The cheapest XENEON EDGE alternative is any small touchscreen that Windows sees as a normal monitor, such as a stretched "bar" display or a portable USB-C monitor, running EdgeOS, a free widget app that works on any monitor. You get the same kind of dashboard: a clock, PC stats, media controls, a volume mixer, chat and buttons, all touchable. What you give up is iCUE: Corsair's iCUE widgets and Widget Mode are for the Edge, though EdgeOS Premium can run iCUE widgets on other screens.
What makes a screen work as a widget panel
EdgeOS runs on any display Windows lists under Settings → System → Display. So the screen needs:
- A video input your PC has: HDMI, DisplayPort, or USB-C with DisplayPort Alt Mode. A single USB-C cable only carries the picture if your PC's USB-C port supports DisplayPort output.
- Touch over USB. Most small touchscreens show up in Windows as a standard touch screen and need no driver. Over HDMI, touch usually needs a separate USB cable to the PC.
- Power. Small panels often take power from USB. Check that the port can supply enough, or use the panel's own power input.
- A way to hold it: a stand, a VESA mount, or a ¼-20" thread for an arm.
XENEON EDGE vs the alternatives
| XENEON EDGE | Bar display (8–13") | Portable monitor (13–16") | USB sensor screen (3.5–5") | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | 14.5", 2560 × 720 (32:9), very wide | Very wide, such as 1920 × 720 on 12.3" models | Usually 16:9 | Small, such as 480 × 320 |
| Touch | 5-point | Some models | Some models | Usually none |
| Seen by Windows as a monitor | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Runs EdgeOS | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| iCUE widgets and Widget Mode | Yes | No (iCUE widgets through EdgeOS Premium) | No (same) | No |
| Mounting | Stand, 14 magnets, two ¼-20" points | Varies | Kickstand or case | Stand |
Corsair lists the XENEON EDGE at $249.99 in the US. Bar and portable touchscreens cost anything from much less to more than that, and quality varies a lot between sellers, so read the listing for the touch, the input and the brightness before you buy.
Set up a touchscreen as a widget panel
Connect it and extend the desktop
Plug in the video cable, and the USB cable for touch if it's separate. In Settings → System → Display, make sure the screen is set to Extend these displays, not duplicate. Set its Scale so text is readable at arm's length.
Point touch at the right screen
With more than one monitor, Windows sometimes sends touches to the wrong one. Open Control Panel → Hardware and Sound → Tablet PC Settings, click Setup, choose Touch input and tap the small screen when Windows asks.
Install EdgeOS
Download EdgeOS and run it. It's free, with no account, and it doesn't need iCUE or a XENEON EDGE.
Put EdgeOS on the touchscreen
Open Settings → Screens and switch on the touchscreen. For that screen, choose:
- Show: Always, so the widgets stay over every window, which suits a screen that only shows widgets.
- Background: Dashboard for a solid panel.
- Taskbar: hide the Windows taskbar on that screen, so the whole panel is widgets.
EdgeOS Free shows on one screen at a time, which is all a widget panel needs. Premium runs it on several screens at once, each with its own layout.
Lay out your widgets
On the Layout page, drag widgets onto the screen's layout. Each monitor gets its own. A tall screen gets a portrait layout of its own too: see the XENEON EDGE in portrait, which works the same on any screen.
What to put on a small touchscreen
The widgets that earn their place on a touch panel are the ones you'd otherwise alt-tab for:
- Controls: Volume Mixer, Audio output, Toggle Mute, Quick Actions and App shortcut (all free).
- At a glance: Clock, CPU, GPU, Sensors for temperatures and fans, Weather and Now Playing (all free).
- Premium: Game mode for live FPS, Twitch Chat, the OBS widgets, Home Assistant and the other Connect widgets.
Complete layouts for gaming, streaming, work and a smart home are in XENEON EDGE setup ideas: they work on any touchscreen, sized to its shape.
What you give up without a XENEON EDGE
- iCUE's Widget Mode. It's for Corsair's own screens. On another touchscreen EdgeOS runs as a normal app on that monitor, which works the same for its widgets.
- iCUE widgets, unless you have Premium. Widgets from the Elgato Marketplace normally need iCUE and an Edge. EdgeOS Premium runs iCUE widgets from other makers on any screen, and has QAEM's own app launcher (Launchify), Discord widget (Deckord), Browser Media Controls and Gmail Connect built in. See EdgeOS Free vs Premium.
- The Edge's build: its 2560 × 720 panel, 5-point touch, magnets and mounting points. A cheap panel may have a dimmer screen, single-touch, or touch that needs its own cable.
No touchscreen at all?
EdgeOS works on a normal monitor with a mouse too, behind your apps or over them. See how to add widgets to your Windows desktop.
Start
Download EdgeOS, then follow Set up EdgeOS. Premium can be tried free for 7 days from Settings → License, no card needed.