BenQ GS50 outdoor portable projector looks ready for the road

BenQ GS50 portable projector
(Image credit: BenQ)

The BenQ GS50 portable projector is built for the outdoors and is claimed by the company to be the world's first smart portable outdoor projector available with 2.1-channel Bluetooth audio.

It's a 1080p resolution, HDR device with an LED light source that's capable of producing a 500 ANSI-lumens output for up to 30,000 hours. The built-in, two-hour rechargeable battery and Android TV smart platform should make for some true wire-free use and there's 16GB of internal storage to fill with TV shows and films too.

What sets the BenQ GS50 apart from most in its class, though, are its semi-rugged features and that 2.1ch sound system. It's IPX2-certified, meaning that it's splash resistant, and it can also handle a fall of about 70cm or so.

There are separate high/mid-range drivers built into the sides and rear as well as a dedicated woofer for bass, all tuned by BenQ’s treVolo audio team.

BenQ GS50 portable projector

(Image credit: BenQ)

The GS50 looks well set for connectivity. There are HDMI, USB-A and USB-C ports. There's also Bluetooth for sound as well as a 3.5mm audio-out socket.

It can project an image of up to 100in and should be pretty easy to set up on the go with both autofocus and auto-keystone functionality.

It's certainly an attractive and convenient looking proposition from the press pics, and the 154 x 186 x 146mm form looks just about small enough to sling in a bag and take on your travels.

As ever, it will be performance that counts. While portable projectors are slowly improving, there are a few we'd recommend right now – but there's no reason why the GS50 can't join them, given BenQ's projector pedigree.

The BenQ GS50 is now available to buy for £629 / $799 / AU$1599. 

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Dan Sung

Dan is a staff writer at What Hi-Fi? and his job is with product reviews as well as news, feature and advice articles too. He works across both the hi-fi and AV parts of the site and magazine and has a particular interest in home cinema. Dan joined What Hi-Fi? in 2019 and has worked in tech journalism for over a decade, writing for Tech Digest, Pocket-lint, MSN Tech and Wareable as well as freelancing for T3, Metro and the Independent. Dan has a keen interest in playing and watching football. He has also written about it for the Observer and FourFourTwo and ghost authored John Toshack's autobiography, Toshack's Way.