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Creating 3D art in virtual reality is already one of the most useful things you can do with the Meta's Quest headset. Logitech's new MX Ink stylus should make this process even more useful. The $130 wireless peripheral is Quest's first official stylus accessory, and will ship this fall in conjunction with the Meta Connect developer conference in late September.
The MX Ink looks like a chunky black pen, but with buttons on the side and a replaceable nib. The wireless stylus is fully spatially trackable, allowing for full 6DoF (degrees of freedom) motion like Meta's Quest controllers. The stylus also has its own haptic system and a pressure-sensitive tip for working with 2D surfaces. According to Logitech, haptic also simulates the feeling of drawing on different types of surface materials. The included "ink body" base stores the pen when not in use. Logitech launched a VR stylus back in 2019, but it required a PC headset and a special external tracker to work. MX Ink connects to your standalone Quest headset anywhere, anytime.
Drawing and sculpting in VR and AR are already possible in Quest headsets using the included controllers, or with hand tracking. The stylus\' added haptics and pressure sensitivity could make it a lot more useful for artists, though, and it will also work as a third paired device while both controllers are still working: You could swap between controllers and stylus, or use one in each hand. It's also compatible with a number of existing Quest apps: Adobe Substance Modeler, Gravity Sketch, PaintingVR, Arkio, Engage. OpenBrush, GestureVR, ShapesXR, and Elucis by RealizeMedical. MX Ink works with the Quest 2 and Quest 3, as well as "headphones of the future," Logitech said in a press release.
Meta is expected to release a more affordable version of the Quest 3 mixed reality VR headset this fall, possibly at the same time as the stylus. At $130, it's practically the same price as the Apple Pencil Pro, but unlike the Pencil Pro, it actually works as a mixed reality 3D tool. Maybe Apple will eventually get their act together in this area, but right now Logitech and Meta are at the forefront of XR art gear.
