How to Rotate a Raspberry Pi Screen

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Raspberry Pi F computers have generated quite a buzz over the last decade. A low price point, coupled with feature versatility, has created a steadily growing demand for the lightweight yet powerful Raspberry.

After the successful debut of the Raspberry Pi 3, the newest offering, Raspberry Pi4, promises to be an even bigger hit with consumers. With four ARM Cortex cores clocking speeds of 1.5GHz and a super graphics processor with 4K decoding ability, Raspberry Pi is quickly earning its stripes.

Technical Specifications

To fully understand what this brilliant piece of engineering is capable of, let us look at some of the Raspberry Pi 4’s most outstanding (and impressive) features.

  • Broadcom BCM2711
  • Quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit @ 1.5GHz
  • Options between 1GB, 2GB or 4GB LPDDR4-2400 SDRAM
  • 5.0 GHz and 2.4 GHz IEEE 802.11ac wireless
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • Gigabit Ethernet
  • 2 USB 3.0 ports; 2 USB 2.0 ports
  • Raspberry Pi standard 40 pin GPIO header
  • Two × micro-HDMI ports
  • 2-lane MIPI DSI display port
  • 2-lane MIPI CSI camera
  • 4-pole stereo audio and composite video port
  • H.265 (4kp60 decode), H264 (1080p60 decode, 1080p30 encode)
  • OpenGL ES 3.0 graphics
  • Micro-SD card slot
  • 5V DC via USB-C connector
  • 5V DC via GPIO header
  • Power over Ethernet (PoE) enabled

So Just How Good is It?

For such a tiny motherboard, the Raspberry Pi gives an impressive account of itself compared to many higher entry-level desktop CPUs. With its ability to undertake heavy tasks such as media center usage and emulation, this nifty little computer is excellent value for money.

With two USB 3.0 ports, transfer speeds are up to ten times faster than the regular USB 2.0. When you need to connect peripheral devices such as flash drives and displays, the Raspberry has you covered. Keyboards and mice, which are less speed demanding, have two USB 2.0 ports to pick from just as well.

Another notable feature is the Raspberry’s Ethernet jack. For fast gigabit speed and wired networking, the Raspberry Pi 4 delivers surprising quality. Additionally, the Raspberry comes with two micro HDMI ports allowing you to connect even larger displays. With 4K decode ability; you can count on the Raspberry Pi4’s ability to deliver crisp, sharp imagery on demand.

For the multitasking user, the dual HDMI display means you can work on multiple tasks simultaneously.

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Getting a Feel of The New Raspberry Pi4

The Pi 4 runs a newer version of its native Raspbian OS. Navigating around the new Raspbian is more fluid than in previous releases. So fluid that I am using it to write this article!  The 4GB of RAM is sufficient even when multiple tabs are open and running extensions.

While there are workarounds that will allow you to run the full package Windows 10 desktop, we found the experience sluggish and not worth the effort in our experience. Raspbian gets the job done just fine.

However, it is essential to note that you will need to do a little experimentation to figure out the best browser to use. We found that some weighed a little too heavy for Raspbian, while others were entirely complementary to its style and function.

With a decent media player installed, you can play multiple videos in 4K without the usual choppiness and freezes experienced even in larger operating systems. The one drawback is the Raspberry Pi tends to generate quite some heat inside a case.

We found that using it in its bare-bones state worked a lot better. Third-party developers and vendors also sell aluminum cases, which are excellent heat dissipators. Another alternative is to install a case with an in-built fan.

Compatible Displays and Screens

The revolutionary Raspberry Pi boards present DIY computing and hobbyist lovers with the opportunity to create rather than buy. Anyone with some basic knowledge of coding and electronic assembly can comfortably set up their computer system.

Armed with the Raspberry Pi motherboard, all you need to have is a compatible screen or display. With Raspbian supporting touch screen functionality, finding the perfect match is now easier than ever. Among the most compatible screens we have tested are;

Screens for a Raspberry Pi 4Screen SizeResolution
Stock Raspberry Pi 7″ Touch Screen Display7 inches800 x 480 pixels
Kuman 7 Inch Capacitive Touch Screen TFT LCD Display 7 inches1024 x 600 pixels
Kuman 7 Inch (HD Display) LCD Monitor7 inches1024 x 600 pixels
Elecrow LED Display MonitorWaveshare 3.2 inch Raspberry Pi LCD Touch Screen TFT Display3.2 inches1920 x 1080 pixels
Raspberry Pi 4 HDMI IPS LCD Monitor Display10.1 inches1280 x 800 pixels
Sun Founder 7 LCD Display Screen7 inches1024 x 600 pixels
Raspberry Pi 3 B+ Ultimate Kit Raspberry pi 7 inches800 x 480 pixels
Raspberry Pi 10 Inch Touch Screen 10.1 inches1280 x 800 pixels
WIMAXIT DIY HDMI Display Screen for Raspberry Pi8 inches1280 x 800 pixels

How to Rotate the Raspberry Pi Screen

Now that we have had an overview of what the Raspberry Pi is packing, you can select the most suitable display and start. Most cases tend to mount the display on the Raspberry Pi 4 upside down. While this can be frustrating, getting your screen to display correctly is an easy fix.

Let us look at a simple walkthrough to show you how to rotate the Raspberry Pi screen. These steps will even allow you to get rid of the annoying black boundary or border that can sometimes be visible on your video output.

Step One

First, we need to change the default setting for screen rotation, which results in a portrait mode screen. Using a display rotate prompt rotates the whole output of the video display, which works fine. However, if you have a touch screen, all inputs will still be in their original orientation.

A better fix is to access the boot/cmdline.txt file, and change fbtft_device.rotate=zero to fbtft_device.rotate=90. Changing the default setting values will result in the Raspberry’s screen orientation switching to landscape mode for better viewing and readability. .

Step Two

You probably will have noticed that the pointer appears to have a mind of its own, moving right instead of up and vice versa.  This erratic pointer movement occurs due to the x and y axes being in a swapped position.

To correct this, change the XY=X parameter in /etc/ and then install kennel modules Evtest and Xinput.  Evtest is an input device events monitor and query tool while Xinput is a handy utility that will allow us to configure input device settings for the touch screen controller. 

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