BenQ has launched a low-latency, high-contrast 120 Hz projector. Highlights include novel 4-lamp LED technology, low input lag, dynamic contrast boost, and short-throw optics. And of course, buttery smooth 120Hz refresh.

The new BenQ X1300i is billed as "the world's first fully immersive gaming 4-LED projector."

The technical specifications are fairly complex and hinge on the common use of blue LEDs converted through ceramic phosphors to achieve the green output of a standard 3LED RGB projector. BenQ has also added a fourth blue LED to increase brightness, color and contrast detail for BenQ has also added a fourth blue LED to increase brightness and improve color and contrast detail.

According to BenQ, the X1300i has a brightness of 3000 lumens, which is sufficient for all but the weakest ambient light conditions.

Equally important, the X1300i has three low-latency modes, with the fastest mode offering only 8ms input lag when rendering at 1080p, 120Hz; the X1300i also supports 4K input at 60Hz, and this setting results in 16ms input lag. However, the X1300i's DLP chip is 1080p only, and this model does not support pixel shifting to achieve 4K. Instead, the X1300i downsamples the 4K input and outputs it at 1080p.

Other gaming-related features include BenQ's LED Dynamic Black, which is essentially an intelligent dynamic contrast feature designed to improve detail in games in dark scenes. If this works as advertised, it could make a big difference in what has been considered a weak point of projectors when it comes to gaming.

Another welcome feature is the short-throw optical setup. This allows the X1300i to produce a 100" diagonal image at only 2.87 meters from the projection surface.

The X1300i's combo of DLP and LED technology has many other gaming-related benefits, of course; BenQ puts the LED lamp's lifespan at 30,000 hours, which calculates to over 25 years of daily gaming for three hours a day. That should be a long enough lifespan for most gamers. DLP chip technology, on the other hand, has always had ultra-fast pixel response times.

If there is a catch, it is cost.

At an MSRP of £1,249, it is quite expensive for a beamer that cannot output 4K. However, while downsampled 4K looks pretty impressive at 1080p, the usual limitations regarding frame rate and smoothness of 4K, especially if hair-trigger shooters are your thing as opposed to strategy titles or fantasy adventures, 1080p big-screen games can be quite compelling.

The BenQ X1300i will be available in December, and we'll be taking a look at review units soon.