William Gallagher
Apple has arguably the best VR headset in the world with the Apple Vision Pro, but it's fallen behind Logitech on the one accessory it should have invented.
It's one of those ideas where you wonder why Apple didn't think of it — and then you find out that it did. Apple has even applied for a couple of patents for an Apple Pencil for the Apple Vision Pro, but now Logitech has brought out the MX Ink Mixed Reality Stylus for Meta Quest.
MX Ink is a broadly Apple Pencil-like stylus that can be used with Meta's headset. Chiefly it's meant for drawing in mid-air, but it's also a control device that lets the user select and manipulate devices.
Physically, it's broader than the Apple Pencil, with a diameter of 0.72 inches compared to Apple Pencil Pro's 0.35 inches. The Logitech model is also heavier than Apple's, at 1.02 oz compared to the Apple Pencil Pro's 0.73 oz.
Plus the Logitech model is fractionally, but noticeably, shorter. Where the Apple Pencil Pro is 6.53 inches tall, Logitech's version is 6.46 inches.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiklLiitNYg
All of this could make it difficult for the actor or presenter holding it up in the air for extended periods. But equally it could help the MX Ink feel less like a stylus, and more like a paint brush when an artist is using it.
Certainly, Apple has had hopes for painting, with one patent application practically describing a Bob Ross-like scenario.
The MX Ink costs $129.99 from Logitech, which is approximately the same price as the Apple Pencil Pro, and the Apple Pencil (2nd generation).
Naturally, neither the cost of Logitech's MX Ink or the Apple Pencil can realistically be compared. For without their headsets, each of them are just costly ornaments.
But paired to the correct headset, a stylus has the promise of freeing up users to do more than swipe or type. It promises annotations, as we're used to with the Apple Pencil on iPads, and it could herald more interactivity with virtual items, as Apple's patent applications suggest.
Usually it's Apple who brings something new to an idea, such as bringing a stylus to VR, but this time it has been trounced by Logitech. The question now is whether Logitech can bring the MX Ink to the Apple Vision Pro.
Another good questionj is if Apple's rumored testing of a stylus with the headset will lead to a product release.
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12 Comments
Who is the “we” that wants this? The reason they put this out is because hand recognition sucks on other headsets. Vision Pro nails hand/finger input, just like the iPhone did in 2007. This is a key differentiator.