JSAUX FlipGo multi-monitor solution is a productivity must-have — Kickstarter Preview

There’s a natural progression for screens. If you look at cell phones they started off very small and over time have become larger and larger. The same goes for laptop monitors. While a 17” monitor isn’t uncommon nowadays, there’s still very much a need for multiple monitors. Whether you travel for work, or just enjoy having the ability to keep your tasks completely separate, having more monitors can be a real advantage. Unfortunately, that has been a cumbersome affair thus far. While some companies have done a decent job, with apparatus that clamps onto the rear of your laptop screen, a recent laptop upgrade suddenly had me looking for a new solution. My screen had once again gotten larger, and I needed an entirely new approach. JSaux, maker of a great many fantastic hardware upgrades for the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and Legion Go, have recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for the FlipGo. It turns out, this was exactly what I needed.

The FlipGo may be currently on Kickstarter, but the prototype I received for review is very much ready to go. Opening the incredibly well packed box I found the dual screen monitor as well as a power adapter and multiple connectivity options. Like other similar solutions, the FlipGo can be connected to just about any device you can imagine. Unlike those other solutions, a great deal of effort was put into the overall usability of not only the device, but providing utility beyond simply acting as a screen.

My laptop has a Thunderbolt 4 port on it, so connecting was a single cable from that port directly to the side of the FlipGo. The screens sprang to life immediately. A quick trip to my Display settings and I was able to configure them in a stack of two on the right with my laptop situated to the left. This would allow me to use them naturally as three separate monitors. If you were imagining a lengthy setup, you’ll be glad to know that it really couldn’t be simpler.

Supposing for a moment that you don’t have a Thunderbolt port, you aren’t left out in the cold. Inside the box is a USB-C to USBC which is great for USB4 and Thunderbolt, but also included is a Mini HDMI to HDMI cable as well. There’s also a power cable which is used for feeding power in reverse. That is to say, charging any connected device. There is, however, a secondary purpose that I was surprised to see.

Connecting a device to the HD ports on the side, you’ll create a direct connection for that device to be displayed. This does require the power be connected to the monitor, but it allows you to run a second or even third device. This means you could, as an example, run your laptop screen on your laptop, a Mini NES on the top screen, and a Super Nintendo Mini on the bottom one. Why? Because you can. I’ve reviewed several multi-monitor systems and none of them have this level of flexibility – you never know when your use case might demand it.

Included in the box (though I believe this is going to be an addon at ship time) is a folio case. This protects the device when it’s being transported as the intention is that this slips into your backpack right behind your laptop. It’s very similar to the folio you’d find for a Microsoft Surface, magnetizing on one side. This doubles as a kickstand, not unlike the Surface, but I’d much prefer to use the other available option – a metal kickstand. It’s likely more paranoia than a preference, but when the FlipGo isn’t attached to the magnetic stand, it’s on a metal one.

There is another option, and it’s one I didn’t expect to like as much as I do – a VESA mount. Normally VESA is reserved for the back of a full sized monitor so you can lock it onto a monitor arm to articulate it. Inside the box is a magnetic VESA mount that I was able to mount to a standard microphone arm. This allowed me to snap the FlipGo onto the stand, use it with the single cable, and then remove it and be back on the go without more than just a stiff pull to free it from the super strong magnet. This is another thing I didn’t know I needed until I used it, but now it’s a must have. I showed this to a music producer of mine and I now have to fend him off as he wants to keep stealing it for his weekend DJ gigs. The versatility of the FlipGo strikes again!

When I looked at the FlipGo I immediately saw the top/bottom stack configuration and knew it was going to be incredibly useful to me. I was surprised to see just how useful the monitor could be in a side by side configuration as well. Doing video editing and changing the monitors to extend them in an A/B configuration gave me a secondary widescreen option previously unavailable to me. The smaller bezel in the hinge section made that separation pretty easy to work around, and the boost to productivity is immeasurable. I’d normally have to pop into my office to do any heavier editing as I have multiple monitors there, but now I can do it from my living room while I binge watch whatever on Netflix.

While I don’t condone piracy by any means, I do believe in game preservation. Emulation is a big part of that. While the version I’m reviewing doesn’t have it, there’s a top tier 16” version that features a touchscreen. The possibilities for Nintendo DS emulation are immediately enticing. I can’t speak to them as I can’t test them, but I’d love to hear from any of you that have.

The monitors are 2.5K, which is to say 2560×1600 resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio. It’s an IPS panel with a 178 degree viewing angle, which is frankly better than a lot of full size monitors. It has 100% sRGB color coverage, and it shows – these monitors are gorgeous. The 60Hz refresh rates are going to cap your in-game refresh rate, but that’s hardly holding you back. More likely you’ll be gaming on your monitor’s screen and running OBS, keeping your mail open, or whatever else on the other two anyway. The brightness is 500 nits, which is at the top end of what you’d expect on a laptop and frankly unheard of in a secondary portable monitor – those are normally 350 nits. Higher nit values allow you to use the monitor in brighter environments, and that becomes more important as the angle of your monitor increases. Given that this device can be oriented several ways, creating a multitude of angles, it becomes downright crucial.

The FlipGo has a built-in hub. As I mentioned, if you set it up with power you’ll be able to utilize the two USB 2.0 ports on the one side of the monitor. I wish they were USB 3.1 or 3.2 for rapid power charging. These ports are nice to have for things like dongles, but I can’t imagine plugging into a mouse or anything that might jostle the monitors. Running both the monitors and any other peripherals through a Thunderbolt hub would be a wiser move, but if you just need to plug in your wireless mouse dongle and don’t want to eat up the one of your spare laptop ports this could be a nice out-of-sight solution.

As always, any devices we review are capped off with two things – price and warranty. The warranty on the FlipGo is a year where the JSAUX team will, at their discretion, swap it out for a new unit entirely. During the Kickstarter you can have a FlipGo for $429 if you move fast (there’s also a smaller version of this monitor setup at $329, but I can’t speak to that one), but even at that price I’d want a secondary warranty through something like SquareTrade. Still, we’ve got a little time before this device is mainstream so it’s possible that warranty number changes before launch.

It’s not often we get our hands on Kickstarters that are this complete during the campaign. Jumping in early will nab you one of these at a price it’ll never see again. Given how much utility this device has provided for me in the last few weeks, there’s no going back. This is my new travel device, this is my new portable gaming monitor for the plane, and this is the new way I get work done while enjoying family time in the living room. It’s how I’m writing this piece right now instead of “hibernating” in my office. If any of this sounds like you, head over to Kickstarter and pick up the most flexible and portable multi-monitor solution on the market. I simply cannot recommend it enough.

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