LED and the other on laser, so there's no lamp in either.
Where They Differ
Throw and image size
Image width is throw distance divided by throw ratio. The BenQ has a zoom lens at 0.69–0.83:1. From 10 ft back, that gives an image 12.0 ft to 14.5 ft wide. For a 10 ft wide image, it sits 6.9 ft–8.3 ft from the screen. The Optoma has a fixed 0.521:1 lens. From 10 ft back, it puts up an image 19.2 ft wide, and for a 10 ft wide image it sits 5.2 ft from the screen.
So the Optoma goes wider from the same spot. But the zoom matters more than the ratio in a garage bay. The BenQ gives you a band of mounting positions that all produce the same image width. The Optoma's fixed lens gives you one distance for one width, and if the mount lands a few inches off, the image size changes with it. Before choosing, measure from where the lens will sit to the screen.
Screen shapes
The BenQ states 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 and 1:1. The Optoma states 4:3 and 16:9. A square 1:1 setting isn't among the Optoma's stated modes. That doesn't mean it can't do it, only that Optoma doesn't list it. If your impact screen is square, the BenQ is the only one of the two whose maker says it handles that shape. On a 4:3 screen, both makers list the mode.
Brightness, lag and resolution
The BenQ is rated at 3,000 lumens and the Optoma at 3,600 lumens. Neither maker says what standard those figures follow, so I'm not calling either one brighter based on two numbers that may not measure the same thing.
BenQ publishes 16.7 ms of input lag at 1080p 60Hz. Optoma doesn't publish an input-lag figure for the ZW350ST, so there's nothing to compare it against.
Native resolution is 1920x1080 at 16:9 for the BenQ and 1280x800 at 16:10 for the Optoma, which Optoma classes as WXGA.
Light source, keystone and the paperwork
The BenQ's LED is rated at 20,000 hours and the Optoma's laser at 30,000 hours, both per their makers. Keystone on the BenQ is 2D with auto vertical correction, ±30° vertical and ±30° horizontal. The Optoma lists ±15° each way, plus a stated 115% offset.
The BenQ weighs 5.84 lbs and measures 11.95 x 4.23 x 8.69 in. The Optoma weighs 6.61 lbs and measures 10.79 W x 4.49 H x 8.50 D in, so the BenQ is 0.77 lbs lighter.
BenQ's warranty reads "3 years parts and labor from purchase date (original retail purchaser), US." Optoma publishes no warranty term for this model. The BenQ is a 2025 release and the Optoma is from 2023. They list at $1,499 and $1,349 MSRP respectively.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the BenQ AH30ST 1080P Short Throw LED Golf Simulator Projector if:
- Your impact screen is square, since it's the only one of the two with a stated 1:1 mode.
- You want slack in where the mount goes. The zoom covers 6.9 ft–8.3 ft from the screen for a 10 ft wide image.
- You want a published input-lag number (16.7 ms) and a published warranty term before spending the money.
- You want native 1920x1080 rather than 1280x800.
Get the Optoma ZW350ST if:
- The projector has to sit close. It gives a 10 ft wide image from 5.2 ft, nearer than the BenQ's 6.9 ft minimum for that width.
- Your screen is 4:3 or 16:9, and the $150 gap at list matters more than the BenQ's extra published specs.
- You'd rather have a laser source rated at 30,000 hours, and you're comfortable without a published lag figure or warranty term.
The Bottom Line
It seems like the Optoma's real case comes down to two things: it can mount closer, and it lists lower. Both are legitimate, but only for a bay where the lens position is pinned near the screen. For everyone else, the BenQ backs its pitch with more figures you can check: native 1080p, a zoom range instead of a single fixed distance, a stated square-screen mode, 16.7 ms of published lag and a written three-year warranty. If I had to bet on which one a typical garage build ends up happier with, it's the BenQ.