Viewsonic TD1656-2K review: A portable touch monitor built for work

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I don’t know about you, but I’ve always preferred my computers to have touch screens. While I don’t reach out and touch the monitor very often, it’s a convenient alternative to using a mouse in certain situations. The ViewSonic TD1656-2K attempts to fill this role, offering a portable touchscreen monitor that’s compatible with Windows and MacOS.

ViewSonic TD1656-2K Specifications and Features

The display panel specifications of the ViewSonic TD1656-2K are not unusual for a 16-inch portable monitor. It has an aspect ratio of 16:10, a native resolution of 2560×1600, and an IPS LCD panel refresh rate of 60Hz. There is no adaptive sync and no support for HDR.

• Display size: 16 inches 16:10 widescreen
• Original resolution: 2560×1600
• Panel type: IPS LCD 8-bit
• Refresh rate: 60Hz
• Adaptive sync: None
• High dynamic range: None
• Ports: 2 USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and up to 65 watts of power delivery
• VESA mount: None
• Speakers: 2 x 2 watt speakers
• Price: MSRP $349.99

But dig into the details, and the purpose of the display becomes apparent. It has a capacitive 10-point multi-touch screen that you can operate with your fingers or the passive stylus included in the box. The monitor also features two USB-C ports, both supporting video input and bidirectional power delivery of up to 65W.

The TD1656-2K lists support for Windows 11 and Mac. I mostly connected it to my laptop, but also connected it to a Mac Mini to confirm that the touch screen was working (it was).

Further reading: See our roundup best portable monitor Understand competing products.

ViewSonic TD1656-2K Design

The ViewSonic TD1656-2K’s design looks familiar from the front, with slim bezels on three sides and a slightly thicker chin at the bottom. At the back you’ll find a piece of silver metal. The silver hue ViewSonic uses is arguably a little too light to keep up with current trends (gunmetal and black hues seem to be popular right now), but it looks professional.

The display comes with a fabric-covered display stand and cover. Like the monitor itself, it looks professional but not stylish. It is a semi-rigid cover that provides good protection from scratches or moderate falls. However, it doesn’t completely surround the display, so it’s still possible to allow objects to get inserted between the case and the display.

When you need to use the monitor, you must fold the monitor stand into the desired position and magnetically attach the monitor to the stand. I was a little confused at first because it wasn’t clear how the display was supposed to fold, and the manual didn’t offer any help.

However, once I got used to using it, I found that the stand worked really well. It supports a variety of different viewing angles, from almost upright to heavily tilted, and can also be used in portrait orientation, which is unusual for any portable monitor stand.

ViewSonic TD1656-2K Connection

ViewSonic TD1656-2K relies on two versatile USB-C ports. Both support DisplayPort, which means both can be used to connect a PC to a portable monitor.

The USB-C port also supports bidirectional power transfer of up to 65 watts. This is an unusual feature for portable monitors, as most only support enough power delivery to power the monitor itself.

It opens up some new connectivity options. For example, when using the TD1656-2K with a laptop, you can connect USB-C power to the monitor and then connect the monitor to the laptop to charge the laptop while the laptop feeds video to the monitor . This is not possible with many portable displays because their power output is limited.

ViewSonic TD1656-2K Features

Of course, touch is the primary function of the ViewSonic TD1656-2K. It has a 10-point capacitive touchscreen underneath a smooth, glossy panel. The touch screen feels responsive and there are no issues with errors or missed inputs. I find the touch screen particularly useful for multi-touch gestures, such as Windows’ five-finger pinch to close all apps.

The display also comes with a passive stylus. The stylus is thick and short, with a curved tip and a plastic protector to prevent it from scratching the display surface. Even so, I found it comfortable to hold and use. It requires no power, so it is lightweight and requires no charging.

While touch screens work well for general use, they’re not perfect for creative work. The passive stylus feels comfortable in my hand, but there is some lag with touch input. While it’s less noticeable when using fingertip touch to navigate apps, it’s noticeable when using the stylus to draw in Affinity Photo, Photoshop, Paint, and similar apps. There are no buttons or extra features either. It’s a simple passive stylus and nothing more.

Even so, this stylus is fine for less demanding users. If anything, I prefer using the touch screen for some photo retouching. The ViewSonic TD1656-2K feels like a perfect fit for my occasional editing needs. However, if you’re an aspiring or professional digital artist, delays can be frustrating.

The on-screen menu is controlled by the power button and volume buttons on the right side of the monitor. The text is small but the controls are easy to use. Part of the problem, however, is a lack of choice. Users can adjust brightness, contrast, volume, audio mode, and that’s it.

