The Quick Verdict
Get the BenQ AK700ST 4K Short Throw Laser Golf Simulator Projector. BenQ states a 1:1 mode for square impact screens, publishes an input-lag figure, gives it a zoom lens, and lists a 3-year warranty. Optoma does none of those four things for the Optoma ZW350ST. The BenQ lists at $2,899 MSRP, which is $1,550 more at list than the Optoma's $1,349. The Optoma is the right call when the lens has to hang closer to the screen than the BenQ's figures allow, or when the screen is 4:3 or 16:9 and 4K isn't on the list. Check price at The Indoor Golf Shop →
What They Have in Common
Both are laser projectors, both are short-throw by the numbers, and both makers name a golf picture mode. Each states a 4:3 mode. Neither has lens shift. On brightness, neither BenQ nor Optoma says which standard its lumen figure was measured to, which matters below.
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 throw ratio, so from 10 ft back it gives an image 12.0 ft to 14.5 ft wide. The Optoma has a fixed 0.521:1 lens, which gives an image 19.2 ft wide from 10 ft back. Working the other way, a 10 ft wide image puts the BenQ 6.9 ft–8.3 ft from the screen and the Optoma 5.2 ft from the screen.
The Optoma gives the wider image from the same distance. But the BenQ's zoom range is mounting slack. Its 10 ft wide image can come from anywhere in a 6.9-to-8.3 ft band. The Optoma has one spot for that width. Measure from where the lens will actually sit to the screen surface, then check that number against these.
Screen shapes
The BenQ is natively 16:9, and BenQ states 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 and 1:1 modes. The Optoma is natively 16:10, and Optoma states 4:3 and 16:9. A 1:1 mode isn't among the modes Optoma states. That doesn't mean it can't do one. It means Optoma doesn't list it. For a square screen, the BenQ is the only one of the two with 1:1 on paper.
Brightness, lag and resolution
The BenQ is rated at 4,000 lumens and the Optoma at 3,600 lumens. Neither maker states the measurement standard, so I'm not calling either one brighter. On input lag, BenQ lists 33.4 ms at 1080p 60Hz. Optoma doesn't publish an input-lag figure for the ZW350ST, so there's nothing to compare it against. Resolution is 3840x2160 on the BenQ, which BenQ describes as 4K UHD via pixel-shift. The Optoma is 1280x800 (WXGA).
Lens, keystone and the rest
The BenQ has 1.2x optical zoom and no lens shift. Its keystone is 3D, at ±30 degrees vertical, horizontal and rotation. The Optoma has a fixed lens, no lens shift and a 115% offset, with ±15° horizontal and vertical keystone.
Rated laser life is 20,000 hours on the BenQ and 30,000 hours on the Optoma. The Optoma weighs 6.61 lbs and is 0.87 lbs lighter than the BenQ's 7.48 lbs. Dimensions are 11.94 x 4.43 x 9.23 in for the BenQ and 10.79 W x 4.49 H x 8.50 D in for the Optoma. 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 BenQ came out in 2025 and the Optoma in 2023.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the BenQ AK700ST 4K Short Throw Laser Golf Simulator Projector if…
- Your impact screen is square. It's the one with a stated 1:1 mode.
- You want a published lag number before you mount anything. BenQ gives 33.4 ms at 1080p 60Hz.
- Your lens-to-screen distance isn't nailed down yet. The zoom gives a 10 ft wide image from anywhere between 6.9 ft and 8.3 ft.
- You want a written warranty term. BenQ lists 3 years parts and labor in the US.
- You want 4K. It's 3840x2160 via pixel-shift.
Get the Optoma ZW350ST if…
- The lens has to sit closer to the screen. It gives a 10 ft wide image from 5.2 ft back.
- Your screen is 4:3 or 16:9, both of which Optoma states, so the missing 1:1 doesn't come into it.
- List price is the deciding spec. It's $1,349 MSRP against $2,899.
- Rated laser life matters to you. Optoma rates it at 30,000 hours against the BenQ's 20,000.
The Bottom Line
The Optoma ZW350ST gets a wide image from less distance and lists $1,550 lower. The BenQ answers more of the questions a sim build actually turns on. It has a stated 1:1 mode, a published lag figure, a zoom range that gives you room on placement, and a warranty in writing. Call it a hunch, but those documented answers are what I'd want before bolting a projector to the ceiling. Go with the Optoma only if the mount has to sit near the screen and the screen isn't square.