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BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v2.0
Review updated Apr 02, 2024 at 10:40 am
Latest change: Retest Apr 19, 2024 at 09:38 am
BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K Picture
6.8
PC Gaming
4.4
Console Gaming
7.2
Office
6.3
Editing
3.1
Brightness
8.4
Response Time
2.5
HDR Picture
6.8
SDR Picture
8.4
Color Accuracy

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

6.8 PC Gaming

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.

Pros
  • Incredible motion handling with very little motion blur.
  • Superb low input lag.
  • Versatile backlight strobing feature.
Cons
  • Mediocre contrast ratio.
  • No HDR support.
4.4 Console Gaming

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.

Pros
  • Incredible motion handling with very little motion blur.
  • Superb low input lag.
Cons
  • Mediocre contrast ratio.
  • No HDR support.
  • Limited console compatibility.
7.2 Office

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.

Pros
  • Impressive ergonomics.
  • Good peak brightness in SDR.
Cons
  • Image degrades rapidly when viewed at an angle.
  • Low pixel density.
6.3 Editing

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.

Pros
  • Impressive ergonomics.
  • Excellent accuracy before calibration.
  • Good peak brightness in SDR.
Cons
  • Mediocre contrast ratio.
  • Image degrades rapidly when viewed at an angle.
  • Low pixel density.
  • No HDR support.
3.1 Brightness

The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K has good brightness in SDR, enough to fight glare, but it doesn't support HDR at all.

Pros
  • Good peak brightness in SDR.
Cons
  • No HDR support.
8.4 Response Time

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.

Pros
  • Maintains fast response time across VRR range.
  • Impressive refresh rate compliance.
Cons
2.5 HDR Picture

The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K doesn't support HDR.

6.8 SDR Picture

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.

Pros
  • Excellent accuracy before calibration.
Cons
  • Mediocre contrast ratio.
8.4 Color Accuracy

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.

Pros
  • Excellent accuracy before calibration.
Cons
  • Uniformity issues.
  • 6.8 PC Gaming
  • 4.4 Console Gaming
  • 7.2 Office
  • 6.3 Editing

Performance Usages

  • 3.1 Brightness
  • 8.4 Response Time
  • 2.5 HDR Picture
  • 6.8 SDR Picture
  • 8.4 Color Accuracy
  1. Updated Apr 19, 2024: Corrected the main pursuit photo for Backlight Strobing (BFI) as it's better than the previous photo.
  2. Updated Apr 17, 2024: Updated text throughout the review according to Test Bench 2.0, mainly in the Verdict and Motion sections.
  3. 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.
  4. Updated Apr 24, 2023: Fixed an incorrect link for the 'Premium' table in Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate.
  5. Updated Jan 04, 2023: Review published.
  6. Updated Dec 22, 2022: Early access published.
  7. Updated Dec 06, 2022: Our testers have started testing this product.
  8. Updated Nov 28, 2022: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  9. Updated Nov 08, 2022: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
  10. Updated Nov 02, 2022: The product has won our suggestion poll, so we'll buy and test it soon.

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.

Compared To Other Monitors

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.

ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG27AQN

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.

Dell Alienware AW2523HF

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.

BenQ ZOWIE XL2586X

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.

BenQ ZOWIE XL2546X

The BenQ ZOWIE XL2546X and the BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K are very similar 25-inch monitors. They're well-suited to esports gamers who only care about good motion handling. However, the XL2566K is the better choice, as fast-moving objects look slightly sharper on its display, and it's far more responsive at 60Hz. That said, the image quality on both monitors isn't very good, and you should consider other monitors we recommend in our best gaming monitors article if you care about a good image.

BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K

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.

ASUS ROG Swift Pro PG248QP

The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K and the ASUS ROG Swift Pro PG248QP are both 24-inch, 1080p esports gaming monitors. The ASUS ROG Swift Pro PG258QP has better esports performance overall, with a substantially higher refresh rate for smoother motion, lower input lag at higher refresh rates, and reduced image duplication when backlight strobing is enabled. The ASUS is a great choice if you want the best esports performance.

ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN

The ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN is a much better monitor overall than the BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K, but the BenQ is still a good choice for gamers. The ASUS delivers much better picture quality, with a wider viewing angle, HDR support, and better gradient handling. On the other hand, the BenQ delivers better motion handling, with less overshoot and a faster response time, so it's a slightly better choice for esports gamers who prefer motion handling over picture quality.

