The Quick Verdict
Get the BenQ AH700ST 1080P Short Throw Laser Golf Simulator Projector (Ace). It's 1920x1080 native against the Optoma's 1280x800. BenQ lists a square 1:1 mode among its stated aspect modes, and it publishes an input-lag figure. The zoom lens also gives you a range of mounting spots instead of a single one. The Optoma ZW350ST lists at $950 less and puts up a wider image from the same spot. It's worth a look if your impact screen is 4:3 and lower resolution is a trade you'll take for the gap at list. Check price at The Indoor Golf Shop →
What They Have in Common
Both are laser, short-throw projectors, and both makers name a golf picture mode. Neither has lens shift. Both list 4:3 among their stated aspect modes, which matters because plenty of impact screens are that shape. Both publish a lumen figure without saying which standard it was measured to.
Where They Differ
Throw and image size
Image width is the throw distance divided by the throw ratio. The BenQ has a zoom lens with a 0.69–0.83:1 ratio. From 10 ft back, that's 12.0 ft to 14.5 ft wide. Flip it around, and for a 10 ft wide image the BenQ sits 6.9 ft–8.3 ft from the screen.
The Optoma has a fixed 0.521:1 lens. From 10 ft back it throws a 19.2 ft wide image, and for a 10 ft wide image it sits 5.2 ft from the screen. Both are short-throw by the numbers, so neither one needs an especially deep room.
The real difference is flexibility. A fixed lens means one distance for one image width. If the mount ends up a little off, the image size changes with it. The BenQ's zoom lets you land anywhere from 6.9 ft to 8.3 ft and still get that 10 ft width, which is mounting slack the Optoma doesn't give you. Before you buy either, measure from where the lens will actually sit to the screen.
Screen shapes and resolution
The BenQ is natively 16:9. BenQ lists 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 and 1:1 as stated modes. The Optoma is natively 16:10, with 4:3 and 16:9 as its stated modes.
Square isn't among the Optoma's stated modes. That isn't the same as saying it can't fill a square screen. It just means Optoma doesn't list it. If your screen is 1:1, the BenQ is the one where the maker actually says so.
On resolution, it's 1920x1080 for the BenQ against 1280x800 (WXGA) for the Optoma.
Brightness, lag and setup tools
The BenQ is rated at 4,000 lumens and the Optoma at 3,600 lumens. Neither maker states the standard behind its figure. So I'm not calling either one brighter, because those two numbers may not measure the same thing.
BenQ publishes an input lag of 33.4 ms at 1080p 60Hz. Optoma doesn't publish an input-lag figure for the ZW350ST, so there's no comparison to make there.
Keystone correction is ±30 degrees vertical and horizontal on the BenQ, and ±15° each way on the Optoma. Optoma also lists an offset of 115% for its fixed lens. The BenQ's optical zoom is 1.2.
Price, light source and the rest
The BenQ lists at $2,299 and the Optoma at $1,349 MSRP, a $950 gap at list. Both use laser light sources. The Optoma is rated for 30,000 hours and the BenQ for 20,000.
The Optoma weighs 6.61 lbs and measures 10.79 W x 4.49 H x 8.50 D inches. The BenQ is 7.28 lbs at 11.95 x 4.43 x 9.23 inches, so the Optoma is 0.67 lbs lighter.
BenQ's warranty reads "3 years parts and labor from purchase date (original retail purchaser), US." Optoma doesn't publish a warranty term for this model. The BenQ came out in 2024 and the Optoma in 2023.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the BenQ AH700ST 1080P Short Throw Laser Golf Simulator Projector (Ace) if:
- Your impact screen is square. 1:1 is among BenQ's stated modes and isn't among Optoma's.
- You want 1920x1080 native rather than 1280x800.
- You want a published input-lag figure (33.4 ms at 1080p 60Hz) before you commit.
- You'd like some give in the mounting position. A 10 ft wide image works anywhere from 6.9 ft to 8.3 ft back.
- A published warranty term matters to you.
Get the Optoma ZW350ST if:
- Your screen is 4:3 or 16:9, both of which Optoma lists as stated modes.
- The $950 gap at list matters more than the resolution and the square mode.
- You need the projector close to the screen. A 10 ft wide image puts it 5.2 ft back.
- You want the higher rated laser life, at 30,000 hours against 20,000.
- You can lock in the mount position exactly, since the lens is fixed.
The Bottom Line
The Optoma's case is real: $950 less at list, a shorter throw ratio and a higher rated laser life. But the BenQ answers more of the questions a sim build asks. It has the higher native resolution and a stated 1:1 mode, and BenQ publishes both an input-lag number and a warranty term. The zoom range means you're not locked into a single mounting distance. If I had to bet, that flexibility gets used more than people expect once the mount goes up.