Published: July 21, 2020 | Source: MSI | Author: Tom Logan

MSI Optix MAG161V Portable Display Review

Conclusion

The MSI Optix MAG161V is one of those items of hardware that you already know if you want. It’s either the answer to your prayers, or something you don’t remotely see the need for.

Sometimes the OC3D offices are graced by a product which resolutely isn’t going to be for everyone. It fills a small gap in the market. We fully understand if you’re one of those people who don’t get what the point of it is, because you might never have experienced working in a multi-display way. Or, maybe, you are more than happy watching things on your tiny phone screen. Or you never give presentations or share things with others. If you’re one of those people the flaws of the MSI Optix MAG161V seem insurmountable. It hasn’t got an onboard battery or any storage at all, so if you like a specific tone and brightness on your display you’ll have to set it up every single time you turn it on. If you own a laptop it’s as unwieldy as that, but if you own a phone you’ll suddenly need somewhere to put a 15.6″ display which is hardly pocket friendly. Even if you get through that the fact it isn’t touch screen – which would significantly up the price – means that the benefits of a larger screen when using your phone are negated by the fact you still need to use your phone to navigate things. There are a lot of downsides.

However, if you have a multi-display desktop setup and constantly bemoan the cramped nature of your laptop when you’re working away from home, or on the commute, then this is perfect. It’s light, portable, thin and the screen quality is very good, being an IPS panel. It brings all the benefits of your main work setup to wherever you happen to be, and with a single cable to connect everything up it is a matter of a moment to do so. Equally if you often need to give a presentation to a small group at short notice the MSI Optix MAG161V is the fastest way to do so we can think of. Lastly it’s perfect for watching films and things on long journeys without the eye strain of staring at your phone. Let’s not kid ourselves, even a gigantic phone like the Samsung S20 Plus can’t remotely compare to the 15.6″ display of the MSI. It’s like a really affordable way to get ‘bigger than a tablet’ display prowess for nothing like the expense one of those would be. Go and check out the price of a large top end tablet – around the £600 price point – and then notice that the MSI Optix MAG161V rocks up at around £220. Yeah.

Clearly the MSI Optix MAG161V is for a very niche audience, and yet if you are in that audience you’ll be pleased to know that the build quality is robust, the quality of the actual display is very good, and if 1080P isn’t enough for you there are a few different versions of it from MSI that guarantees you’ll find one that fits your need. Little else does exactly what this does, especially at this price point.