Dell Alienware AW2521H

The Dell Alienware AW2521H is better than the BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K. The Dell has a much better viewing angle, delivering a more consistent visual experience when viewed at an angle. The Dell also supports HDR and gets brighter in SDR to overcome more glare in a bright room. The Dell also natively supports G-SYNC variable refresh rate technology, delivering a tear-free gaming experience with NVIDIA graphics cards.

+ Show more

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Curved
No
Curve Radius
Not Curved

The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K has a simple design with a definite gamer aesthetic. The bezels are roughly the same thickness on all four sides, which looks nice, but they're thicker and deeper than more premium models. There are two adjustable shields on either side of the monitor to keep you focused on your game. It has a few nice convenience features, including a built-in headphone hook to keep your desk organized when you're not gaming.

6.5
Design
Build Quality

The build quality is just okay. It's made entirely of plastic, and it feels a bit cheap. The plastic panels have little flex to them, which is good, and it doesn't seem likely to break. The bezels aren't properly attached to the screen, though, and on our unit, it's easy to lift them off the screen.

9.1
Design
Ergonomics
Min Height To Top Of Panel
13.9" (35.4 cm)
Height Adjustment
5.9" (14.9 cm)
Tilt Range
-20° to 5°
Rotate Portrait/Landscape
Yes, Clockwise
Swivel Range
-45° to 45°
Wall Mount
VESA 100x100

The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K has impressive ergonomics, so you can easily and quickly adjust it to an ideal viewing position. The height adjustment even has a ruler, so you can quickly adjust it to the perfect height depending on your needs. There's a hole in the stand for cable management.

Design
Stand
Base Width
10.2" (26.0 cm)
Base Depth
6.9" (17.5 cm)
Thickness (With Display)
5.9" (15.0 cm)
Weight (With Display)
14.2 lbs (6.5 kg)

The stand is simple, with a small, flat base, so you can easily place things in front of it or stash your keyboard when you're not gaming. The height adjustment is on an angle, so the total thickness varies depending on the height you set. The posted measurements are at the thickest position.

Design
Display
Size
25"
Housing Width
22.4" (57.0 cm)
Housing Height
13.2" (33.5 cm)
Thickness (Without Stand)
2.6" (6.5 cm)
Weight (Without Stand)
10.4 lbs (4.7 kg)
Borders Size (Bezels)
0.6" (1.5 cm)
Design
Controls

There's a joystick on the back of the monitor for navigating the monitor's on-screen display and two preset buttons on the back. There's also an external S-Switch controller that makes it even easier to navigate the menus and change settings on the fly.

Design
In The Box
Power Supply
Internal

  • Power cable
  • HDMI cable
  • DisplayPort cable
  • S-Switch
  • Monitor cover (shown here)
  • User documentation and guides

Picture Quality
6.2
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,131 : 1
Contrast With Local Dimming
N/A

Unfortunately, the contrast ratio is very low, so blacks look gray when viewed in a dark room. There's also no local dimming feature to improve the contrast between bright and dark areas of the screen.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge

Unfortunately, this monitor doesn't have a local dimming feature. We still film this video on the monitor so you can compare the backlight performance to another monitor with local dimming.

7.7
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene
315 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
304 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
306 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
306 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
306 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
306 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
302 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
303 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
304 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
304 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
303 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.000
Minimum Brightness
55 cd/m²

The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K has good peak brightness in SDR. It's bright enough to overcome glare, and there's very little variation in peak brightness with different scenes. The minimum brightness is a bit high, so it's not ideal for users looking to use it in a completely dark room.

These measurements are taken after calibration, in the 'Standard' Picture Mode, with the Brightness at max.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
VESA DisplayHDR Certification
No Certification
Real Scene
N/A
Peak 2% Window
N/A
Peak 10% Window
N/A
Peak 25% Window
N/A
Peak 50% Window
N/A
Peak 100% Window
N/A
Sustained 2% Window
N/A
Sustained 10% Window
N/A
Sustained 25% Window
N/A
Sustained 50% Window
N/A
Sustained 100% Window
N/A
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
N/A

This monitor doesn't support HDR.

6.4
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
31°
Color Washout From Right
34°
Color Shift From Left
31°
Color Shift From Right
33°
Brightness Loss From Left
48°
Brightness Loss From Right
49°
Black Level Raise From Left
24°
Black Level Raise From Right
28°
Gamma Shift From Left
29°
Gamma Shift From Right
23°

Unfortunately, the horizontal viewing angle is just passable. Colors shift rapidly as you move off-center and appear noticeably washed out at a moderate angle, so it's not ideal for sharing your screen with someone sitting beside you.

