Raspberry Pi Unveils $40 Touchscreen for Innovative Projects

Raspberry Pi has introduced a new touchscreen component designed for enthusiasts and developers looking to create compact touchscreen devices. The 5-inch Raspberry Pi Touch Display 2 features a 720p IPS multi-touch screen and is priced at $40. This new display is available starting today through various resellers, including CanaKit, Vilros, and PiShop, although some retailers are listing it at a slightly higher price than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP).

The touchscreen is natively supported by Raspberry Pi OS and includes convenient mounting holes on the back, simplifying the integration into all-in-one devices. According to Gordon Hollingworth, the company’s software Chief Technology Officer, the capacitive touch screen is designed for seamless use. “Its capacitive touch screen works out of the box with full Linux driver support—no manual calibration required, no hunting through device trees, and no wrestling with incompatible touch controllers,” he stated in a blog post.

Specifications and Compatibility

The 5-inch touchscreen serves as a smaller alternative to the previously released 7-inch Pi Touch Display 2, which was launched late last year at a price of $60. Both screens share the same 720p resolution, though the 7-inch model offers slightly wider viewing angles of 85 degrees compared to 80 degrees for the 5-inch version.

Compatibility is broad, as both displays support all Raspberry Pi boards from the Raspberry Pi 1 B+ released in 2014 onward, with the exception of the Raspberry Pi Zero. The screens draw power from the board’s GPIO header and utilize a ribbon cable to connect to the DSI port for display signals. Notably, the 5-inch display can detect up to five simultaneous touch inputs and does not require a separate power supply when connected to the Pi board.

Applications and Market Impact

This new display is particularly suitable for smaller smart home projects, offering an interface for controls without the need for external monitors, keyboards, or mice. It can serve various functions, from managing a home automation system to operating a VPN server, making it a versatile addition for Raspberry Pi users.

While the launch of a new touchscreen is not unprecedented—previous models have been available for the Pi—the 5-inch Touch Display 2 provides an officially supported option that may enjoy broader compatibility and ecosystem support compared to third-party alternatives. Alongside the two smaller models, Raspberry Pi also offers a $100 15.6-inch portable display for users who wish to utilize their Pi board or Raspberry Pi 400 and 500 devices as conventional desktop computers.

With its reasonable price and ease of use, the new touchscreen is expected to appeal to a wide range of developers and hobbyists eager to enhance their Raspberry Pi projects.