Acer PM161QT Portable Monitor Review – Stealthy Second Screen

Do you need a second screen that fits in your bag as well as on your desk? The Acer PM161QT assumes the answer to that question is ‘yes’, and also assumes that it’s the answer to your next one. ‘Should I buy a portable monitor?’

Plenty of folks have optimised the way they work to include two monitors. In addition to making you feel like a 90s computer hacker, it’s an easy way to transfer information from one source to another without… you know, stealing it. But lugging a regular screen and stand (and power brick) from hot-desk to hot-desk is more of an annoyance than it’s worth, unless you’re dreadfully attached to your iMac. The Acer PM161QT hopes to make the whole process less of a grind.

The top half

It does this by disguising one of Acer’s 15.6in laptop screens as a computer monitor. It resembles an oversized tablet covered in the sort of faux textured leather all the best boardroom notebooks are encased in. The cover flips open to expose the screen while acting as its own kickstand. How you arrange it is up to you — there are plenty of folds and panels to confuse you — but it’ll eventually stand up at one of several predetermined angles.

There are more ports on Acer’s screen than you’d find on one of Apple’s MacBook Airs. The lower left edge has a mini-HDMI and dual USB-C inputs, the lower right features a 3.5mm input, a USB-C input, and the power button. A manual key for making changes to the Acer PM161QT’s screen settings, in the manner of regular computer monitors, also lives here.

Included in the box are a USB-C-to-USB-C cable, a C-to-USB-A converter, and an HDMI-to-mini-HDMI cable. If you’re using something even remotely modern, the PM161QT should handle your connections.

Sixteen inches of fury?

Setting up is as simple as popping in a USB-C cable from source to screen. The Acer PM161QT was detected immediately on both Mac and Windows systems and was up and running in moments. This makes transporting its roughly 1kg frame from place to place in a bag a simple effort. As long as you’ve got enough desk space for a second laptop-sized device, you’ll have your secondary screen at all times.

The touchscreen display itself has a native resolution of 1,920 x 1,080, with a slight matte finish to the surface that’ll handle fingerprints a touch better than it does reflections. We’ve seen crisper screens, but the Acer PM161QT manages to hold its own. If used with a dedicated power source — you’ll have to supply your own — the screen’s 220-nit panel works well in a typical office environment. If you’re envisioning sunny skies and a fruity drink while you answer emails, it’ll be best to reconfigure that vision so you’re sitting in the shade.

If you’re going fully portable, you’ll draw power from your notebook. If said notebook isn’t connected to the wall, expect the power draw to increase dramatically. In addition, the screen dims automatically and can’t be turned up. The battery-saving measure translates into a washed-out and dreary screen that’s good enough for work but not for much else. The good news is that the PM161QT supports power pass-through, so connecting a USB-C laptop charger to the monitor and then the monitor to your notebook should power both.

Just like the real thing

Acer has included as many options in this 6ms monitor as it could. Prodding in the menu button on the lower-right edge brings up the device menu, allowing for finer control over brightness and contrast, even if the former won’t work unless it’s all fully powered. Colour temperature, blue-light control for late-night work, and profiles for movies, office work, and gaming (with FPS and RTS options) are also available. So are AdaptiveSync and HDR, via menu toggles. The latter gave us a lot more vibrancy, but also oversaturated colours — it’s probably best saved for video or gaming content that supports it.

One thing we didn’t appreciate was how the touchscreen functions. It acts like a laptop trackpad. Exactly like one. Prod the display while the cursor is on your main screen, and you’ll click on the main screen. The cursor doesn’t jump to the relevant display, a function that makes intuitive sense to us. The goofy thing is that it’s impossible to glide the cursor from the main screen to the Acer PM161QT by using the latter’s touchscreen. You’ll need to use your trackpad to navigate to the touchscreen before it’s properly functional. This is bypassed by just not using the touchscreen, but then why are you paying an extra thousand bucks for it?

Acer PM161QT verdict

The really tricky bit of the Acer PM161QT isn’t writing out the title of this portable monitor. It’s the R3,500 asking price. On its face, that’s not too rough for a 1kg screen that fits in a backpack along with your laptop. But for R1,000 less, you can suffer through a bit of inconvenience to much the same effect — plus you’ll crank screen size up to 24in. You’re limited to wall sockets for power, sure, but unless you fancy yourself a proper digital nomad, odds are you’re within range of a proper electricity supply at all times. Well, as ‘proper’ as it gets in South Africa, anyway.

If you can use one — there’s a space for it on the market — it’ll prove handy. It’ll lend itself well to indoor presentations. Features like AdaptiveSync and HDR support add versatility, while customisation in terms of colour temperature and usage profile takes that a little further. But, given the competition from both traditional formats and in the portable segment, it may be worth waiting for Acer’s portable companion to undergo a price drop before adding it to your cart. Or, you know, grab the non-touch version for fewer issues overall.