5.1
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
15°
Color Washout From Above
56°
Color Shift From Below
18°
Color Shift From Above
70°
Brightness Loss From Below
35°
Brightness Loss From Above
39°
Black Level Raise From Below
18°
Black Level Raise From Above
18°
Gamma Shift From Below
3°
Gamma Shift From Above
3°

Unfortunately, like all monitors with a TN panel, the vertical viewing angle is poor. Looking at it from above, the image fades and appears washed out, but looking at it from below, the image is completely inversed and looks bad.

6.9
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
6.226%
50% DSE
0.160%

The gray uniformity is just okay. The sides of the screen are a bit darker than the center, but there's just a bit of dirty screen effect. The top half of the screen is a bit darker than the bottom due to the poor vertical viewing angle.

6.5
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
1.669%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
N/A

The black uniformity is alright. The screen is a bit cloudy throughout due to the low contrast ratio, and there's a bit of backlight bleed along the bottom edge. Sadly, there's no local dimming feature to improve this.

8.8
Picture Quality
Color Accuracy (Pre-Calibration)
Picture Mode
Standard
sRGB Gamut Area xy
95.7%
White Balance dE (Avg.)
1.56
Color Temperature (Avg.)
6,708 K
Gamma (Avg.)
2.17
Color dE (Avg.)
1.85
Contrast Setting
50
RGB Settings
100-100-100
Gamma Setting
Gamma 3
Brightness Setting
100
Measured Brightness
301 cd/m²
Brightness Locked
No

The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K has excellent accuracy before calibration. The white balance is excellent, with no noticeable issues, and most colors are displayed properly. Pure blues are a bit off, but it's not noticeable. Colors aren't oversaturated, and it covers most of the sRGB gamut area without needing a dedicated sRGB mode. Gamma tracks the sRGB target curve nearly perfectly.

9.3
Picture Quality
Color Accuracy (Post-Calibration)
Picture Mode
Standard
sRGB Gamut Area xy
96.0%
White Balance dE (Avg.)
0.48
Color Temperature (Avg.)
6,479 K
Gamma (Avg.)
2.17
Color dE (Avg.)
1.16
Contrast Setting
50
RGB Settings
97-96-100
Gamma Setting
Gamma 3
Brightness Setting
15
Measured Brightness
101 cd/m²
ICC Profile
Download

The color accuracy and white balance are superb after calibration, but it doesn't make a noticeable difference on this monitor, as it was already excellent.

8.8
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB Coverage xy
96.5%
sRGB Picture Mode
Standard
Adobe RGB Coverage xy
75.2%
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Standard

The SDR color gamut is excellent. It displays most of the sRGB color space used by most desktop and web content. Sadly, it can't display any of the wider range of colors supported by the Adobe RGB color space, so it's not suited for print or photo processing using this color space.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
N/A
DCI-P3 Coverage xy
N/A
DCI-P3 Picture Mode
No HDR
Rec. 2020 Coverage xy
N/A
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
No HDR

This monitor doesn't support HDR.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
1,000 cd/m² DCI-P3 Coverage ICtCp
N/A
DCI-P3 Picture Mode
No HDR
10,000 cd/m² Rec. 2020 Coverage ICtCp
N/A
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
No HDR

This monitor doesn't support HDR.

7.0
Picture Quality
Text Clarity
Pixel Type
TN
Subpixel Layout
RGB

The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K has just decent text clarity. The matte coating gives text a slightly hazy look, and due to the low pixel density, text isn't very sharp, even after optimizing the Windows ClearType settings for the display (top photo).

7.7
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
5.5%
Indirect Reflections
4.2%
Calculated Direct Reflections
1.3%

The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K has good reflection handling. The matte anti-reflective coating significantly reduces the intensity of direct reflections, but this adds a slight haze to the screen.

8.4
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
8 Bit

Gradients are displayed well, with just a bit of banding in darker shades. There's noticeable 8-bit banding since this monitor can't display 10-bit gradients.

Motion
8.4
Motion
Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
360 Hz
Max Refresh Rate
360 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over DP
360 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over HDMI
240 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over DP @ 10-bit
N/A
Max Refresh Rate Over HDMI @ 10-Bit
N/A

The maximum refresh rate of this monitor is only supported over DisplayPort due to the bandwidth limitations of the HDMI port on this monitor.

