BenQ Living Room Projectors GP520

The BenQ GP520 is a 4K LED living room projector with stunning picture quality and effortless auto setup. It's bright enough for daytime use and has Google TV built in. Just don't expect great gaming performance or booming built-in audio.

Picture quality is the GP520's superpower. In our database, it ranks in the 97th percentile, which means it's one of the best on the market for pure image fidelity. The 4K resolution is crisp, and the 2600-lumen brightness holds up well even with some lights on. Colors look natural without being oversaturated, and HDR10+ content has solid contrast. The MEMC motion smoothing is there if you want it, though we usually turn it off for movies to avoid the soap opera effect.

Audio performance is middle of the pack at the 60th percentile. The dual 12W speakers get loud enough for a medium-sized room and dialogue is clear. But there's no real bass to speak of, and action scenes feel a bit flat. The 7.1 channel passthrough via eARC is a nice touch, so pairing it with a proper sound system is easy. Gaming sits at the 56th percentile. ALLM reduces input lag, but competitive gamers will notice the delay. It's fine for casual RPGs or party games, just don't expect it to replace a gaming monitor.

Stacked against the Sony BRAVIA XR A95L, the GP520 can't touch the Sony's perfect blacks and infinite contrast, but it costs a fraction of the price and gives you a much bigger image. The Samsung Neo QLED QN900F is another TV competitor with incredible brightness, but again, you're limited to TV sizes. In the projector world, the GP520's main rivals are lifestyle models from XGIMI and Hisense. The Hisense U7 Series 75U75QG is a traditional TV that gets brighter and has better gaming performance, but it maxes out at 75 inches. The GP520 is for people who prioritize screen size and don't want to renovate their living room into a batcave.

At $1,787, the GP520 is a strong value for a 4K LED projector with this level of picture quality. You're getting a top-tier image that rivals projectors costing much more. The built-in Google TV and auto setup features add real convenience. Compared to a high-end 77-inch OLED TV like the Sony A95L, you're trading absolute black levels for sheer screen size. If you want a 120-inch image for under two grand, this is one of the best ways to get it. Just budget for a decent soundbar if audio matters to you.

The BenQ GP520 is a 4K HDR LED projector built for living rooms, not dedicated home theaters. It's designed to replace your TV with a massive 180-inch screen without needing a perfectly dark cave. At around $1,787, it sits in a sweet spot for people who want a big, bright image with smart features baked in. The 2600-lumen LED light source and Google TV integration mean you can just plug it in, point it at a wall, and start streaming. It's not the cheapest option out there, but the picture quality is a standout for the price.

Setup is where this thing really shines. The auto focus and automatic keystone correction work fast, so you're not fiddling with dials for ten minutes. It adapts to ambient light too, which is a big deal if you have windows. The built-in 24W speakers are decent enough for casual watching, though you'll probably want to hook up a soundbar via eARC or Bluetooth 5.2 for movie night. It's a chunky unit at 2500g, so don't expect to toss it in a backpack. This is a stay-put living room projector.

For sports and movies, the GP520 scores well in our database, landing in the 97th percentile for picture quality. Colors are vivid and accurate right out of the box, thanks to Rec.709 coverage and BenQ's CinematicColor tuning. HDR10+ support adds some nice pop to compatible content. But if you're a hardcore gamer, the 56th percentile gaming score tells you this isn't a dedicated gaming projector. ALLM helps, but it won't match a high-refresh-rate monitor. It's best for families, casual viewers, and anyone who wants a cinema-like experience without mounting a giant black rectangle on the wall.

Hardcore gamers should skip the GP520. The input lag, even with ALLM, will frustrate anyone playing competitive shooters or fighting games. If you're a stickler for deep, inky blacks, a high-end OLED TV like the LG G5 will serve you better, though at a much higher cost per inch. Also, if you want a portable projector to move from room to room or take outside, this 2500g unit is too heavy and the 33.1/100 portable score in our database confirms it's not built for that. Look at a compact LED model from Anker or XGIMI instead.

If you want a massive, vibrant 4K image in your living room without the hassle of a complex setup, the BenQ GP520 is an easy recommendation. The picture quality is genuinely impressive, and the auto setup features mean you'll be watching within minutes of unboxing. It's a fantastic TV replacement for casual viewing, sports, and movie nights.

But it's not for everyone. Gamers will feel the input lag, and the smart TV interface can be frustratingly slow at times. The built-in audio is serviceable but not immersive. If you're willing to overlook those quirks for a best-in-class picture at this price, you'll be very happy. If you need low latency or a snappy UI, look elsewhere.