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
Les Pounder / Tom's Hardware :
Context & Ripple Effects
Raspberry Pi previously sold an official 7-inch touchscreen at the same $60 price point, making the new display a continuation of its effort to offer first-party interfaces rather than leave projects entirely to third-party parts. The reported easier assembly and rear-mounted Pi design update that earlier official touchscreen approach.
The display also arrives alongside Raspberry Pi products aimed at more self-contained builds, including a Pi 500 keyboard-form-factor system. That makes the screen relevant to builders choosing between modular touchscreen projects and more integrated Pi hardware.
First-order effects
- Builders get a $60 official touchscreen option that works with the latest Raspberry Pi OS and physically consolidates the computer and display into a smaller assembly.
- Awkward scrolling limits the immediate fit for touch-heavy interfaces, even where setup and compatibility are straightforward.
Second-order effects
- The easier integrated build raises the appeal of official Pi components for kiosks, dashboards, and similar projects, while third-party display vendors must compete on touch ergonomics, features, or price.
- Pi buyers can more readily configure a compact screen-based system, but the reported interaction drawback preserves a reason to use a keyboard- or pointer-oriented setup for some workloads.
Third-order effects
- If Raspberry Pi continues pairing core boards with purpose-built peripherals, its ecosystem could shift further from a board-only purchase toward validated, modular system configurations.
- The trade-off between integration and interface quality will remain consequential: official hardware can reduce assembly friction without automatically solving the software and input design demands of touch-first projects.
The trend: Raspberry Pi is broadening its ecosystem with first-party hardware that makes complete, application-specific builds easier to assemble while keeping the platform modular.