AI Sim Sense
IT READS THE ROOM AND TUNES ITSELF
The AK800ST carries the same built in AI processing unit as its larger sibling. It reads the course on screen, the light in the room and the impact screen, then tunes color, contrast and clarity on the fly rather than making you commit to one picture mode.
0.69 to 0.83 Short Throw
A BIG PICTURE FROM A SHORT ROOM
A 150 inch image needs only 7.6 to 9.1 feet of throw distance, and the 1.2x zoom gives you room to fine tune placement once the mount is up. In a garage or basement bay where every foot of depth is spoken for, that flexibility is worth more than raw specification.
5,000 ANSI Lumens
HOLDS UP IN A NORMALLY LIT ROOM
Five thousand ANSI lumens through a laser engine keeps the picture bright and the color saturated on a full size impact screen without blacking out the room. The laser is rated for 20,000 hours in normal mode, so there is no lamp to replace down the line.
Screen Fill For Sim Aspect Ratios
FILLS A 1:1 OR 5:4 SCREEN PROPERLY
Golf screens are not 16:9. The AK800ST outputs 1:1, 5:4, 3:2, 4:3, 16:10 and 16:9, so you fill the screen you actually own rather than cropping ball flight or living with black bars.
From Our SimSquad
WHO THE AK800ST IS FOR
The AK800ST is the one we will recommend most often out of this pair. Same 4K laser engine, same AI Sim Sense, same sim aspect ratios, in a 13 pound body that one person can mount. The reason to move up to the AK900ST is specific and worth being honest about: lens shift for an off centre mount, and the extra brightness for a room you cannot darken. If neither of those describes your build, this is the smarter buy.
What is the BenQ AK800ST?
The BenQ AK800ST is a true 4K UHD laser projector built specifically for golf simulation. 5,000 ANSI lumens, a 0.69 to 0.83 short throw ratio, a laser light source rated for 20,000 hours in normal mode, and BenQ's AI Sim Sense processing that tunes the picture to your room and your impact screen in real time.
It also does the thing golf projectors are supposed to do and most do not: it fills non standard screen shapes. 1:1, 5:4, 3:2, 4:3, 16:9, 16:10 are all supported natively, so a 1:1 or 5:4 impact screen gets a properly filled picture.
At 13 pounds and just over 15 inches wide it is the easier of the two new AK models to mount, and the 1.2x zoom gives useful latitude when the mount point is not exactly where you would have chosen.
Why Choose the BenQ AK800ST?
Straight framing: both of the new AK models are strong sim projectors and the right one depends on your room and your screen.
Choose the AK800ST if your mount point sits roughly centered on the screen and your room is reasonably light controlled. You get the same 4K laser engine, the same AI Sim Sense processing and the same sim aspect ratios as the AK900ST, in a lighter body that is easier to mount.
Step up to the AK900ST if you are fighting ambient light, running a larger screen, or your mount cannot sit centered. Lens shift is the real reason to pay the difference, and it is the one thing the AK800ST cannot do.
Not sure which one your room wants? SimSquad will walk you through it.
Frequently Asked Questions
For a 16:9 image: 150 inch needs 7.6 to 9.1 ft, 180 inch needs 9.1 to 10.9 ft, 200 inch needs 10.1 to 12.1 ft, 240 inch needs 12.1 to 14.5 ft, 280 inch needs 14.1 to 17.0 ft. Those are BenQ's published figures and the range within each one is the zoom travel. Send us your room depth and screen size and we will confirm it fits before you order.
No. The AK800ST has a fixed 102.5% projection offset and no optical lens shift, so it wants to be mounted roughly centered on the screen. It does carry 3D keystone correction of plus or minus 30 degrees on the vertical, horizontal and rotation axes, plus a 1.2x zoom, which together cover most normal install variation. If your mount point is well off centre, the AK900ST and its lens shift is the better answer.
Yes. Input lag is 18.1ms at 4K 60Hz and drops to 4.8ms at 1080p 240Hz, and the projector supports refresh rates from 23Hz to 240Hz. Automatic low latency mode engages on its own when it sees a game source. For golf simulation any of these figures is well below what a player can perceive between impact and ball flight.
