BenQ ScreenBar Halo vs Halo 2: Is the $179 Upgrade Worth It?

The BenQ ScreenBar Halo has been the default recommendation for serious monitor light bars since it launched. The Halo 2 keeps everything that worked and adds three things: a motion sensor, curved-monitor compatibility, and a wider rear-light spread.

At $179, it’s $30-$50 more than the original Halo depending on sales. Here’s whether that gap is worth closing.

What Stays the Same

Both bars share the same core formula: asymmetric front lighting that hits the desk without bouncing glare back at your eyes, a rear ambient light to reduce contrast fatigue, and a wireless puck controller that handles brightness, color temperature, and auto-dimming.

Build quality is identical — aluminum housing, the same clip mechanism, the same USB-A power. Color accuracy on both is excellent (Ra >95), and the auto-dimming ambient sensor reads desk brightness equally well.

If you already own a Halo and like it, nothing in the Halo 2 will make your current bar feel obsolete.

What’s New on the Halo 2

Motion Sensor (Auto-Off)

The Halo 2 turns itself off after five minutes of no motion at the desk. This sounds gimmicky on paper. In practice, it’s the upgrade I underestimated most.

If you walk away for lunch and forget to hit the puck, the bar quietly powers down. Walk back, motion wakes it. It’s not life-changing, but it removes one of the small daily annoyances of using a smart-ish desk lamp.

Curved-Monitor Compatibility

This is the real reason to upgrade. The original Halo’s clip was designed for flat monitors and got finicky on anything beyond a 1500R curve. Plenty of people made it work on 1000R ultrawides with foam or tape, but it was never clean.

The Halo 2 ships with a redesigned clip that genuinely fits curved panels — including aggressive 800R gaming monitors. If you own a Samsung G9, an LG OLED ultrawide, or any 34”+ curved display, this alone justifies the price difference.

Wider Rear-Light Spread

The ambient backlight on the Halo 2 spreads roughly 30% wider than the original. On a 32” monitor against a wall, the original Halo’s halo was visible but tight. The Halo 2 fills the wall behind the screen more evenly, which is the whole point of an ambient backlight.

It’s a subtle improvement, but if you specifically bought the Halo for the rear light (vs. the ScreenBar Plus which doesn’t have one), you’ll notice it.

Where the Original Halo Still Wins

Price, when it’s on sale. The original Halo regularly drops to $129-$139 during Prime Day, Black Friday, and BenQ’s own seasonal sales. At that price, it’s a clear value pick over the Halo 2’s $179.

If you have a flat monitor, don’t care about the motion sensor, and can wait for a sale, the original Halo gives you 90% of the experience for 70% of the cost.

Halo 2 vs Cheaper Alternatives

The real comparison isn’t always Halo vs Halo 2 — it’s Halo 2 vs much cheaper options like the Baseus i-Wok, which costs around $40. The Baseus does the basic job: front light on the desk, dimmable, USB-powered.

What you give up at that price: color accuracy, build quality, the rear ambient light, and the wireless puck. If you’re lighting a workspace where color matters (photo editing, video calls, design work), the BenQ tier is worth it. If you just need to stop squinting at a keyboard at night, the Baseus is fine.

Who Should Buy Which

Buy the Halo 2 if:

• You own a curved monitor (any radius)
• You want the motion sensor convenience
• You’re buying new and don’t want to wait for sales

Buy the original Halo if:

• You have a flat monitor
• You can wait for a $129-$139 sale price
• You don’t care about auto-off

Skip both and buy the ScreenBar Plus if:

• You don’t want the rear ambient light
• You want to save another $30-$40

The Halo 2 is the better product. Whether it’s worth $179 over a sale-priced original Halo comes down to your monitor: curved buyers should upgrade, flat-monitor buyers can save the money.