When purchasing a projector for large-screen gaming, one is usually prepared to make some sacrifices. You won't get the refresh rate of a gaming monitor, and a comparable response time is probably out of the question. But with the BenQ X1300i, you don't have to sacrifice much for on-the-wall gaming.

The X1300i is officially a "console gaming" projector, but what is it if not also a PC gaming projector? At its core is 4LED DLP projector technology. This means that it has all the advantages of LED devices, including a longer lifespan and cooler operation than traditional lamp-based projectors, while also having more LED sources, resulting in increased brightness over typical 3-LED models.

As a result, the X1300i has a brightness of 3,000 lumens, a respectable rating for a projector in the around $1,300 price range. This is a respectable rating for a projector in this price range. Projectors in this price range will be competing with some higher quality units, but it is nice to see that they are not as high as the $5,000+ price tags of higher-end, usually laser projectors.

Perhaps most noteworthy for PC gamers is the projector's 120Hz refresh rate and 8ms input lag on its fastest setting. 120Hz refresh rate is ideal when playing a fast-paced shooter game or moving the mouse cursor across the screen. It provides enough speed to experience the smoothness of movement when moving the mouse cursor across the screen.

Response time is 8ms, which is a bit slower than most modern gaming monitors (most of which claim a 1ms response time). However, it is not so slow that it is unplayable. It is on par with some older IPS panels and business/professional panels and, importantly, much faster than most ordinary living room TVs.

Recent LG panels are amazingly fast, but will never be able to match the speed of an 8 year old Samsung.

I imagine this is a bigger selling point for console gamers, but for us PC gamers, this is an important point to consider for such a projector. [But the X1300i is only a 1080p projector. It is technically listed as having 4K "resolution support," but don't be fooled; it only inputs at 4K and downscales to 1080p. It also doubles the input latency to 16.67ms, which is not recommended. [However, projecting a large 1080p image on a wall does not seem as limiting as, say, a gaming monitor with a native 1080p resolution; for one thing, most people use the projector primarily as an output for gaming or watching Netflix, not as a comprehensive, all-inclusive for any task They are not likely to use it as a device for all tasks. In that sense, the operating footprint does not seem so small, although it still lacks the fidelity and clarity of larger resolutions.

Nevertheless, the image quality during gaming is immense.

Color reproduction is deep and rich, with details being vividly reproduced, while cheaper projectors often feel distractingly lacking. As a result, the X1300i does not feel like you are playing a game through a chiffon curtain, and even the uneven, slightly off-white walls I was using feel like an open window into the gaming world.

The high refresh rate also turns this projector from a casual gaming setup to a setup you can use as you please.

I played "Hunt: Showdown" on the big screen and it was fantastic. Even on high contrast frames, like a barrel exploding in the middle of the night, there was no major ghosting or blurring, and the image quality could pick up detail from a distance. The 1080p resolution puts it at a bit of a disadvantage in this regard, but no more so than other gaming monitors. [However, this is not a short-throw projector, so you need to be a few meters away to get the full range of the image projected on the wall. Ideally, we would also like a little flexibility in the distance and height of the units to get the best balance of image size, fidelity, and balance.

The X1300i has the brightness to look good in a moderately bright room, but if you are playing games in a place with lots of light, you may not get the clearest picture. However, in a dark enough room, the image quality should be overwhelming. It's easy to get carried away and feel as if you're playing the game on a giant flat screen fixed to the wall.

The X1300i also manages to be relatively quiet by projector standards, but for a more ambient experience, it is still best paired with powerful speakers. That said, the projector has a surprisingly decent built-in speaker, so you can use that if you need to.

It is up to you to decide how you want to set up the audio system and controller. The point here is that the X1300i is a decent way to project your desktop onto your living room wall and not lose your competitive edge in the process.

At $1,299, the X1300i is not the cheapest 1080p, 120Hz projector, but once properly set up, you can forgive it for its smooth operation. When connected to a graphics card, it's easy to enjoy playing games, and even when not connected to a rig, the Android TV dongle that fits snugly inside allows it to be the centerpiece of a home media setup.