Motion
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
FreeSync
Compatible (Tested)
G-SYNC
Compatible (Tested)
VRR Maximum
360 Hz
VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
VRR Supported Connectors
DisplayPort, HDMI

NVIDIAVRR MinVRR Max
DisplayPort<20Hz360Hz
HDMIN/AN/A

AMDVRR MinVRR Max
DisplayPort<20Hz360Hz
HDMI<20Hz240Hz

Although not officially certified for either AMD FreeSync or NVIDIA G-SYNC variable refresh rates, there aren't any issues with either.

8.4
Motion
VRR Motion Performance
Recommended VRR OD Setting
Custom8
Variable Overdrive Advertised
No
Avg. CAD
132
Best CAD
129
Worst CAD
138

Refresh RateCAD HeatmapRT ChartPursuit Photo
358HeatmapChartPhoto
240HeatmapChartPhoto
165HeatmapChartPhoto
144HeatmapChartPhoto
120HeatmapChartPhoto
100HeatmapChartPhoto
80HeatmapChartPhoto
60HeatmapChartPhoto

The BenQ XL2566K has impressive motion handling across its entire refresh rate range with VRR enabled. It has a few different overdrive settings, which is called AMA, including a 'Custom' setting that has a slider. Setting it to '8' results in the most consistent performance across the entire refresh rate range, but 'High' and 'Premium' are good choices if your games maintain high frame rates.

8.4
Motion
Refresh Rate Compliance
Compliance @ Max Hz
44%
Compliance @ 120 FPS
73%
Compliance @ 60 FPS
85%

The refresh rate compliance is impressive. The 'Custom 8' and 'High' overdrive settings perform similarly, but the response time isn't fast enough to take advantage of the monitor's high refresh rate. That said, it's much better at lower refresh rates.

8.6
Motion
CAD @ Max Refresh Rate
OD Transition Max Refresh Rate
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Premium
Avg. CAD
100
Best 10% CAD
34
Worst 10% CAD
183

Overdrive ModeCAD HeatmapRT ChartPursuit Photo
OffHeatmapChartPhoto
Custom 8HeatmapChartPhoto
HighHeatmapChartPhoto
PremiumHeatmapChartPhoto

The CAD at the max refresh rate of 360Hz is excellent. If you play competitive games that maintain such a high frame rate, the 'Premium' overdrive setting performs the best. That said, it has some inverse ghosting, so it's better to use 'High' if that bothers you, but it has a bit more motion blur.

Motion
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Premium
First Response Time
2.7 ms
Total Response Time
4.8 ms
RGB Overshoot
8 RGB
Worst 10% First Response Time
8.3 ms
Worst 10% Total Response Time
9.0 ms
Worst 10% RGB Overshoot
35 RGB

Overdrive ModeFirst Response HeatmapTotal Response HeatmapRGB Overshoot Heatmap
OffHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
Custom 8HeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
HighHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
PremiumHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap

8.1
Motion
CAD @ 120Hz
OD Transition 120Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Premium
Avg. CAD
122
Best 10% CAD
29
Worst 10% CAD
262

Overdrive ModeCAD HeatmapRT ChartPursuit Photo
OffHeatmapChartPhoto
Custom 8HeatmapChartPhoto
HighHeatmapChartPhoto
PremiumHeatmapChartPhoto

The CAD at 120Hz is great, but there's some smearing. The 'Custom 8' and 'Premium' settings perform similarly with the same CAD, but this only happens if you set the monitor's max refresh rate to 120Hz. If you set it to a higher refresh rate and use VRR while the frame rate goes down to 120 fps, then the 'Custom 8' overdrive setting is better, as explained in VRR Motion Performance. 'High' also performs well, but 'Off' is the worst performing overdrive setting.

Motion
Response Time @ 120Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Premium
First Response Time
4.7 ms
Total Response Time
6.0 ms
RGB Overshoot
1 RGB
Worst 10% First Response Time
11.2 ms
Worst 10% Total Response Time
12.3 ms
Worst 10% RGB Overshoot
11 RGB

Overdrive ModeFirst Response HeatmapTotal Response HeatmapRGB Overshoot Heatmap
OffHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
Custom 8HeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
HighHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
PremiumHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap

8.0
Motion
CAD @ 60Hz
OD Transition 60Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Premium
Avg. CAD
134
Best 10% CAD
30
Worst 10% CAD
280

Overdrive ModeCAD HeatmapRT ChartPursuit Photo
OffHeatmapChartPhoto
Custom 8HeatmapChartPhoto
HighHeatmapChartPhoto
PremiumHeatmapChartPhoto

The CAD at 60Hz is great, despite some smearing. The 'Custom 8', 'High', and 'Premium' overdrive settings all have the same CAD, but because 'Premium' is the recommended setting at higher refresh rates, it's a good set-and-forget mode if you change games. However, the motion handling is different if you set the monitor's refresh rate to 60Hz versus setting it to a higher refresh rate and using VRR as the frame rate goes down to 60 fps. In that case, the 'Custom 8' overdrive setting is better, as explained in VRR Motion Performance.

