ViewSonic VX1654 portable monitor review: One trick pony

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ViewSonic currently offers a portable monitor lineup consisting of 10 distinct products. These monitors cover a broad spectrum of usage cases, with models ranging from 60 Hz 15.6-inch 1080p IPS panels to 17.3-inch panels with a 144 Hz refresh rate. We even recently reviewed a ViewSonic OLED portable monitor that delivers stunning color.

Fitting somewhere in the middle of ViewSonic’s vast portable monitor family is the VX1654, a gaming entry with 1080p resolution and a speedy (for a portable monitor) 144 Hz refresh rate. The VX1654 even supports AMD FreeSync technology to enhance your gaming experience further.

With a street price of $150, the VX1654 is a relatively affordable option among the best portable monitors for those looking to expand their gaming horizons.

Design of the ViewSonic VX1654

After being spoiled by the ultra-thin design of the VX1655-4K-OLED and the aluminum construction of sub-$100 budget entries into the 15.6-inch 1080p portable monitor segment, the VX1654 doesn’t give a good first impression. While the unit is lightweight (just 1.5 pounds), it feels incredibly cheap and hollow – almost like a toy you’d find at Dollar Tree.

It feels so thin and cheap that I could tear the whole thing apart with just a slight twist of the frame. Compared to the aluminum construction of the $70 Arzopa A1, the $150 VX1654 is a major downgrade. Perhaps ViewSonic realized that durability would be a concern because it includes a thickly padded zipper carrying case for the VX1654 in the box.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The VX1654 has relatively thin bezels along the top and sides (around a ¼ of an inch), while the bottom bezel is much thicker at around one inch. While the VX1654 gets the short end of the stick regarding materials usage and construction, ViewSonic has at least provided an integrated kickstand for propping up the monitor at your desired viewing angle. One bonus with the kickstand is that its design supports the VX1654 in landscape or portrait orientation.

All the VX1654’s ports are on the display's left side. There, you’ll find two USB-C ports, a mini-HDMI port, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. A 5-way joystick is mounted on the right rear of the chassis, allowing you to navigate the on-screen display (OSD).

ViewSonic VX1654 Specifications

On-Screen Display of the ViewSonic VX1654

All ViewSonic portable monitors share a similar OSD design; however, the feature set separates the various models. Whereas the VG1656N is more functionally stripped down (particularly with color mode options), the VX1654’s OSD is stocked with configuration options.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Like the VX1655-4K-OLED, you’ll find a handful of picture modes (Office, Movie, MAC, Mono, and Game) and the ability to tweak color temperature and adjust audio settings. Since the VX1654 is billed as a gaming monitor, you’ll also find a setting to turn AMD FreeSync support on or off. We confirmed that this feature works as advertised in Windows 11.

The OSD is controlled via a five-way joystick mounted conveniently on the back of the VX1654. Pressing in on the joystick brings up the OSD and selects actionable items. You navigate the OSD menu by moving up, down, left, and right with the joystick. A directional arrow diagram appears within the OSD to tell you how to navigate with the joystick.

Image Quality and Audio on the ViewSonic VX1654

The VX1654 features a 15.6-inch IPS display with a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. However, increasing the maximum refresh rate from 60 Hz to 144 Hz sets it apart from other portable monitors. That refresh rate bump is complemented by support for AMD FreeSync, which minimizes frame tearing while gaming.

FreeSync is off by default, but I enabled the setting within the OSD to test in Windows 11. I confirmed that the 144 Hz refresh rate and FreeSync were enabled for my gaming sessions, which included my tried-and-true favorites like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Cyberpunk 2077. I also dabbled a bit in an oldie but goodie: Marvel’s Avengers.

The VX1654 had the demeanor of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in our instrumented testing. We post the default, out-of-the-box results for sRGB and DCI-P3 color results and brightness in our reviews. Even when portable monitors offer different picture modes that alter the color settings, we don’t typically see a massive variance in the results. However, the VX1654 showed huge swings from one extreme to the other.

Using the default factory settings, the VX1654 covered 27.8 percent of DCI-P3 and 39.2 percent of sRGB, which are dismal results, even for some of the more budget-oriented panels we tested. However, the “Display Mode Text” setting in the OSD bumped the DCI-P3 and sRGB figures to 62.8 percent and 44.5 percent, respectively. However, the maximum measured brightness dipped to 219.4 nits.

The colors on the panel didn’t look off-hue, with reds skewing orange and blues that looked less saturated than competing panels. If your only concern is to score decent frame rates while gaming on the go, then the panel is adequate. But if you’re expecting more accurate colors, definitely look elsewhere.

With a pair of 0.8-watt speakers onboard, the VX1654 also didn’t impress on the audio front. Sound quality was lacking, which seems to be a running theme with the VX1654 across many areas. Audio distortion increased with higher volume levels, while music sounded flat and lifeless.

Bottom Line

The VX1654 is billed as a gaming monitor first and foremost, and ViewSonic devoted most of its resources to achieving a 144 Hz refresh rate with AMD FreeSync support. Every other aspect of the product took a backseat: the chassis is flimsy, the color support is lacking, and the speakers don’t sound good.

If you can still find one from online retailers, the Arzopa G1 is a far better choice. It is also around the $150 mark. The company also offers the Z1RC gaming monitor for around $100. It has a 144 Hz refresh rate but lacks Adaptive-Sync support.

Overall, the VX1654 is a low-effort product from ViewSonic designed to advertise a high refresh rate in a segment that lacks considerable options. However, there’s more to a product than a single bullet point on a spec sheet.