
Raspberry Pi has introduced a new touchscreen designed for miniature touchscreen appliances. The 5-inch Raspberry Pi Touch Display 2 features a 720p IPS multi-touch screen. Moreover, it is natively supported by Raspberry Pi OS and includes mounting holes on the back, which simplifies building integrated all-in-one devices.
Priced at $40, the screen is available today from resellers such as CanaKit, Vilros, and PiShop, although some list it slightly above the MSRP. Raspberry Pi software CTO Gordon Hollingworth explained, “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.”
Features and Compatibility
This 5-inch screen complements the $60 7-inch Pi Touch Display 2 launched last year. Both share a 720p resolution, but the larger model offers slightly wider viewing angles 85 degrees versus 80 degrees for the 5-inch version. Additionally, both displays are compatible with all Pi boards from the 2014 Raspberry Pi 1 B+ onward, except the Raspberry Pi Zero. They draw power from the board’s GPIO header and receive display signals through a ribbon cable connected to the DSI port.
Like the 7-inch model, the 5-inch screen can register up to five touch inputs simultaneously. It does not need a separate power supply when connected to a Pi board. Furthermore, Raspberry Pi OS automatically detects the touchscreen and provides the Squeekboard onscreen keyboard, allowing input without external accessories.
Ideal Uses and Additional Options
The 5-inch touchscreen is well-suited for small smart home projects. For example, it can provide controls for devices running Homebridge, a VPN server, or other Pi-based systems. This allows users to interact without needing an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, or remote-access software like SSH. While it is not a revolutionary device, its low cost and official support may make it more reliable and widely compatible than third-party alternatives.
Beyond the 5- and 7-inch models, Raspberry Pi also offers a $100 15.6-inch portable display. This larger screen is ideal for using Pi boards, Raspberry Pi 400, or 500 devices as a regular desktop computer.