Digital artists can expand their creative possibilities with Virtual Reality (VR) stylus pens, which are set to revolutionize workflow in both 2D and 3D spaces. These innovative tools have begun to emerge in the 3D art and design industry, seeking to integrate traditional and virtual realities. Companies like Wacom and Logitech are developing VR styluses, such as the MX INK by Logitech and the VR Pen by Wacom.
The Logitech MX INK VR stylus is designed for Meta Quest headsets. Its functionality allows an artist to work on a Wacom tablet with a stylus during conventional desktop work, then view their designs in a 3D environment via VR headset and seamlessly switch back to the same stylus for continued design refinement at the desk. Moreover, this VR stylus does not compromise the ability to monitor your work using video passthrough, a feature included in most VR headsets.
Meanwhile, Wacom’s CEO Nobutaka Ide describes that this VR stylus pen offers benefits to creative professionals focused on 3D work such as automobile design, architectural design, and educational experiences aimed at promoting a more flexible digital studio for students.
Virtual reality tools like the VR stylus can provide ergonomics and control for artistic creations that are lacking when utilizing a standard VR controller for art and design purposes. The advent of such styluses is becoming more critical as creators continue to adapt to various workspace types like cloud working and remote environments, emphasizing the need for flexibility.
Although they serve as a niche tool in the market, VR art software compatible with VR stylus like Tilt Brush, Open Brush, Vermillion, Gravity Sketch, and MultiBrush allow artists to create seamless artworks in both ‘2D’ digital art apps and 3D-centric VR space applications.
The Wacom VR Pen was one of the earlier VR styluses in the market, but other styluses such as the Logitech MX INK (releasing September) are also on the way, opening more opportunities for artists embracing a unique and immersive new means of artistic expression and refining their work in exciting virtual realities.