Speaking of audio, the monitor has a pair of 2-watt speakers that perform better than most. The maximum volume is high enough to fill a small office with sound, and the audio quality, while not loud, is clear and distortion is largely avoided. There’s no bass, so the speakers are a poor choice for entertainment, but they can be used for listening to podcasts or playing relaxing music in the background. This is beyond the range of most portable monitors.

ViewSonic TD1656-2K SDR Performance

With an MSRP of $349.99, the ViewSonic TD1656-2K is near the high end of portable monitor pricing, but most of the added cost goes to the touch screen and USB-C connectivity with up to 65 watts of power delivery. The display panel itself is a 16-inch IPS display with an aspect ratio of 16:10 and a resolution of 2560×1600.

ViewSonic’s maximum brightness is 381 nits. This is much higher than typical for portable monitors, and it helps the monitor remain usable in a variety of situations, including rooms that are brightly lit and cannot be dimmed or turned off (such as a corporate bullpen). The display is glossy though, so glare is still an issue.

Contrast is also a strong point of the TD1656-2K, although this depends on your viewing angle. Most portable monitors have similar IPS display panels. With a measured contrast ratio of 1620:1, the TD1656-2K is better than average for its class and delivers very attractive images.

However, OLED portable displays are on a different level, as shown by the ViewSonic VX1655-4K-OLED. They deliver more realistic images in dark scenes, with better depth and shadow detail. To be fair, however, there are only a handful of portable OLED touch screens out there, and they’re very expensive (around $500).

Unfortunately, color gamut is an issue for the TD1656-2K. It only offers 99% sRGB and 76% DCI-P3. Those numbers are low, just higher than the Azorpa A1 Gamut, a budget portable monitor that typically sells for under $150.

The TD1656-2K has a medium color gamut, which means it displays fewer colors overall, resulting in a less appealing appearance. Of course, this isn’t a problem if you’re using Excel or browsing Threads, but it’s more of an issue if you want to edit photos or watch YouTube.

Color accuracy favors ViewSonic. While the TD1656-2K’s color accuracy isn’t the best we’ve ever tested, it’s good enough to deliver lifelike, true-to-life images.

The TD1656-2K also performs well enough in terms of gamma and color temperature. Its gamma curve reaches 2.3, slightly off our target of 2.2. This means the image looks a little darker than it should be, but not a lot. The color temperature is 6400K, which is off the target of 6500K, meaning the image is slightly warmer than ideal.

Sharpness is a kind of strength. The TD1656-2K has a resolution of 2560×1600 and a pixels per inch (PPI) of approximately 189. That’s better than a 27-inch 4K monitor offering 163 PPI, and competitive with most high-end Windows laptops. The display looks sharp even when viewing small, high-contrast text.

The overall image quality of the ViewSonic TD1656-2K is good, but there are a few caveats. It’s not competitive with most portable monitors in its price range, although it makes up for that by including a touch screen

ViewSonic TD1656-2K HDR Performance

ViewSonic TD1656-2K does not support HDR. While this may seem a bit disappointing, it’s a result for the best as portable monitors have their limitations and aren’t suitable for HDR. This mainly depends on brightness. Higher brightness means higher power consumption, which is not suitable for portable monitors.

ViewSonic TD1656-2K Sports Performance

Sports performance isn’t the ViewSonic TD1656-2K’s top priority either. It has a 60Hz refresh rate and doesn’t support adaptive sync for smooth frame pacing. This makes the monitor a poor choice for fast-paced gaming, as noticeable motion blur will affect the action and you’ll need to use vertical sync to avoid ugly frame tears.

While I know the TD1656-2K isn’t meant for gaming, I find the lack of a higher refresh rate a bit frustrating. Portable touchscreen displays are an ideal use case for a 120Hz update rate, as it will help the display look and feel more responsive. Sticking with 60Hz is a minor disappointment, only forgiven by the fact that most other portable touchscreens make the same choice (Although there are some companies such as Uscreen that offer both services).

Should you buy the ViewSonic TD1656-2K?

Buying the TD1656-2K gets you a bright display, a responsive touchscreen, an acceptable stylus, and a semi-rigid fabric cover that doubles as a stand and supports both landscape and portrait use. The monitor also includes two USB-C ports capable of delivering up to 65 watts of power, providing additional flexibility in how the monitor is connected. However, the monitor’s color performance is disappointing, and its motion performance isn’t suitable for gaming.

Ultimately, the ViewSonic TD1656-2K is a portable touchscreen monitor more suited to use in a corporate bullpen than in a home office or studio.