The Quick Verdict
Get the Optoma ZW350ST. It lists at $1,349, which is $450 under the Optoma GT2000HDR's $1,799 at list. Optoma names a golf mode for it, and its throw ratio is close enough to the GT2000HDR's that your mounting spot barely moves. The GT2000HDR earns its extra $450 in two places. It's natively 1920x1080 against the ZW350ST's 1280x800, and Optoma publishes a warranty term for it. If native 1080p and a published warranty are worth $450 to you, buy that one. Otherwise, the ZW350ST. Check price at The Indoor Golf Shop →
What They Have in Common
Quite a lot. Both use the same 10.79 W x 4.49 H x 8.50 D body and weigh the same 6.61 lbs. Both are laser projectors rated for 30,000 hours. Both have fixed lenses with no optical zoom and no lens shift, and both offer keystone correction of ±15° horizontally and vertically. Both are 2023 releases, and Optoma lists a 4:3 mode on each.
Where They Differ
Throw and image size
Image width is the throw distance divided by the throw ratio. The GT2000HDR has a 0.496:1 throw ratio, and the ZW350ST has a 0.521:1 ratio. From 10 ft back, the GT2000HDR puts up an image 20.2 ft wide and the ZW350ST one 19.2 ft wide. To get a 10 ft wide image, the GT2000HDR's lens sits 5.0 ft from the screen and the ZW350ST's sits 5.2 ft. Both are short-throw by the numbers, and the gap between them is small.
The bigger point is that both lenses are fixed, with no zoom. The distance you mount at sets the image width, and nothing else changes it. If the bracket ends up a few inches off, there's no zoom ring to correct it. Measure from where the lens will sit to the screen surface, then divide by the throw ratio, and that's your width. A throw ratio around 0.5 is the difference between hanging the projector over the hitting area and hanging it behind you. Optoma lists a 116% offset for the GT2000HDR and 115% for the ZW350ST.
Screen shape
Optoma lists a 4:3 mode on both, which covers a lot of impact screens. Neither lists a 1:1 mode among its stated modes. That means Optoma doesn't list one, not that the projector can't do it. The GT2000HDR is natively 16:9 and also lists 16:10. The ZW350ST is natively 16:10 and also lists 16:9.
Golf mode, brightness and lag
Optoma names a golf mode for the ZW350ST. For the GT2000HDR, Optoma doesn't say either way, so I won't call it missing. Brightness is listed at 3,500 lumens for the GT2000HDR and 3,600 for the ZW350ST. Optoma doesn't state a measurement standard for either, so I wouldn't build a decision on a 100-lumen difference on paper. Optoma publishes no input-lag figure for either model, so there's nothing to compare.
Resolution and warranty
This is where the GT2000HDR's extra cost goes. It's natively 1920x1080, while the ZW350ST is WXGA at 1280x800. I haven't seen either one running, so I can't tell you how that difference looks on a ball flight. On paper, the GT2000HDR has more pixels.
The GT2000HDR's warranty reads "1 year projector parts and labor; 5 years or 12,000 hours light source." Optoma doesn't publish a warranty term for the ZW350ST.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the Optoma ZW350ST if:
- You want a named golf mode from the maker, which Optoma states for this model only.
- You'd rather keep $450 at list for the screen, enclosure or launch monitor side of the build.
- Your screen is 4:3, a mode Optoma lists for it.
- You're mounting for a set image width and can live with the lens sitting 5.2 ft back for a 10 ft wide image instead of 5.0 ft.
Get the Optoma GT2000HDR if:
- Native 1920x1080 matters to you more than a stated golf mode.
- You want a published warranty term before you spend $1,799 at list.
- You're planning around a 16:10 mode, which Optoma lists for the GT2000HDR.
- You need the slightly wider image from the same mounting distance: 20.2 ft against 19.2 ft from 10 ft back.
The Bottom Line
These two share the same body, the same weight, the same laser life, the same keystone range and nearly the same throw. With that much in common, the decision comes down to what's different. The ZW350ST lists $450 lower and has a named golf mode. The GT2000HDR has native 1080p and a published warranty. If I had to bet, the golf mode and the price gap matter more to most sim builds than the resolution step. Measure lens to screen, divide by 0.521, and mount it.