BenQ X300G 4K 3LED Portable Gaming Projector Review

The BenQ X300G is designed for portability and ease of setup. Its sleek and modern chassis blends seamlessly into any environment. The projector’s compact dimensions are approximately 8.3 inches wide, 7.7 inches deep, and 7.1 inches high, making it easy to transport and set up. Despite its compact size, the X300G is robustly built, ensuring durability and longevity.

Weighing around 6.6 pounds, the X300G is relatively lightweight for a projector of its capabilities, which adds to its portability. Being so lightweight allows users to move the projector between different rooms or locations without much hassle. The design also includes a convenient handle, further enhancing its portability.

In addition to the lens, the front of the chassis holds the IR sensor and the ToF (Time of Flight) that enabled auto focus,, auto 3D keystone correction and auto eye protection. On the top of the X300G's is a control panel. It has a Power Off/On button, an source button, a Back button, a Menu button and a joystick which allowing you to quickly navigate to your desired settings without using a remote. 

The rear of the unit holds a compartment for the QS02 Android TV 11 dongle and an exhaust vent. There are speaker grills on both sides of the projector and, in addition, the right side houses the air inlet. All the projector's inputs and connection are located on the right side along with an exhaust vent.

The inputs on the side of the BenQ X300G includes a single HDMI connection, a USB Type-C port, and USB-A input. The HDMI ports support HDCP 2.2, ensuring compatibility with the latest 4K content. Since the HDMI features an Audio Return Channel (ARC), the projector can output audio to an ARC-compatible speaker/soundbar connected via an HDMI cable.

The USB-C connection supports DisplayPort along with power input/output. It can connect the projector to a mobile device, laptop, or even a Nintendo® Switch. It can even charge a connected device while projecting content from it. Using a USB-IF-certified cable, the GP100A is able to supply power to a connected USB-IF-certified device. Supported USB-C power delivery output:

• 5V/1.5A
• 9V/1.5A
• 12V/1.5A
• 15V/1.2A

When a USB Drive is connected to the projector's USB-A input, the projector's built-in media can play music and videos and display photos. In the rear compartment where you connect the QS02 smart dongle, there is a second HDMI input along with a USB port which provides power to the dongle. 

The BenQ X300G remote is similar to other BenQ models' traditional candy bar remotes. It is well laid out and backlit, so it is easy to use in the dark. The top section has power controls. It also features shortcut buttons for Autofocus and a shortcut button for the 3D Keystone feature. The next row has the Source, Mic, and Projector Menu buttons.

The remote control has the typical D-pad with an "OK" button, a Back button, a Settings Menu button, Volume Up/Down buttons, and a Mute button. In addition, the X300G remote control also has a dedicated shortcut button for Game Settings, Picture Modes, and Sound Modes.

 Many projectors bundled with a smart dongles require two remote controls to access all the projector and dongle settings. The BenQ remote works seamlessly with the projector and the QS02 smart dongle, so I can easily access every menu, feature, and setting.

The X300G features a high-quality motorized 1.2x zoom lens with a throw ratio range of 0.69 to 0.83. Since the lens has a shorter throw range, the X300G can project a large image from a relatively short distance, making it suitable for small to medium-sized rooms. For example, the X300G can project a 100-inch image from approximately 10 feet away.

In addition to motorized autofocus, the X300G includes auto 3D Keystone correction and Corner Fit, which help ensure a perfectly aligned image even if it is not positioned directly in front of the screen.

The X300G uses BenQ’s proven, easy-to-use and understand menus. Navigating through the menus is simple and straightforward, so you can quickly adjust settings and explore different options. Like other BenQ projectors in its class, this unit works on three different menu interfaces. The first is the BenQ basic menu, which allows users to control the most common projector features.

The second is the advanced menu, which allows full access to every projector feature and adjustment.

The third menu is for the Android TV 11 operating system used in the BenQ QS-02 smart media dongle. This is where you would access all the Android apps and streaming services.

