The Quick Verdict
Get the BenQ AK700ST 4K Short Throw Laser Golf Simulator Projector. It puts a wider image up from the same mounting spot. BenQ lists a square 1:1 mode alongside 4:3, publishes an input-lag figure and names a golf mode. It also lists at $900.99 less and weighs 13.92 lbs less. The LG ProBeam BU53RG is worth a look only if you want lens shift and point-by-point warping to line up the image, and only in a deeper room, because it mounts further back. Check price at The Indoor Golf Shop →
What They Have in Common
Two laser projectors with the same 3840x2160 resolution, and each maker lists it as 4K UHD by pixel shift. Each is natively 16:9, each lists a 4:3 mode, and each has a 1.2x optical zoom. Each carries a three-year warranty, though the wording differs. Neither maker says which standard its lumen figure is measured to.
Where They Differ
Throw ratio and image size
Image width is throw distance divided by throw ratio. The BenQ's zoom runs 0.69–0.83:1, so from 10 ft back it throws an image 12.0 ft to 14.5 ft wide. The LG runs 0.94–1.14:1, which gives 8.8 ft to 10.6 ft wide from that same 10 ft. To get a 10 ft wide image, the BenQ sits 6.9 ft–8.3 ft from the screen and the LG needs 9.4 ft–11.4 ft.
LG labels the BU53RG short throw. In the room, those numbers mean it mounts further back than the BenQ and needs a deeper room. A ratio under 0.9 versus one over it is the difference between the projector hanging nearer the screen and hanging well back, closer to where you stand to hit. Before buying either one, measure the distance from where the lens would sit to the screen.
Screen shapes and mounting slack
BenQ lists 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 and 1:1. LG lists 16:10, 16:6, 16:9, 21:9 and 4:3. A square 1:1 mode isn't among the ones LG states. For a square impact screen, that tips things toward the BenQ. For 4:3, both makers list it.
The LG gives you more ways to adjust placement. It has lens shift of ±20% horizontal and ±50% vertical, plus 4, 9, 15 and 25-point edge adjustment and warping, and horizontal and vertical image rotation. LG states it has no digital keystone. The BenQ has no lens shift and relies on 3D keystone at ±30 degrees vertical, horizontal and rotation.
Brightness, lag and golf mode
BenQ rates the AK700ST at 4,000 lumens, and LG rates the BU53RG at 5,000. Neither maker says what standard those figures follow, so I wouldn't read them against each other. BenQ publishes 33.4 ms of input lag at 1080p 60Hz. LG doesn't publish a lag figure for the BU53RG. BenQ names a golf mode. LG doesn't say whether the BU53RG has one.
The rest
The rated laser life is 20,000 hours for the BenQ and 15,000 hours for the LG. BenQ's warranty reads "3 years parts and labor from purchase date (original retail purchaser), US." LG's reads "3 Year Limited / Up to 15,000 hours."
The BenQ weighs 7.48 lbs and measures 11.94 x 4.43 x 9.23 in. The LG weighs 21.4 lbs and measures 14.6 W x 6.1 H x 11.4 D in. The BenQ is a 2025 model and the LG is a 2023 model. They list at $2,899 and $3,799.99.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the BenQ AK700ST if…
- Your impact screen is square. It's the one of these two whose maker lists a 1:1 mode.
- The projector has to sit closer to the screen. It needs 6.9 ft–8.3 ft back for a 10 ft wide image.
- You want a published lag number before buying: 33.4 ms at 1080p 60Hz.
- You want a maker-named golf mode on the spec sheet.
- Weight matters for the mount. It's 7.48 lbs against 21.4 lbs.
- You'd rather spend $2,899 at list than $3,799.99.
Get the LG ProBeam BU53RG if…
- The mounting point can sit 9.4 ft–11.4 ft back for a 10 ft wide image.
- You want lens shift (±20% horizontal, ±50% vertical) and multi-point warping to line the image up, rather than keystone alone.
- Your screen is 4:3 or 16:9, and a square mode doesn't matter.
The Bottom Line
The BenQ makes the wider image from closer in. Its maker lists the square and 4:3 modes impact screens tend to use, and it publishes both a lag figure and a golf mode. It's also the lower price at list by $900.99. The LG's lens shift and warping give it real placement slack. My read is that slack only matters in a room deep enough to mount it further back, and it still doesn't add a stated 1:1 mode. Measure from lens to screen, then buy the short one.