Over the past decade I’ve reported on and examined many alternative VR styluses, however none of them have truly caught on. However the brand new MX Ink stylus for Quest stands an actual probability at legitimizing the VR stylus as a complete, due to its considerate design, robust lineup of launch apps, and tight integration with Quest’s software program.
This week Logitech introduced MX Ink, an formally endorsed ‘Made for Meta’ stylus supporting Quest 2 and Quest 3 (see the total announcement particulars right here). It’s the primary time Meta has allowed another firm to harness its monitoring know-how in a third-party product. That alone makes MX Ink distinctive, however there’s extra that makes this the system that would legitimize VR styluses as a complete.
The primary styluses are thought to have been invented 5 millennia in the past. And there’s a purpose they’ve caught with humanity ever since: a stylus amplifies the precision with which we will level. Whereas that appears slightly easy, it makes data duties like writing, drawing, calculating, and designing considerably extra sensible and helpful than utilizing our fingers alone.
So it’s not shocking that we’ve seen many makes an attempt to convey a VR stylus to life.
Simply to call just a few: in 2017 an enterprising developer hacked collectively a chunky prototype utilizing a Vive Tracker and a pressure-sensitive stylus tip; in 2018 an organization referred to as Massless designed its personal prototype VR stylus that it hoped to convey to market; even Wacom has been toying with the concept. Hell, Logitech already made a VR stylus again in 2019… however at $750, it’s no surprise it by no means made it to normal availability.
So what could possibly be completely different about Logitech’s new MX Ink? Properly for one, the worth is considerably extra palatable than what’s come earlier than. The $130 worth level is a fairly straightforward promote for professionals for whom the added precision of a stylus may truly enhance their workflow.
Logitech can be well launching some ‘good to have’ extras for individuals who are actually severe about making the MX Ink a part of their workflow.
There’s the Inkwell dock which, for less than one other $40, offers you a straightforward place to retailer and cost the stylus so it’s prepared on your subsequent use. And there’s the MX Mat, for $50, which Logitech pitches as the perfect floor to make it really feel such as you’re drawing on a paper-like materials when utilizing the stylus.
However extra importantly than worth or equipment is the first-party integration with Meta and the robust lineup of supported software program out of the gate.
Logitech labored instantly with Meta, not solely to undertake Quest’s monitoring know-how, but in addition to construct the stylus’ software program expertise proper into Horizon OS. Pairing the MX Ink is rather like pairing one of many headset’s personal controllers, with none additional {hardware} or software program wanted. Even the stylus’ settings—which allow you to management issues like hand choice, button bindings, and stress curves—are baked proper into the system’s personal Settings menu.
It’s even obtained a correct ‘Meta’ button on the top (the place the eraser can be), making it straightforward to drag up the headset’s menu.
After which there’s the robust lineup of software program that may work proper out of the gate. Logitech has locked in a strong swath of VR design apps for MX Ink help:
- Adobe Substance Modeler
- Gravity Sketch
- PaintingVR
- Arkio
- Have interaction
- OpenBrush
- GestureVR
- ShapesXR
- Elucis by RealizeMedical
If Logitech performs its playing cards proper, MX Ink could possibly be the primary VR stylus that actually sticks the touchdown. So evidently, I used to be intrigued to strive it.
Palms-on With Logitech MX Ink for Quest
Final week I swung by Logitech’s San Jose, CA workplace to take a look at an early model of the stylus for myself. In comparison with the corporate’s final VR stylus, the MX Ink is considerably extra compact. Even so, I used to be impressed with the monitoring.
Even with my hand protecting a major space of the stylus, there have been seemingly sufficient hidden IR LEDs hiding beneath the stylus’ shell to offer steady monitoring regardless of how I held or twisted the stylus. The corporate stated it even put IR LEDs towards the tip of the MX Ink so it could possibly be held like a wand or a pallet knife.
Logitech says the stylus is ‘as correct because the Quest controllers’—however that doesn’t imply it may possibly’t be extra exact. Utilizing a stylus as a pointing system means you should use your dexterous fingers to control the enter place in a really positive approach; much more so than twisting your wrist alone (which is what primarily drives positive controller movement).
That was apparent whereas I used to be utilizing the MX Ink to attract and sketch instantly onto an actual desk in entrance of me. The stress delicate tip additionally made it really feel pure to fluctuate line width as wanted.
I additionally tried utilizing the MX Ink stylus towards a whiteboard whereas utilizing Quest 3’s combined actuality view. The tight latency and accuracy of the stylus actually made it really feel like I used to be leaving marks on the whiteboard. It was a complete layer of immersion that I wasn’t anticipating to really feel whereas attempting the stylus.
This sense of really leaving actual marks on the whiteboard solely made the subsequent half much more mind-bending… I may elevate the stylus from the floor whereas holding the button on the barrel and prolong my drawing into the third dimension. Watching my strokes actually leap off the web page like this was simply plain enjoyable.
Whereas urgent the MX Ink towards an actual floor, the tip communicates the quantity of stress to the headset and thus adjustments the thickness of the road you draw. However while you’re utilizing the stylus to attract in 3D, instantly there’s no approach for the system to understand how a lot stress you’re utilizing, proper? Truly, no; Logitech well made the button on the barrel of the stylus stress delicate itself, so you possibly can squeeze softer or more durable to outline the width of brush strokes, even while you’re drawing within the air.
The MX Ink even features a haptic engine for suggestions. So even for those who’re utilizing it towards a digital floor, the stylus can let you understand while you’re touching the canvas.
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I’m impressed with the extent of thoughtfulness within the design of MX Ink. It’s clear the corporate has carried over some essential classes realized from its earlier experiments with VR styluses.
MX Ink has an inexpensive worth level, direct integration with the preferred headsets in the marketplace, and a powerful lineup of supporting apps. Logitech is giving the VR stylus—as a class—its greatest probability but at actually catching on.
The important items are in place. The factor that may make or break this product is now seemingly all the way down to how properly built-in it’s into the workflow of key functions. My understanding is that builders have an enormous vary of management over precisely how their functions will deal with MX Ink. Half-hearted implementations may kill what in any other case appears to be like like a powerful product.
With MX Ink not as a result of launch till September, there’s time nonetheless for functions to tighten up their implementations, so we’ll have to attend to see the way it all comes collectively.