The menus offer quick access to important functions, so you can easily switch inputs or change the picture mode. With BenQ projectors, the menus are designed to be user-friendly and make getting the best performance from your projector a breeze.

The X300G includes five SDR preset picture modes: BRIGHT, RPG, FPS, SPG, and CINEMA. While the X300G does not have a large number of preset picture modes, I was quite pleased with the unit's out-of-the-box picture quality. When viewing movie and video content, the most accurate mode is CINEMA.

The overall look of the FPS mode was similar to CINEMA, except the FPS mode has the Detail Adjustment set to Low, which elevates the black level, making objects and darker parts of the screen easier to see, which is beneficial when gaming.

Colors in the SPG mode were more vibrant than those in the MOVIE mode, which many viewers would find pleasing. In addition to gaming, this mode is also good for viewing video content under ambient light. While the BRIGHT mode delivered the highest light output, the picture has a noticeably green tint.

Even though the X300G is targeted at gamers, BenQ went out of its way to ensure that the projector produced colors that make movies and videos look lifelike. This excellent color reproduction is also beneficial when playing video games because they look more like the real world.

The projector can identify and display HDR10 and HLG content, including HDR-encoded games.  In addition to the five SDR picture modes, the X300G includes four HDR picture remotes. Three modes are optimized for gaming since the projector is designed for gaming: HDR 10, HDR RPG, HDR FPS, and HDR SPG.

BenQ’s HDR-PRO technology does a good job tone mapping HDR material so the X300G offers decent on-screen brightness and excellent shadow details. BenQ HDR-PRO optimizes the 3LED light source power and adjusts the projectors brightness to show finer shadow and dark area details.

The unit includes color management, so you can adjust the CMS. Most people buying a projector at this price will not pay several hundred dollars to have the unit professionally calibrated. The CINEMA and HDR10 modes are more than accurate enough for most gamers and home entertainment users.

I suggest using the free test patterns are available on the Murideo website and their YouTube channel to fine tune Brightness and Contrast for your space. Murideo also has written instructions in the resource section of its website. Also, check out our YouTube video on utilizing several test patterns called Optimize The Image of a Projector or TV Using Free Murideo Test Patterns. Just doing those things results in an outstanding picture for the price point.

The X300G has a rated brightness of 2000 ANSI lumens. To measure the projected brightness, I placed the picture mode into bright and ensured that the light source was set to its brightest mode, which is normal. I took several measurements at various locations on the screen to get a good indication of the brightness.

The projector's brightness measured 1945 lumens, close to the manufacturer's estimate. However, this is in BRIGHT mode, which produces a greenish-looking picture. When set to a better-looking picture mode like CINEMA or FPS, the measured brightness was around 1200-1300 lumens.

While the X300G isn’t very bright, due to its 3LED images it still looked vibrant and colorful on my 100-inch Matte white screen even when viewed under low ambient light. LED projectors tend to appear brighter than conventional projectors with the same ANSI rating due to their color saturation. 

The X300G's black levels are what you would expect from a compact DLP projector. The shadow detail was good, but the blacks were closer to dark gray. The blacks are fine since most users are probably utilizing the X300G in a room with a little ambient light, which minimizes the benefits of super-deep blacks anyway.

When playing games, the ability to see objects hiding in the dark shadows is important to your survival. On many DLP projectors, blacks look washed out, so dark objects in the shadows seem to blend into the background. The X300G did a good job elevating those fine dark details visible when you were playing a role-playing game or watching a dark movie like Harry Potter.

Leaving the DARK AREA detail settings to OFF will deliver the best overall black levels, but this will make it harder to see details in the dark areas of the screen when gaming. Since this projector's primary focus is gaming, and seeing details in darker areas of the picture is more critical than inky blacks,  we understand why BenQ intentionally tuned the X300G the way they did.