Motion
Response Time @ 60Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Premium
First Response Time
5.8 ms
Total Response Time
9.5 ms
RGB Overshoot
2 RGB
Worst 10% First Response Time
18.5 ms
Worst 10% Total Response Time
20.0 ms
Worst 10% RGB Overshoot
11 RGB

Overdrive ModeFirst Response HeatmapTotal Response HeatmapRGB Overshoot Heatmap
OffHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
Custom 8HeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
HighHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
PremiumHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap

Motion
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
Yes
Maximum Frequency
360 Hz
Minimum Frequency
120 Hz
Longest Pulse Width Brightness
282 cd/m²
Shortest Pulse Width Brightness
286 cd/m²
Pulse Width Control
Limited
Pulse Phase Control
No
Pulse Amplitude Control
No
VRR At The Same Time
No

Refresh RateBFI Setting 60HzMotion Blur Photo
60HzPremiumPhoto
HighPhoto
120HzPremiumPhoto
HighPhoto
360HzPremiumPhoto
HighPhoto

The BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K has a versatile backlight strobing feature, which BenQ calls DyAC+, to improve the appearance of motion. It's available across a wide range of refresh rates, nearly the full range of the monitor itself, but it doesn't work at the same time as VRR. Sadly, although you can enable it as low as 60Hz, it still flickers at 120Hz, creating image duplication.

8.5
Motion
VRR Flicker
Dark Gray Flicker
0.9 RGB
Middle Gray Flicker
1.7 RGB
Light Gray Flicker
1.2 RGB

The BenQ XL2566K doesn't have too much VRR flicker with changing frame rates. It isn't too distracting in very dark scenes, but it's more noticeable in darker areas of bright scenes, like shadows.

10
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-Free
Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz

This monitor is completely flicker-free, helping to reduce eye strain.

Inputs
9.1
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution @ Max Hz
2.1 ms
Native Resolution @ 120Hz
5.2 ms
Native Resolution @ 60Hz
13.6 ms
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
3.9 ms

Thanks to its fast refresh rate, there's very little input lag when gaming, ensuring a responsive gaming experience. The input lag is noticeably higher at 60Hz, even higher than most other monitors at 60Hz, but it's not too bad.

5.4
Inputs
Resolution
Native Resolution
1920 x 1080
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Megapixels
2.1 MP
Pixel Density
88 PPI

Sadly, the low resolution of this screen results in a very low pixel density, so text and images aren't very sharp.

1.3
Inputs
PS5 Compatibility
4k @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
No
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 60Hz
No
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz
Yes
3.2
Inputs
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
4k @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
No
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz
Yes

The monitor only supports VRR with 1080p signals as you need to use the console's HDMI override to get 1440p @ 60Hz, which disables VRR.

Inputs
Inputs Photos
Inputs
Video And Audio Ports
DisplayPort
1 (DP 1.4)
Mini DisplayPort
No
HDMI
2 (HDMI 2.0)
HDMI 2.1 Rated Speed
No HDMI 2.1
DVI
No
VGA
No
Daisy Chaining
No
3.5mm Audio Out
1
3.5mm Audio In
No
HDR10
No
3.5mm Microphone In
No
Inputs
USB
USB-A Ports
0
USB-A Rated Speed
No USB-A Ports
USB-B Upstream Port
No
USB-C Ports
0
USB-C Upstream
No USB-C Ports
USB-C Rated Speed
No USB-C Ports
USB-C Power Delivery
No USB-C Ports
USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode
No USB-C Ports
Thunderbolt
No

There's a mini-USB port on the back of the monitor, but it's only for the S-Switch remote.

Inputs
macOS Compatibility

This monitor works well with recent MacBooks. Windows return to their original position when waking from sleep, and it wakes up quickly. Unfortunately, it's limited to a 240Hz refresh rate with MacBooks, but this is a limitation of macOS, not the monitor.

Features
Features
Additional Features
Speakers
No
RGB Illumination
No
Multiple Input Display
No
KVM Switch
No

This is a pretty barebones monitor with no significant additional features. There are a few picture mode modifiers like Black eQualizer, which adjusts the gamma to make it easier to spot dark details, and a blue light filter. It also comes with the S-Switch remote, making it very easy to navigate the on-screen display or switch between preset modes.

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)