Let’s take a look at a product that Acer introduced recently. This is the Acer PD163Q, something that looks like a laptop – but it’s actually a portable monitor with two screens. As someone who more than one screen on a daily basis, how is this going to help me in my workflow?
Let’s unbox first. This portable monitor comes with a bunch of accessories inside. We have two USB-C to USB-C cables, one for charging only and another one for the display, a charger, then one USB-A to USB-C, a HDMI to mini HDMI cable, and some cloth to wipe the screen if we need it, and practically, those are the important things.
Now, the monitor itself looks like a laptop. At the back, we have a 72x72mm VESA mount, and also an integrated kickstand that is actually very good and can stand at a very steep angle. The ports are also hidden at the sides, so we’ll have to move the kickstand away to get to the ports. And that’s weird because if we use the VESA mount, then I guess we have to park the kickstand up before screwing it in???
Anyway, to actually use this portable monitor though, we need to choose two ways to set it up. First is by using the least amount of cables – and by that I mean to use just a single USB-C to USB-C cable. However, this method is a little strict in terms of its requirements. While I can’t confirm it, it seems like the host device needs to support Thunderbolt 3/4 to work this way.
Oh, we also need to install a special driver, by the way. Once we connect the USB cable to the monitor, a CDFS will appear. Just install the driver and you’re good to go. The driver is available for Windows and Mac.
If we use the second method, we’ll need to use the HDMI cable and the included charger to power up the monitor. This way requires a lot more cables and a power plug – but we don’t need to install a driver and it’ll work on any device with a HDMI port.
Once we got it working – we can see the two screens in its full glory. Both screens are at 15.6-inches in size, has 1920×1080 pixel resolution, and also at 60Hz refresh rate.
The color accuracy is decent on both monitors, but they do fluctuate quite drastically. Still, the sRGB color gamut coverage and the maximum brightness are consistent between the two monitors. For a portable monitor, this is actually quite good. Most portable monitors that we’ve tested achieved less than this.
Fun fact, we can actually control the two monitor’s brightness levels independently even though the OSD menu only has one brightness slider. You can use something called Twinkle Tray on Windows to control them, or if you’re using a Mac – then download something called Monitor Control.
Speaking of that, the OSD menu here is pretty basic. I suggest leaving it in default and only changing the brightness because honestly – that’s all we need anyway. And because the buttons are hidden behind the kickstand as well, I just got too lazy and use software to control it.
Also, this portable monitor does have 2x2W speakers – but I personally will never use them because they sound… not good.
Instead, you can connect your speaker or earphones to the monitor via the 3.5mm audio jack at the side and it becomes an audio passthrough. This opens more doors in terms of cable management – so wire them however you want them for your setup.
Eventually, I did get my setup working with this monitor and I honestly have to say that it is a very special experience. The secondary screen is lifted up high – so that’s going to be my “main” monitor since it is more ergonomic, and the bottom screen is going to be my “secondary” monitor for everything else.
The way I prefer to use it is pretty simple. Since I edit videos, I do need more monitors. With this Acer PD163Q, I essentially have three monitors in this setup. My big monitor will still be my primary one, then this monitor will show my reference materials and the bottom screen will be used for me to navigate to get those materials – or maybe some random YouTube video while I’m doing something else.
If you want to use it for gaming, you can but it depends on how much you can tolerate the motion blur. As you can see, this portable monitor has a pretty high GtG response time – so it’s not going to be a good gaming experience – but it can supplement you with information. If you’re playing games that you need a guide or something, then yeah – this is great. Just refer to one of the screens, and you’re good.
As a quick mention, closing it does not turn off the monitors. So don’t bother closing it unless you’re worried about dust.
Should you buy the Acer PD163Q review?
So, should you buy the Acer PD163Q portable monitor? Well, it depends on you. I do think that with the cables supplied by Acer, you can pretty much create a permanent place for the portable monitor to sit on, then get another Thunderbolt 3 or 4 cable to carry this monitor out with you if you need it.
Of course, that’s only possible if your laptop or desktop has Thunderbolt 3 or 4. Otherwise, you’ll ned an external power source and that special HDMI to mini HDMI cable – which is just a mess if I want to carry it out with me.
At the end of the day, you know your use case best, so I’m only here to present you with a bunch of information so you can make an informed decision yourself. I can’t really judge the price because this is a dual-screen portable monitor that is actually good.
The price of RM1,699 is actually decent considering that this is a dual-monitor setup but the strict requirements to get it working with a single USB-C cable is going to complicate things for the end user.
