The Quick Verdict
Get the BenQ AK700ST 4K Short Throw Laser Golf Simulator Projector. For a hitting bay, it's the one that lists 1:1 among its aspect modes, gives you a zoom lens instead of a fixed one, names a golf picture mode, and carries a published 3-year warranty. It lists at $2,899. The Optoma ZK431ST-B lists $200 lower at $2,699, publishes the lower input lag, and puts a much wider image up from the same distance. That makes it the pick when the projector has to hang as close to the screen as possible and the screen isn't square. Check price at The Indoor Golf Shop →
What They Have in Common
These are two laser projectors with a native resolution of 3840x2160 and a native 16:9 shape. Each is short-throw by the numbers, and each lists 4:3 among its stated modes, so a 4:3 impact screen is covered on paper by either one. Neither has lens shift. Optoma's listing adds a 114% offset figure.
Where They Differ
Throw ratio and image size
Image width is throw distance divided by throw ratio. The BenQ has a zoom lens with a throw ratio of 0.69–0.83:1, so from 10 ft back it puts up an image 12.0 ft to 14.5 ft wide. The Optoma has a fixed 0.496:1 lens, which gives a 20.2 ft wide image from the same 10 ft.
Flip it around for a 10 ft wide image. The BenQ sits 6.9 ft–8.3 ft from the screen. The Optoma sits 5.0 ft from the screen. Neither one is a deep-mount projector.
A 0.496 throw ratio is the difference between hanging the projector up over the hitting area and hanging it further back behind you. The other half of it is the lens. The BenQ's zoom gives you a stretch of mounting positions for the same image width. The Optoma's fixed lens gives one distance per image width, so the mount has to land exactly there. Whichever you're looking at, measure from where the lens will sit to the screen and check it against these figures.
Screen shapes
BenQ lists 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 and 1:1. Optoma lists 4:3, 16:9 and 16:10. A square screen isn't among the Optoma's stated modes. That isn't the same as Optoma saying it can't do one. It just isn't on the list. For a 1:1 screen, the BenQ is the one that states it.
Input lag, brightness, golf mode
At 1080p 60Hz, the BenQ is rated at 33.4 ms and the Optoma at 16.7 ms. The Optoma has the lower input lag by 16.7 ms.
On brightness, BenQ lists 4,000 lumens and doesn't state the standard. Optoma lists 4,100 lumens to ISO 21118. Those aren't the same measurement, so I'm not ranking them. Don't read either figure as a promise about your room's lighting.
BenQ names a golf picture mode on this model. Optoma doesn't say either way.
The rest of the spec sheet
BenQ's keystone is 3D: ±30 degrees vertical, horizontal and rotation. Optoma lists ±15° horizontal and vertical. BenQ says its 4K is pixel-shift. Optoma doesn't say how its 4K is produced.
The BenQ's laser is rated at 20,000 hours. Optoma doesn't publish a rated life for this one.
BenQ's warranty is "3 years parts and labor from purchase date (original retail purchaser), US." Optoma doesn't publish a warranty term for this model.
The Optoma is 6.3 lbs and 10.8 W x 4.3 H x 8.5 D inches, which makes it 1.18 lbs lighter than the BenQ's 7.48 lbs and 11.94 x 4.43 x 9.23 inches. The BenQ is a 2025 release and the Optoma a 2026 release.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the BenQ AK700ST 4K Short Throw Laser Golf Simulator Projector if:
- Your impact screen is square. The BenQ lists 1:1 among its modes, and the Optoma doesn't list it.
- 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, instead of one fixed spot.
- The ceiling mount won't sit square to the screen. The BenQ's keystone range runs to ±30 degrees, including rotation.
- You want a maker-named golf mode and a published 3-year warranty on paper before you buy.
Get the Optoma ZK431ST-B if:
- The projector has to hang as close to the screen as possible. The Optoma needs 5.0 ft for a 10 ft wide image.
- Published input lag is the number you care about most. It's rated at 16.7 ms at 1080p 60Hz.
- Your screen is 4:3, 16:9 or 16:10, and the $200 lower list price matters.
- You're mounting it somewhere weight counts. It's 1.18 lbs lighter.
The Bottom Line
The Optoma has real numbers on its side: the lower input lag, the shorter mounting distance for the same image, and $200 less at list. But the BenQ is the one with a square screen shape among its stated modes, a zoom range for mounting, a named golf mode, a rated laser life, and a published warranty. Call it a hunch, but for most hitting bays, the screen-shape list and the mounting slack decide more than the lag gap does. Measure from your lens position to the screen first, then check it against the figures above.