BenQ GS50 vs XGIMI Halo+ for Outdoors Family Projector Viewing

Two of the most popular high end portable projectors on the market currently are the BenQ GS50 and the XGIMI Halo+, so in this article we’ll take a look at how they stack up to each other. In particular, we’ll cover their pros and cons for outdoor viewing by small groups like families. It may be winter in the north, but planning for spring and summer can start now as the new year has arrived. 

Portable projectors may not aspire to deliver the same cinema-class “wow” experience of their bigger home theater brethren, but they still need good picture and sound performance. Indoors or outdoors, portables no longer get away with sub-par visuals and lackluster sound.

The GS50 and Halo+ both showcase content in sharp 1080p, a big step up from cheapo portables that go as low as 480p. However, reviews consistently give the GS50 the upper hand in color reproduction, and mention that the Halo+ tends to oversaturate color schemes.

The BenQ GS50 uses an intelligent sensing system that balances brightness and contrast to ensure your content remains at peak detail and clarity. The sensor also reacts to ambient lighting conditions, auto adjusting the image accordingly. For example, if you’re in a bright room or area, the GS50 will pump out more brightness to compensate, and vice versa. This delivers impressive visuals that are almost on par with home cinema projectors, plus helps prevent eye fatigue from inadequate brightness and contrast. The XGIMI Halo+ lacks this sophisticated degree of image adjustment.

With regards to sound, the compact designs of portable projectors often mean manufacturers compromise on audio components. Designing a portable projector with space and durability for powerful sound is challenging, and BenQ leads the industry in optimizing projectors like the GS50 so they fit audio components just right. That means careful testing to avoid rattle or gradual damage to the rest of the projector, while ensuring great audio. The GS50 has a dedicated DSP (digital signal processing) chip for sound, which regulates audio output to dual 5W speakers and a powerful 10W subwoofer. In action, the GS50’s rich 2.1-channel audio is genuinely impressive for such a compact projector, offering smooth tonality with strong bass and seamless mid-low frequency transitions.

Also thanks to the DSP, you can select from several sound modes like cinema, sports, and gaming. Each has been tested and tuned for its respective content. By contrast, the Halo+ offers just two 5W speakers, so it’s not 2.1-channel. Although regular stereo, the Halo+ does offer Dolby Audio, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Digital Plus support. XGIMI uses Harman-Kardon speakers, but the Halo+ was not rigorously tested or optimized for those, resulting in diminished audio quality. Conversely, the BenQ GS50 was built from the ground up with its audio system in mind. 

We now come to the all important peace of mind category, since a good portable projector is a considerable investment that you want to enjoy for years. The GS50 has a cozy three year warranty, compared to the Halo+ with its basic one year warranty. That’s a big difference and shows the level of confidence each manufacturer has in their product. Similarly, BenQ has 24/7 online customer support that’s always ready to offer help and guidance if needed. 

All things considered, both are excellent compact projectors with lots of features. Whichever you choose, you’ll get a great experience. However, with the GS50 you buy more peace of mind, a longer warranty, better image overall, much better sound, and a good big screen gaming platform that works equally well at home and outside. For family use in the great outdoors, the BenQ GS50 simply offers more.