BenQ’s latest weapon in the golf simulation world, the AK700ST, isn’t just another projector: it’s a purpose-built, 4K laser cannon designed to deliver unmatched realism and simplicity for the growing legion of golfers building their dream bay at home.

And, according to the crew installing and using them daily, this thing changes everything.

“It’s the first time a projector manufacturer has taken golf seriously rather than just paying lip service to it,” Noel Manning, director of Golf Technologies, tells Golf Australia magazine.

“It’s actually saying, ‘what do golfers need?’ And that lifts the whole standard.”

The AK700ST is the first 4K short-throw laser projector in the world designed specifically for golf simulation. For once, a projector hasn’t been adapted to suit the game - it’s been engineered for it.

Let’s start with what makes it special.

The 4K resolution is more than just sharp – it’s immersive. It’s the kind of detail that tricks the brain into thinking you really are standing on the 7th at Pebble Beach, not a mat in your garage.

Combined with factory-calibrated colour and 95 per cent Rec.709 colour accuracy, it nails the subtle greens, sky blues and earthy khakis that define a world-class visual sim experience.

“Colour accuracy is the key for immersion,” adds a spokesperson for BenQ. “Golfers want it to look like real life, not Wii Golf.”

That obsession with realism shows in the projector’s design. A flexible 0.69–0.83 short-throw ratio and 1.2x motorised zoom let you mount it close to the screen - crucial in tight setups, and keep it out of the firing line. No shadows. No worries.

“If you’ve got a ceiling mount and a standard throw projector, you’ll get head shadow,” Manning says. “The short throw sits just over the hitting zone. It’s simple, clean, and safe.”

And then there’s the showstopper: BenQ’s one-key Auto Screen Fit. With a single button, the AK700ST uses onboard sensors to detect screen size, shape, and alignment, then fits the image perfectly - no ladder-climbing, no fiddling with keystone, no pulling out the manual.

“Nobody else is doing that,” says Manning. “It’s a game changer. Every room is different, and our screens are all bespoke.

"We’ve always been constrained by aspect ratio. Now we’re not.”

That’s a critical development in a sim market that’s moving fast and fragmenting. BenQ’s own research shows that golf sim customers overwhelmingly use 4:3, 16:10, or even 1:1 ratios; nothing like the 16:9 standard in home cinema.

The AK700ST is the rare unit that doesn’t force you into a cookie-cutter screen layout. You pick your size and shape, and the projector adapts.

 

“The Auto Screen Fit just makes it easy for anyone to install it,” says Manning. “Especially DIY users. And that’s who’s driving the market now.”

The laser light source means no lamps, no maintenance, and colour that doesn’t degrade. You won’t be replacing parts or cleaning filters - just turning it on, taking your stance, and flushing a high cut into the corner of the 13th at St Andrews.

And speaking of cuts, let’s talk cost.

One of the AK700ST’s real triumphs is that it brings elite-level clarity and convenience to a sim setup that doesn’t cost more than a family boat.

“Ten grand for a simulator setup isn’t crazy when you think what people spend on hobbies,” says Manning. “You’re getting something that’s going to get used all year, by everyone.”

The trend, as BenQ’s research confirms, is toward multi-use sim rooms, dubbed “Sim Theatres”, that double as home cinemas. AK700ST handles both in style, switching between modes with one button on a redesigned remote. Gamers get low latency. Families get 4K movies. Golfers get to chase Augusta.

“We’ve had people put bean bags in the bay and turn it into a cinema,” says Manning.

From a performance perspective, it’s quick. Low input lag - borrowed from BenQ’s gaming tech - means your shots respond instantly. No delay. No disconnect between action and impact.

“The swing is the thing,” says Manning. “You want to hit the ball and feel like you’re really there. That’s what this brings.”

It all ties together: colour, clarity, size, response time. What BenQ has done with the AK700ST is remove every pain point that’s plagued golf sim users for years. No compromise on picture. No headache during setup. No post-purchase fiddling with settings.

For the golfer who wants to practise with purpose, or the family that wants a cinema one night and Augusta the next, this isn’t just the best projector on the market – it’s the right one.