Tried and tested: Logitech's Muse pen for Vision Pro
Apple's headset is primarily operated with hands, fingers, and eyes. Logitech is now adding another input method.
Logitech's Muse pen: Full Vision Pro control possible.
(Image: Logitech)
A pen for the Vision Pro: The Muse controller from Logitech, announced in the summer, has now officially arrived in stores, even though it is currently temporarily sold out. The hardware is similar to the MX Ink for Meta's Quest, but features different controls. Instead of three buttons on the front, there are only two here (the longer one is pressure-sensitive), plus another button at the rear end of the pen that serves as the power button. Speaking of the tip: The manufacturer supplies two additional ones – one wide, one narrow.
One thing can be said in advance: Users can't do much with the Muse pen yet. The reason is the lack of software support. After connecting to the visionOS system via Bluetooth, which is quick to do via the system settings or by pressing two buttons, nothing happens when using the controller, neither in passthrough mode nor in an environment. This is because Apple is only providing system-wide support with visionOS 26.2. Fortunately, we were able to test this with the beta version (see below). Without visionOS 26.2, only a few selected apps currently work.
Professional Pen Input on Vision Pro
The basic idea behind the Muse is sensible: "Muse transforms creative workflows across various disciplines, from designing complex 3D models and brainstorming in virtual workspaces to implementing complex ideas with immersive tools," Logitech writes flowery. It offers haptic feedback thanks to a vibration motor, and the pen tip is pressure-sensitive. The Muse controller is charged via an integrated USB-C port; a cable is not included. The battery status can be checked by briefly pressing the power button. The pen is compatible only with the Vision Pro; use with an iPad, for example, is not intended.
The list of supported apps is still small. Logitech mentions Crayon, Sketch Pro, and Spatial Analogue, plus DOPPL. The painting app TouchDesk is also now supported, which is actually the ideal application as it is designed for virtual painting on a table. The pen allows for more precision here than with a finger. Support in other apps is still partially limited. For example, the applications do not use all the pen's available functions, such as the vibration motor, or it simply serves as a finger replacement. It is also annoying that the operation is often difficult to understand. Occasionally the collaboration between hand control on one side and pen control on the other does not work.
One quickly gets the impression that this is beta hardware – or rather, hardware that can only work with beta software. It is up to the developers whether they seize the opportunities of the Muse. APIs exist for this, and Logitech and Apple also provide support, as they say.
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System Control is a Form of Illusion
The Muse controller was most usefully operated under visionOS 26.2. This opens up the entire system of pen control. You can select menus, resize windows, press buttons, and scroll. You can also finally create handwritten notes in the app of the same name. The pen also remains visible at all times and does not disappear. With the pen, you get the feeling of being able to work more precisely than with your fingers. But ultimately, this is also just a form of illusion, because the hand moves the same way with or without the pen. Only the triggering is done by pressing a button and no longer by pinching. It is good that the "spatial accessory" can be further configured with visionOS 26.2 – for example, whether haptics are active or which functions appear with a firm side press on the pen.
All in all, Logitech's Muse pen is still an experiment, at least for now. For a rather expensive 140 Euros, you can play around with it. But as long as there isn't really good software with good adaptation – for example, in the professional CAD sector – the pen is just a toy. Hopefully, the API will change that – and Apple, where developers can open up more functions in the operating system.
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