Introducing the Crestron 80 Series Touch Screens for the Connected Home

If there’s one piece of technology that may now be as ubiquitous as the electric light, it’s the touch screen. There’s probably one in your pocket right now — in fact, you might even be reading these words on an interactive lighted panel of some sort.

Smartphones, tablets, interactive kiosks, ATMs — we’re surrounded by them. It’s a control interface that Crestron has been making for decades, long before they’d saturated nearly every aspect of our waking lives. Crestron has been refining its touch screens during that entire time: As a critical part of our three pillars of focus — content, collaboration, and control — state-of-the-art touch screens have helped secure Crestron’s reputation as an industry leader.

In fact, as we mentioned on the Crestron blog when the company was marking a major anniversary, touch screens were already in production more than 35 years ago:

“When I joined the company in 1990, Crestron already had a two-way, bidirectional RF touch screen,” says Ray Coneys, vice-president of sales enablement. The product was big, it was clunky, but it worked. “In situations where you couldn't run a cable to a high-end meeting room, table, conference room, or a lectern, you could still have a touch screen, and it would be wireless,” he says. Shortly after Coneys was hired, the company began delving into adding color to those screens and refining their control systems further. “At that time, touch screen controllers were black and white. Crestron simultaneously released the first color touch screen with a video window: You could have a feed going to the touch screen and display a video preview on this color touch screen.”

Crestron’s vision extended into every product, says Coneys. “We were the first control system that had an Ethernet port,” he recalls. When that feature was added, Ethernet had yet to be accepted as standard. The same was true of HDMI® connectivity — Crestron was one of the first to understand that HDMI would become the digital replacement for analog video standards.

The Dedicated Residential Touch Screen

Those first forays in control panels evolved to the point where Crestron was uniquely positioned to bring touch screens into our residential portfolio. A dedicated panel, always powered up, boasting an intuitive interface that provided unparalleled response, was an elegant way to run multiple aspects of the connected home. It’s a sleek solution that eliminates multiple knobs and switches that disrupt a home’s aesthetic, replacing the clutter sometimes referred to as “wall acne.”

And Crestron was the first company to offer the touch screen as a control solution for the connected home.

But with a preponderance of glass panels all around us, why — in 2025 — would we need a touch screen for this specific job?

“A purpose-built device like a Crestron touch screen is going to be vastly more responsive, reliable, and feature-rich than the average smartphone,” says Michael Short, Crestron’s VP of marketing operations and residential. A dedicated touch screen won’t leave the homeowner fumbling through a phone or tablet full of apps, and since it’s always powered up — and placed where it can’t easily be misplaced or even lost — it’s always ready. “Connectivity won’t likely ever be an issue, either,” he adds.

All these benefits have been realized by previous iterations of Crestron’s touch screens. By refining and improving those features, and adding more after several years of real-world research, we’re now able to offer our latest line of these solutions: The Crestron 80 Series Touch Screens — the most refined, reliable, and responsive touch screens we’ve ever built.

Crestron 80 Series Touch Screens: The Features

This latest step in the evolution of Crestron touch screens brings the end user a package of great looks and performance, all backed by the quality of Crestron’s manufacturing and testing processes.

The 80 Series line features:

• The right sizes and the right looks: These touch screens are currently available in 8" and 10" models — sizes that suit any room, from compact installations to high-visibility areas. The touch screens boast Crestron’s signature minimalist aesthetic, a look that blends into the home while elevating the overall design. The screens are available in black or white finishes to complement modern, transitional, or traditional interiors. As always, the screens offer flexible mounting options: Choose a wall mount for a clean, architectural look or a tabletop model for accessibility in any location. They’re designed to fit seamlessly into any environment, whether that’s a kitchen backsplash, bedroom nightstand, or media room console.
• Top-notch performance: The 80 Series panels include our fastest processor yet — but that’s not all that’s going on “under the hood.” Radar-based proximity detection ensures that the touch screen wakes up when someone approaches, with no need to touch or tap. The improved ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the screen brightness for optimal visibility and comfort in any lighting condition. Each device is equipped with enhanced audio and intercom features, including far-field microphones and premium speakers, which enable clear paging and intercom communication across rooms. A microphone mute button with an indicator provides users with instant control over their privacy.
• Great connectivity, easily integrated: Every device, of course, includes an Ethernet port with PoE and PoE+ for clean, single-cable installation and reliable wired performance. Wi-Fi® connectivity is available, too — perfect for those locations and retrofit scenarios where cabling would be an issue. Naturally, these screens feature native support for the Crestron Home® OS, enabling complete control of lighting, climate, AV, shading, and security. The 80 Series Touch Screens provide a familiar interface, making it easy for homeowners to activate scenes, set schedules, and more.

“When it comes to control panels, these really are the ‘luxury cars’ of touch screens,” says Short. “The fit, finish, and responsiveness all make these solutions perfect for high-end residential integrations.” Additionally, rock-solid reliability means dealers can install with confidence — and minimize support calls.

“These 80 Series panels really challenge the notion of what one of these devices can actually do,” says Short. “I’m sure there are some who still insist that ‘all touch screens are alike’ — but I’d wager this line would change those minds.”

See the Crestron 80 Touch Screens in action — visit us at ISE® 2026 Expo.