Learning about BenQ’s passion for lighting at Computex 2026 was an illuminating experience
It’s time to start using a BenQ ScreenBar
💡 Traditional room lighting often creates eyestrain by causing screen glare and improper light distribution
🤔 BenQ designs its ScreenBar products using rigorous optical simulations to ensure precise light placement and visual comfort
🖥️ Asymmetric lighting technology prevents light from hitting the monitor directly, preserving accurate screen colors for creatives
☺️ Features like background cascading light reduce visual stress by minimizing the contrast between bright screens and dark rooms
We’re all guilty of overlooking the importance of lighting in our daily lives, especially when using a monitor or a laptop. While working in a brightly lit environment rarely poses any problems, most creatives have a habit of working late at night in dimly lit spaces, or even with only the screen to illuminate the room.
And while anyone who has stared at a computer monitor or laptop screen for long periods at night will know just how bad it can be for their eyes, it doesn’t stop most of us from doing it, especially when the alternative is often to put the main light on or a desk light.
The problem with those solutions is that they can shine light directly onto the screen, illuminate the wrong areas of your room, and even shine light indirectly into your eyes. Neither solution is ideal, and it means most traditional lighting can lead to increased eyestrain and fatigue.
Thankfully, BenQ has been working on tackling this problem since 2017 with its monitor light bars. After a tour around BenQ’s offices in Taiwan, not only did I gain a new understanding of just how important lighting is, but I also appreciated why its range of ScreenBar devices, like the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2, are so useful.
“We see lighting very differently,” said Lexi from the BenQ Smart Lighting Lab. “Lighting is really about visual performance, so our goal is not only to make everything brighter, but to place light exactly where people need it. We spend a lot of time in front of screens like never before, and traditional lighting was never designed for this kind of visual environment.”
BenQ uses several optical simulations and physical prototypes to create and perform thousands of tests so that its ScreenBar products and other lighting solutions account for glare control, light distribution, reflection behavior, and illumination consistency.
“We evaluate not only brightness, but the quality and consistency of the light itself. For example, we study color rendering, spectrum balance, and long duration visual comfort, because visual comfort is not determined by brightness alone,” Lexi explained.
BenQ’s lighting solution doesn’t hit the screen because of its asymmetric lighting technology, so colors won’t shift on the display. Instead, the light only goes where it’s needed.
BenQ also has solutions for different activities, whether it’s reading sheet music while playing the piano, or reading on the sofa. It’s even created a light that is specifically designed to help children concentrate when completing their homework.
Products like the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2, which sits on top of a monitor, can be adjusted using the included wireless puck to different color temperatures and brightness levels, which means creatives no longer need to work in the dark to get the most accurate screen colors. BenQ’s lighting solution doesn’t hit the screen because of its asymmetric lighting technology that angles light away, so colors don’t shift on the display. Instead, the light only goes where it’s needed.
As someone who probably doesn’t treat their eyes with the care they deserve, the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 is a product I never knew I needed.
The ScreenBar Halo 2, in particular, has another cascading light on the back which provides a soft background. BenQ said studies have shown that this can significantly reduce visual stress, and it lowers the contrast between the screen and the surrounding environment, allowing the eyes to relax more naturally.
“When you’re sitting in a very dark room with only a bright monitor in front of you, the contrast becomes extremely strong. Your eyes continuously adapt between a bright display and dark surroundings.” said Lexi.
As someone who doesn’t treat their eyes with the care they deserve, and spends a lot of late nights working and gaming on a monitor, the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 is a product I never knew I needed, but will definitely use from now on.
The BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 is available now for $199. Other lighting solutions from BenQ are also available, including the ScreenBar Pro and the e-Reading Desk Light.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.