The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K is the flagship model in BenQ's ZOWIE lineup of gaming monitors, sitting above the BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K. It uses a TN panel designed to deliver the best gaming experience possible, and it's one of the only monitors on the market that offers a customizable overdrive setting, meaning you can fine-tune the gaming experience to your preferences. It comes with a unique S-Switch wired remote that makes it a breeze to navigate the settings menu, as well as side panels to keep you focused on the game.
Our Verdict
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K is passable for PC gaming. It's mainly designed for esports gamers as it has a high 360Hz refresh rate, low input lag, and impressive motion handling across its entire VRR range, so motion looks sharp no matter the refresh rate you're gaming at. It supports FreeSync and is G-SYNC compatible, and there isn't too much distracting VRR flicker with changing frame rates. Unfortunately, it's disappointing if you care about having good picture quality while gaming, as it has a low contrast ratio, and it doesn't support HDR at all.
- Incredible motion handling with very little motion blur.
- Superb low input lag.
- Versatile backlight strobing feature.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
- No HDR support.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K is poor for console gaming. It has limited compatibility with both the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S as it doesn't even support HDR, but its picture quality is limited regardless. It has a 1080p resolution, so it can't deliver detailed images while gaming. That said, it has low enough input lag for a responsive feel, and it has a fast response time for sharp motion.
- Incredible motion handling with very little motion blur.
- Superb low input lag.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
- No HDR support.
- Limited console compatibility.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K is unremarkable for office use. It has good peak brightness in SDR and good reflection handling, so it can easily overcome glare in a bright office. It also has impressive ergonomics, so you can easily place it in an ideal viewing position. On the other hand, it has a relatively low pixel density, so text clarity is just decent, and the image rapidly degrades when viewed at an angle, so anyone looking at your screen beside you will see a worse image.
- Impressive ergonomics.
- Good peak brightness in SDR.
- Image degrades rapidly when viewed at an angle.
- Low pixel density.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K is disappointing for media creation. It has impressive ergonomics, so you can easily place it in an ideal viewing position or turn it to show something to your clients or colleagues. It also has impressive color accuracy and displays a wide range of colors in SDR, but it doesn't support HDR at all. Unfortunately, it has a low contrast ratio, so it performs poorly in a dark room, and the image degrades rapidly when viewed from an angle.
- Impressive ergonomics.
- Excellent accuracy before calibration.
- Good peak brightness in SDR.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
- Image degrades rapidly when viewed at an angle.
- Low pixel density.
- No HDR support.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K has good brightness in SDR, enough to fight glare, but it doesn't support HDR at all.
- Good peak brightness in SDR.
- No HDR support.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K has an impressive response time. It maintains a fast response time across its VRR range, leading to sharp motion. It also has impressive refresh rate compliance, meaning its response time is fast enough to keep up with 120 fps and 60 fps sources.
- Maintains fast response time across VRR range.
- Impressive refresh rate compliance.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K doesn't support HDR.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K has okay SDR picture quality. Its main weakness is that it has a low contrast ratio, so blacks look gray next to bright highlights, and there's also blooming around bright objects.
- Excellent accuracy before calibration.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K has impressive color accuracy. Although it doesn't have a dedicated sRGB color gamut, it still limits colors well to the sRGB color space without oversaturating them. That said, calibrating it still results in the best accuracy. Unfortunately, it fails to maintain these accurate colors across the entire screen as it has uniformity issues.
- Excellent accuracy before calibration.
- Uniformity issues.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Feb 21, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.0.1. This includes a new test result for DisplayPort 2.1 Transmission Bandwidth.
- Updated Apr 19, 2024: Corrected the main pursuit photo for Backlight Strobing (BFI) as it's better than the previous photo.
- Updated Apr 17, 2024: Updated text throughout the review according to Test Bench 2.0, mainly in the Verdict and Motion sections.
- Updated Apr 17, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.0. This includes new tests for VRR Motion Performance, Refresh Rate Compliance, Cumulative Absolute Deviation (CAD), and VRR Flicker. You can read the full changelog here.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 24.5-inch BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K, which is part of BenQ's XL-K series of gaming monitors, some of which are listed below. These results are only valid for this specific model, though.
| Model Code | Size | Resolution | Max Refresh Rate | DyAc+ |
| XL2566K | 24.5" | 1080p | 360Hz | Yes |
| XL2546K | 24.5" | 1080p | 240Hz | Yes |
| XL2540K | 24.5" | 1080p | 240Hz | No |
| XL2746K | 27" | 1080p | 240Hz | Yes |
Our unit was manufactured in September 2022, and you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K is an okay PC gaming monitor, but with impressive motion handling across its VRR range and low input lag, it's an excellent choice for esports gamers. Unfortunately, its TN-type panel delivers lackluster overall picture quality, and it lacks many features found on most recent gaming monitors, like HDR support or local dimming. It's only recommended if you only care about motion performance.
Also see our recommendations for the best budget and cheap gaming monitors, the best 1080p monitors, and the best gaming monitors.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K and the BenQ ZOWIE XL2586X are similar esports gaming monitors. They each have a TN panel, and while the XL2586X has a higher refresh rate, the XL2566K has more consistent motion handling over its VRR range. However, the XL2586X is the better choice if you have an HDMI 2.1 graphics card because it supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K and the BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K are extremely similar overall, but the newer XL2566K offers better motion handling and a customizable overdrive setting. When comparing the same settings across both displays, the XL2566K delivers a faster rise/fall time and significantly less overshoot, resulting in clearer motion with less ghosting or white trails behind fast-moving objects.
The Dell Alienware AW2523HF and the BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K deliver a very similar experience. The Dell has a much better viewing angle, delivering a more consistent visual experience when viewed at an angle. The Dell gets brighter in SDR to overcome more glare in a bright room. The BenQ has a more customizable gaming experience and more consistent motion handling than the Dell, especially at lower refresh rates.
The ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG27AQN and the BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K are both 360Hz monitors that are ideal for competitive gaming, but there are differences due to their panel types. The ASUS has an IPS panel with better picture quality thanks to its brighter screen, improved uniformity, and wider viewing angles. The ASUS also has a slightly faster response time, but the BenQ is fast regardless. Lastly, the ASUS delivers more detailed images thanks to its higher resolution.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
Test Results
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