ViewSonic VG1656N portable monitor review: Delivering wireless freedom

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ViewSonic VG1656N portable monitor review: Delivering wireless freedom

ViewSonic is one of the most prolific portable monitor manufacturers. The company makes monitors in various sizes and resolutions, some geared toward general consumers and others more toward a professional audience. Due to its interesting feature set, ViewSonic’s VG1656N could appeal to a wide range of users.

Not only does the VG1656N go a step beyond the usual 1920 x 1080 resolution by offering a slightly taller, 1920 x 1200 panel, but it also supports wireless connectivity to a smartphone, tablet, or smartphone. This wireless support is achieved with a USB-C dongle that you plug into your computing device. Since it supports wireless functionality, it should be no surprise that the VG1656N also has a built-in battery to give you an authentic, wire-free experience. With a street price of less than $300, the VG1656N is designed to compete against the best portable monitors currently available.

Design of the ViewSonic VG1656N

The VG1656N is a 16-inch portable monitor with an unassuming appearance and a roughly 2-pound body made of plastic and aluminum. The main chassis (rear panel and sides) is made of aluminum, while the display bezels are made of ****** plastic. The top and side bezels measure just under a quarter of an inch, while the bottom bezel is half an inch thick. The only adornment on the front of the display is the word “ViewSonic” imprinted on the bottom bezel.

Speaker grills take up the upper half of the left and right side panels, and there’s one USB-C port on each side of the monitor. You get two USB-C ports, but no provisions for HDMI or DisplayPort connections. There’s also a Power button and a rocker switch to adjust the volume and navigate the OSD.

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You’d never know it from looking at the monitor, but it includes a built-in 4,000 mAh battery to support its wireless mode, which provides up to three hours of endurance. When combined with the included power adapter, the VG1656N supports 60-watt passthrough over USB-C to a connected laptop.

Although the VG1656N doesn’t include a built-in kickstand, it does include a magnetic Smart Cover in the box. The Smart Cover allows the VG1656N to be used in landscape (at various angles) or portrait orientations. When the monitor is not in use, the Smart Cover fully envelopes the VG1656N to protect it during transport.

The VG1656N measures 14.04 x 9.25 x 0.38 inches and weighs 1.9 pounds without the stand (3.1 pounds with the included Smart Cover).

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In addition to the Smart Cover, a USB-C cable and a 60-watt USB-C power adapter are included in the box. Another critical accessory that you’ll find is ViewSonic’s VG19948 USB-C wireless dongle. This device lets you wirelessly cast content from your laptop or smartphone to the VG1656N. The main body is made of rigid plastic and features a flexible cord that contains the USB-C connector. There’s a single connection status LCD and a pinhole button for pairing the dongle with the VG1656N. Of course, you don’t have to use the dongle – you can rely on the tried and true USB-C connection if you desire.

ViewSonic VG1656N Specifications

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Panel Type / Backlight	IPS / WLED
Screen Size / Aspect Ratio	16 inches / 16:10
Max Resolution & Refresh Rate	1920 x 1200 @ 60Hz
Max Brightness	250 nits
Contrast Ratio	1,000:1
Screen Coating	Matte
Ports	2x USB-C (DisplayPort Alt Mode)
Wireless Support	Yes, via ViewSonic VG19948 USB-C dongle
Battery	4,000 mAh
Speakers	Yes (2x 2 watts)
Weight	1.9 pounds without stand, 3.1 pounds with Smart Cover

Wireless Support on the ViewSonic VG1656N

The headlining feature of the VG1656N is its wireless casting support via the VG19948 USB-C dongle. I successfully paired the USB-C dongle with a MacBook Pro, Mac mini, Lenovo ThinkPad X1 convertible, and an iPhone.

When connected to the iPhone, the VG1656N was treated as an AirPlay display, allowing video and audio to be transmitted wirelessly. Although I don’t have a personal use case for navigating iOS on a 16-inch portable display, playing games or video on the VG1656N is quite fun. I had plenty of fun playing Alto’s Adventure and GTA: Vice City on the comfort of a 16-inch display versus the 6.1-inch display of my iPhone 16 Pro.