Yes, and this is one of the reasons to buy a golf specific projector. The AK800ST outputs 1:1, 5:4, 3:2, 4:3, 16:9, 16:10 natively. A standard home theatre projector only does 16:9 and 4:3, which on a square sim screen means black bars or a cropped picture.
No. This is a laser projector, not a lamp projector. BenQ rates the light source at 20,000 hours in normal mode and 30,000 hours in ECO. At three hours of use a day that is well over fifteen years, so there is no consumable to budget for.
Yes, and it is sold separately. Both models carry standard ceiling mount screw holes on the base and a full 3D keystone correction range, so they work with our RoS Ceiling Mount or a floor enclosure such as the SwingShield. Tell us your ceiling height and we will confirm the right mount before you order.
Yes. These are standard HDMI projectors, so anything your PC outputs will display: GSPro, E6 Connect, TGC, FSX, Awesome Golf and the rest. The automatic low latency mode engages on its own when it detects a game source, so you do not have to remember to switch picture modes before you hit.
| Display Technology | DLP |
| Light Source | Laser |
| Light Source Life | 20,000 hours (Normal), 30,000 hours (ECO) |
| Native Resolution | 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) |
| Brightness | 5,000 ANSI lumens |
| Contrast Ratio | 3,000,000:1 |
| Throw Ratio | 0.69 to 0.83 |
| Zoom | 1.2x |
| Lens Shift | No lens shift. Fixed 102.5% projection offset |
| Screen Fill Aspect Ratios | 1:1, 5:4, 3:2, 4:3, 16:9, 16:10 |
| Keystone Correction | 3D. Vertical, horizontal and rotation, each plus or minus 30 degrees |
| Input Lag | 18.1ms (4K 60Hz), 18.6ms (1080p 60Hz), 4.8ms (1080p 240Hz) |
| Refresh Rate | 23Hz to 240Hz |
| Color Coverage | 97% Rec. 709 with HDR10 |
| Inputs | HDMI 2.1 x3 (one with eARC), USB Type-A x2, LAN (RJ45), RS-232, 3.5mm audio out |
| Speaker | 10W |
| Noise Level | 34 dB typical, 29 dB in ECO |
| Power Consumption | 285.1W typical |
| Dimensions | 15.27" x 5.51" x 11.89" (387.9 x 140.0 x 301.9 mm) |
| Weight | 13.0 lbs (5.9 kg) |
| Screen Size | Projection Distance |
| 150 inch | 7.6 to 9.1 ft |
| 180 inch | 9.1 to 10.9 ft |
| 200 inch | 10.1 to 12.1 ft |
| 240 inch | 12.1 to 14.5 ft |
| 280 inch | 14.1 to 17.0 ft |
| Hardware | BenQ AK800ST projector |
| Accessories | Power cable, RCA012 remote, manufacturer documentation |
| Mount | Sold separately. See our RoS Ceiling Mount or SwingShield Floor Enclosure |
| BenQ AK800ST $$$ |
BenQ AK900ST 4K $$$$ |
BenQ AK700ST 4K $$ |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 4K UHD (3840x2160) | 4K UHD (3840x2160) | 4K UHD (3840x2160) |
| Brightness | 5,000 ANSI lumens | 6,000 ANSI lumens | 4,000 ANSI lumens |
| Light Source | Laser, 20,000 hours | Laser, 20,000 hours | Lamp |
| Throw Ratio | 0.69 to 0.83 | 0.81 to 0.89 | 0.69 to 0.83 |
| Lens Shift | No | Vertical and horizontal | No |
| AI Sim Sense | ✓ | ✓ | × |
| 1:1 and 5:4 Screen Fill | ✓ | ✓ | × |
| Weight | 13.0 lbs (5.9 kg) | 22.5 lbs (10.2 kg) | Approximately 15 lbs |
| Sim-Specialist Support | Yes | — | — |
| You’re Here | · | · |
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