Visual Instruments has just unveiled the Phantom, a 24-inch monitor that allows you to see beyond it while you’re working. You can connect it to any computer, console, or phone via a USB-C connector or an HDMI cable, and the content seems to float on a sheet of glass, with no bulky bezels blocking the view behind it. This is the first entirely transparent computer display, according to the founders, although it is aimed at those who work at a desk rather than those who want to show it off in a shop.
The company took inspiration from aviation head-up displays and teleprompters; there’s a hidden panel at the bottom that bounces the image up onto a particular type of tilted glass with mirrors. The glass remains perfectly clear; you are only seeing the reflected image. Switch modes a few times, and the opacity adjusts automatically; there are at least three different defaults, so you can quickly transition from being able to look clearly through it to having a solid black display, exactly like a regular monitor.
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A lot of the pitch revolves around eye health; doctors frequently advise individuals to take a 20-minute break from screens to relax their eyes. The Phantom allows you to gaze beyond the screen without having to twist your head, giving you a short glimpse at what’s behind the display – and your eyes don’t have to adjust. The manufacturer claims that this reduces eye strain during extended sessions; however, sceptics point out that your eyes are still focused on the reflected image at the same distance, therefore the benefits are uncertain.
The 24-inch monitor runs at 4K resolution in 16:9 format, and the specifications are impressive to say the least. It can go from a minimum of 5 nits to a whopping 5,000 nits for Ultra HDR highlights, which is far higher than typical desktop displays. It has full sRGB coverage, so the colours should be rather realistic. And it can connect to almost everything, including Macs, PCs, PlayStations, Xboxes, and phones, with no additional drivers required.
The original batch of ten ‘Founders Editions’ were all hand-assembled in the United States, but be warned: you only have a few months until the first shipments arrive in the fourth quarter of 2025. Even then, availability will be quite restricted; expect to pay around $1,600, which is roughly equivalent to an Apple Studio Display, and they come with a one-year warranty.
For the time being, you can only imagine what it’s like; there are a few renders floating around, but nothing beyond the company’s promises. It all looks excellent on paper, but whether it truly improves your daily computing is another matter – so keep a watch on developments to see whether this one takes off.
There have been other prototypes like this before, but none of them have made it into workplaces of this size and resolution. If Visual Instruments delivers, the Phantom could find a niche among creatives looking for a clutter-free workspace, or anyone who is tired of staring at yet another opaque slab.
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