Vissles-M portable screen has infinite uses for WFH gamers

You will never run out of ways to use the Vissles-M portable screen, a mind-boggling mashup of a touchscreen tablet with a high-resolution monitor that weighs less than two pounds and encourages experimentation. Because it uses both mini HDMI and USB-C, you'd be hard-pressed to find an electronic device you can't connect it to.

It functions as a second or even third screen for any computer, but the highly mobile device also works with gaming consoles — even next-gen devices like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The Vissles-M can also essentially become a 15.6-inch tablet capable of 1080*1920 resolution when you plug it directly into an Android phone with a USB-C wire.

It's mind-boggling how many different ways you can use it.

What's great about Vissles-M

• Touch-screen functionality for Windows and Android
• Can theoretically connect to almost any electronic device
• Works incredibly well with the Nintendo Switch

Setting up the Vissles-M for the first time is an eye-opening experience about the merits of the ubiquitous USB-C. Easily recognized as the Nintendo Switch charging cable, these wires have steadily become the universal standard for many laptops, game consoles, and other tech.

Founded in 2019 with a focus on high-quality portable products, Vissles recognizes this trend and makes USB-C a priority. You can connect the Vissles-M to any device with a USB-C port, and if the other device has a robust enough power supply, then that one-to-one connection is enough to power the screen. Otherwise, you may need to use one of the two USB-C ports to power the Vissles-M, which limits its overall mobility.

The Vissles-M also has a mini HDMI port, and the screen comes with a mini HDMI to HDMI wire. As long as you can figure out how to power the screen, you can plug it directly into anything that takes HDMI, which is everything from cable boxes to game consoles these days. And you don't even need to bother with the Nintendo Switch dock. If you plug the Vissles-M directly into the Switch body and remove the joy-cons, you can play directly on the screen.

It's become my new favorite way to play games on the Switch.

What's not-so-great about Vissles-M

• Limited use for Apple devices and it requires an expensive adaptor
• Doesn't come with a power cable
• Will probably require additional cables and adaptors

The Vissles-M isn't optimized for iPhones, but an FAQ on the company's official listing claims an Apple Lightning to Digital AV adaptor would let you mirror the interface for $49. Alternatively, an Apple Lightning to USB-C cable might pull off the same trick for $19, but we haven't tested this option, so can't be sure.

Therein lies perhaps the biggest issue with the Vissles-M: Depending on your stock of different cables and what you want to use this screen for, you will probably have to buy additional wires.

The Vissles-M comes with a mini HDMI to HDMI wire and a USB-C to USB-C cable, but there's no AC adapter. So unless your Nintendo Switch AC adapter cord is free, you'll have to plug the USB-C wire into your laptop or some other device with a big enough battery to keep it powered. To play Switch games via joy-cons, you do need to connect the Vissless-M to the power adaptor.

You generally don't want to move your gaming consoles around that often, but you could theoretically get a 15-foot Mini HDMI to HDMI wire — or longer — and play whatever you want within range while someone else uses your living room's primary TV.

Vissles-M feels like a borderline must-buy for anyone who needs more screens in their life, particularly for gamers in quarantine.

The Vissles-M is currently available for $199.00.

Sophisticated Gamer is a series all about elevated gaming accessories you won't be embarrassed to show to your Tinder date. We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too.