Raspberry Pi to Receive Touchscreen Capabilities

At just $25-$35, the Raspberry Pi is one of the cheapest computers you can buy, yet it still boasts some pretty impressive specs. Depending on which model you choose, you can expect the device to pack 256-512MB of random access memory (RAM), SD/MicroSD storage, an HDMI slot, 1-4 USB ports, composite video output, audio port for headphones, and more. Up until now, the Raspberry Pi has relied on external display hookups via a monitor or television, but this may soon change as the company has announced plans to introduce a touchscreen compatible Raspberry Pi.

When speaking to TechCrun, Raspberry Pi CEO and founder Eben Upton unveiled the company’s plans to introduce a “display accessory” that’s like a “very thick tablet.” Eben didn’t elaborate on the technology that will be used to create this display accessory, but he did say that it will be touchscreen compatible.

“The whole time we’ve been doing Raspberry Pi we’ve been saying yeah the display accessory is coming, yeah the display accessory is coming — and the display accessory is finally coming,” said Eben Upton of the Raspberry Pi Foundation in an interview with TechCrunch. “It’s kind of like a tablet, if you’re prepared to put up with a very thick tablet. What you end up with is a stack with a Raspberry Pi on it. The idea is this gives you something you can embed.”

Adding touchscreen function to the Raspberry Pi would undoubtedly open the doors to a whole new world of possibilities with the device. Rather than forcing users to connect their device to an external display source (e.g. monitor or TV), the Raspberry Pi could be enjoyed as a standalone device. Kids could use to play games in the car; students could use at school; and workers could use it to, well, perform work.

Surprisingly, though, touchscreen isn’t an entirely new feature for the Raspberry Pi. While the company has yet to launch a touchscreen accessory, third-party companies and hobbyists have created their own the touchscreens to use with the device. You can check out one such Raspberry Pi touchscreen at https://www.adafruit.com/products/1601, which it sells for just over $34 bucks. Keep in mind that this is not the official touchscreen accessory mentioned by the company’s founder and CEO.