For years, BenQ has maintained a steady presence in India’s premium display and digital-lifestyle market, with a portfolio that often targets professionals and enthusiasts willing to pay for specialised hardware. Its ScreenBar lineup — a still-niche category of monitor-mounted light bars — has built a modest but growing global user base, largely through word of mouth rather than mass-market adoption.
The company is now introducing the ScreenBar Halo 2 to India, the latest model in its lighting range. Announced on November 14, 2025, the device arrives after drawing international attention for its ASYM light design, bundled wireless controller, and promise of improved visual comfort for desk-based work.
At the launch event, I spent some time using the product to understand how it performs in different desk configurations and what aspects stand out in day-to-day use. I also spoke with Mr. Rajeev Singh, Managing Director, BenQ India, and Mr. JC Pan, Director of Digital Lifestyle Products, Business Unit, BenQ Corporation, to learn more about the thinking behind the Halo 2, its intended market positioning, and the company’s expectations for India.
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BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2: First Impressions
The first thing I noticed about Halo 2 was the direction of the light. Because of its asymmetric design, the beam is thrown downwards onto the desk without spilling onto the monitor panel. There’s no visible glare on the monitor (at least not from the usual angles), nor does it wash out the display. And yes, it also includes a backlight for a soothing, mild glow behind the display.
Mounting the ScreenBar Halo 2 on top of a monitor (0.43-6 cm thick) is fairly easy. The new patented clamp mechanism sits atop the monitor via a spring-based mechanism that keeps it in place and rubberized grooves for additional grip. It literally sits on top of the monitor, balancing the weight of the light module at the front with a bottom-heavy base behind the monitor.
However, because the design doesn’t use a screw-based tightening system, the grip isn’t as firm as it could be. A light accidental nudge is enough to shift its position.
Talking about the ScreenBar Halo 2’s features, the device can adjust its brightness based on the surrounding conditions, a feature that works well. You get three lighting modes: front light only, back light only, and a combined mode. You can control the intensity of each light and the color temperature (range: 2700K to 6500K).
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Among the major highlights of the product was the included wireless controller, which sits atop your desk like a futuristic little controller. It provides touch controls for various settings. The exterior shell, the circular one on the bottom, rotates like a knob and lets you control the ScreenBar Haloe 2. There’s a central display as well that gives you a clear visual view of the settings in place.
Moreover, the combination of asymmetrical lighting and softer backlighting helped reduce the typical contrast between a bright screen and a dark background, especially on a dark desk.
In Conversation With Eddie Wang, Business Line Manager, BenQ Corporation
Q. Are there any plans to integrate Halo 2 with smart home systems and voice assistants like Alexa and Siri?
Eddie: Initially, we did consider integrating the ScreenBar with smart ecosystems. But working with different protocols and coding requirements would be a big challenge, and the market size for such integrations is still very niche. Because of that, we decided to focus on consumer products first — which is BenQ’s strength — instead of building full smart-home compatibility right now.
Q. Why does Halo 2 not use a screw-based mounting mechanism?
Eddie: There’s no need for a screw mechanism. From an end-user perspective, we didn’t want to make installation complicated. Our goal was to keep it easy to mount while still maintaining stability. Some competitors also use a similar resting mechanism, but theirs isn’t very stable either. So for now, we haven’t considered adding a screw-based installation system.
Q. Is there a possible way in which I can use this controller to control both the lights — the one on the top and the one behind the monitor?
Eddie: It’s a good question, but these products come from different generations, and we also have development limitations. Our resources are limited, so while we may consider this in the future, once you combine everything into a single system, the market size becomes smaller. That’s the main reason.
Eddie also told us that the wireless controller lasts over three months on a single charge and is easy to replace if a buyer loses or damages it.
In Conversation With Rajeev Singh, Managing Director at BenQ India & South Asia
Q. What is the strategy of BenQ regarding the regional product launches in India?
Rajeeev: First of all, our endeavor is always to launch the product in India along with the product launch in the world. We don’t have any delay. If there is a delay, it is only because of the BIS certification process. Sometimes that process takes time. So if there is a delay, it is only because of that. There is no other reason.
Recently, only last month, we launched a new product where the global launch took place in India.
Q. Does BenQ have a similar partnership for the ScreenBar 2, or is it solely based on a B2C sales strategy?
Rajeev: “First of all, our endeavor is always to launch the product in India along with the product launch in the world. We don’t have any delay. If there is a delay, it is only because of the BIS certification process, and sometimes that process takes time. So if there is a delay, it is only because of that — there is no other reason.
Recently, only last month, we launched a new product where the global launch took place in India. It was for wireless presentation, and there is a set of three models for that. For that, the global launch took place in India. For the first time, it was displayed in India during the Infocom exhibition, which happened in September.
Rajeev also informed us that BenQ India is set to open 50 pan-India experience centers by the end of November 2025, a major milestone for the company. In the stores, customers should be able to experience BenQ’s products, get live demos, and get answers to all their queries.
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Q. Is there a new product after the ScreenBar that we can expect in India?
Rajeev: After this, we are launching a lot of new monitors. In the next 2 months, we’ll be launching about 5 or 6 new models in the monitor segment, in gaming, as well as monitors for Mac. The Mac monitor launch we are going to have in December. Some new models over there. We already have two models; we’ll be expanding them.
From January onwards, we have a lot of things coming in Q1. We have 15 new models coming up, not replacements — they are new models. Entirely new.
We will be launching four new models in the USB-C segment at a more affordable price.
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