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The VG1656N also worked as expected in macOS 15.3 and Windows 11. Again, the monitor showed up as an AirPlay device in macOS and as a standard wireless display in Windows 11. Multimedia content was flawless, and I didn’t notice any syncing issues. For example, lip movements are accurately synced with speech. However, I noticed the slightest hint of lag when using my mouse and scrolling.

The VG1656N’s built-in battery allows you to enjoy multimedia content or perform everyday productivity tasks without wires crisscrossing your desk. Another bonus of the built-in battery and wireless connectivity is that when using the VG1656N in portrait mode, you don’t have an unsightly USB-C cable sticking straight up in the air that then wraps around to connect to your PC.

On-Screen Display of the ViewSonic VG1656N

The VG1656N’s OSD looks nearly identical to the one featured on the TD1656-2K, which I reviewed in late 2024. When the OSD is inactive, the rocker switch adjusts the volume up or down. Pressing the power button invokes the OSD, after which the rocker switch functions to navigate up and down through the menu system—the power button then acts as an action comment.

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The only picture settings available are to adjust brightness or contrast. There are no additional color modes or HDR options for the display. An audio menu allows you to choose from three settings: Standard, Voice, Movie, and Music. The only other notable option is the Input Select, which gives three options: USB-C, Wi-Fi Display, and Wi-Fi Re-pair. The first two settings are self-explanatory, while the third one reestablishes the connection between the wireless USB-C dongle and the VG1656N if there’s ever a problem.

As with the TD1656-2K, there are no settings for OSD positioning or even an OSD timeout. The last omission stings, because the OSD, by default, times out after just a few seconds.

Image quality and audio on the ViewSonic VG1656N

The VG1656N uses a 16-inch IPS panel with a 1920 x 1200 resolution. The panel is matte-finished to diminish reflections that might otherwise mar the viewing experience.

Looking at the actual instrumented test figures for the VG1656N, we can see where ViewSonic chose to devote most of its resources. You can’t have a large internal battery and wireless functionality in a 16-inch monitor for under $300 without some compromises, and ViewSonic chose to compromise on the display.

The IPS panel struggled in our color gamut tests, covering just 39.3 percent of DCI-P3 and 55.5 percent of sRGB. This put it behind even the Philips 16B1P3300, one of the worst performers in our testing database. At 238 nits, maximum brightness was also behind the competition.

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In everyday use, the colors on the VG1656N didn’t look very vibrant or lifelike. I’m a 1/24 scale car modeling hobbyist, so I often watch videos of YouTubers painting, building, and customizing kits. I watched a video of a 1/24 scale Tamiya Mercedes 300SL Gullwing being assembled and the dashboard is painted bright red in real life. However, it looked reddish orange on the VG1656N. These color discrepancies were noticeable in all content and were even more unbearable because there were no color adjustments available in the OSD to massage the end result.

However, not all is bad here. The added vertical resolution is appreciated for web browsing, spreadsheets, and word processing. And despite offering the lowest maximum brightness of the assembled competition, I found the output more than adequate in my home office setting.

The VG1656N includes a pair of 2-watt speakers. I used the speakers to listen to music, movies, and podcasts. As with the TD1656-2K, speech output was OK, but music and films lacked any dynamic range, and bass was non-existent. Not many people buy portable monitors expecting to be blown away by the sound output, and ViewSonic wisely chose to focus its product budget elsewhere.

Bottom Line

ViewSonic has largely succeeded in creating a compelling, do-it-all portable monitor with the VG1656N. It offers a large 16-inch IPS panel with a 1920 x 1200 resolution and includes a Smart Cover in the case. The cover provides adequate protection for the display when not in use and doubles as a highly adjustable stand for use in portrait or landscape modes.

However, the VG1656N’s crowning achievement is its wireless functionality, supported by the included USB-C dongle. Coupled with the integrated battery, this allows for a true, wire-free display when used as a primary or secondary monitor.

The VG1656N’s poor color performance, which cannot be rectified due to limited OSD controls, is a letdown. In addition, the speakers are lacking, although this is true of most portable monitors.

That said, the VG1656N offers a lot of functionality for the buck. At around $270, it is an intriguing choice if the wireless feature is a benefit to you.

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