Raspberry Pi Touch Display 2 review: the new $60 screen is easy to build, works with the latest OS, and holds the Pi on its back, but scrolling can be awkward
It has been nine years since the previous Touch Display was released. … The official Raspberry Pi Touch Display debuted …
Context & Ripple Effects
Raspberry Pi’s first official 7-inch touchscreen arrived at the same $60 price point in 2015. The new display is therefore a long-delayed refresh of an established official accessory rather than a new product category.
Its current-OS support and rear-mounted Pi design matter because they reduce the physical assembly burden for touchscreen projects, while the review’s scrolling caveat distinguishes convenience from a fully polished touch-first experience.
First-order effects
- Makers get an official $60 touchscreen option that is straightforward to assemble, supports the latest OS, and can house the Pi behind the panel.
- Awkward scrolling immediately limits its appeal for interfaces that depend on frequent touch navigation, despite the cleaner integrated build.
Second-order effects
- Projects built around dashboards, controls, or fixed-status displays can use a more compact, official screen-and-board arrangement instead of solving mounting separately.
- Third-party Pi display sellers face a stronger official baseline on price and integration; they will need to differentiate on touch usability, size, or other capabilities.
Third-order effects
- If Raspberry Pi keeps pairing boards with purpose-built enclosures, displays, and input hardware, more projects may shift from exposed-board builds toward appliance-like endpoints.
- The product also suggests that compatibility and physical integration are becoming as important to the Pi ecosystem as the board’s headline specifications, though touch software quality remains a constraint.
The trend: Raspberry Pi is broadening its ecosystem from standalone boards toward integrated, accessible hardware building blocks for finished devices.