Logitech VR Ink

Logitech VR Ink
File:LogitechVRInk.jpg
Basic Info
VR/AR	Virtual Reality
Type	Input Device
Subtype	Stylus
Platform	SteamVR
Developer	Logitech
Manufacturer	Logitech
Announcement Date	May 29, 2019
Release Date	February 2020
Price	$750
Versions	Pilot Edition
Requires	SteamVR compatible headset, SteamVR Tracking base stations (1.0 or 2.0)
Successor	Logitech MX Ink
System
Operating System	Windows 10 (64-bit)
Storage
Display
Precision	High precision for both 2D and 3D input
Image
Optics
Tracking
Tracking	SteamVR Tracking (compatible with 1.0 and 2.0 Base Stations)
Base Stations	SteamVR Base Stations 1.0 or 2.0 (not included)
Rotational Tracking	Yes
Positional Tracking	6DoF (Six Degrees of Freedom)
Tracking Volume	Room-scale
Latency	Low latency
Audio
Connectivity
Connectivity	2.4 GHz wireless
Ports	micro-USB (for charging and potential wired connection)
Power	Rechargeable battery
Battery Life	2.5+ hours (continuous use)
Device
Dimensions	Length: 207mm; Diameter: 29mm (Tip end) / 32mm (Top end); Height: 39mm (Main button)
Weight	68 grams
Haptics	Yes, integrated
Color	Black/Grey
Input	Pressure-sensitive tip, pressure-sensitive primary button, clickable 2D touch-strip, menu & system buttons, side 'grab' buttons

See also: Input Devices

Overview

The Logitech VR Ink is a virtual reality stylus created by Logitech for professional design and creative applications. Announced on May 29, 2019, and released in February 2020, it was marketed as the world's first room-scale virtual reality stylus. The VR Ink was designed primarily for enterprise users to enable more intuitive and precise 3D creation in virtual reality environments, while also allowing for traditional 2D drawing on physical surfaces.

The device was notable for using SteamVR Tracking technology to provide 6 degrees of freedom (6DoF) tracking in virtual spaces, combined with a pressure-sensitive tip that allowed for drawing on physical surfaces. This dual functionality made it unique among VR input devices at the time of its release.

Development and Release

Logitech revealed the VR Ink 'Pilot Edition' on May 29, 2019, ahead of Augmented World Expo, with the intention of gathering interest and feedback from companies for use and application integration. It was not initially presented as a final consumer product but as a tool for professionals and developers in the enterprise VR space.

Pre-orders for the Pilot Edition began in December 2019 at a price of $750, with shipping starting in February 2020. Logitech explicitly stated that this was a "beta product" at the time of pre-order, indicating its early-adoption status.

The VR Ink Pilot Edition was positioned as a first-generation VR stylus for enterprise, designed to be simple to use while offering enhanced control for creative tasks.

Design and Features

Hardware

The Logitech VR Ink weighs 68 grams and features a design similar to a traditional pen or pencil, though noticeably larger to accommodate the necessary electronics. With dimensions of Length: 207mm; Diameter: 29mm (Tip end) / 32mm (Top end); Height: 39mm (Main button), it was designed to be intuitive to use without requiring users to learn new skills. It includes several input mechanisms:

Pressure-sensitive tip for drawing on physical surfaces, made of Polyoxymethylene (POM) and interchangeable

Pressure-sensitive primary button for drawing in 3D space

Clickable 2D touch-strip for additional control

Menu and system buttons for interface navigation

Dual-sided 'grab' buttons for object manipulation

Integrated haptic feedback for tactile response

The stylus is powered by a rechargeable battery with a stated battery life of approximately 2.5 hours of continuous use. It connects to compatible systems wirelessly via a 2.4 GHz connection and is recharged using a micro-USB port.

Software and Customization

The Logitech VR Ink is accompanied by a dedicated driver application available on Steam that enables users to customize various aspects of the stylus's behavior:

Adjusting pressure response curves for the analog tip (for drawing on surfaces)

Customizing pressure response for the primary button (for drawing in air)

Setting activation thresholds for the grip buttons

Configuring the touchstrip behavior

These settings are accessible through a Windows system tray application, and user-specific configurations are stored locally on the user's PC.

Logitech also provided an SDK for Unity and Unreal Engine, enabling developers to integrate VR Ink's specific features into their applications. This facilitated broader adoption and custom implementations across various software platforms.

Compatibility

Hardware Requirements

The Logitech VR Ink requires the following minimum system specifications to function properly:

Windows 10 (64-bit) operating system

Intel Core i5-4590 or equivalent CPU

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or equivalent GPU (AMD Radeon RX 480 recommended)

8 GB RAM (16 GB recommended)

56 MB available storage space

SteamVR-compatible VR headset, including:

HTC Vive

HTC Vive Pro

Valve Index

Varjo headsets

SteamVR Tracking base stations (1.0 or 2.0), not included with the stylus

Software Compatibility

At launch, the VR Ink was compatible with a select number of professional VR applications focused on design, modeling, and creative tasks:

Application	Type	Description
Flyingshapes	3D Modeling	CAD/product design software with special "virtual tablet" feature for VR Ink
Vector Suite	Design	Vector-based design application
VRED	Automotive Design	Autodesk's automotive visualization and design review tool
Mindesk	CAD	CAD visualization and manipulation tool
Gravity Sketch	3D Design	3D design and modeling application
MARUI	Plugin	Maya plugin for VR modeling
IrisVR	Visualization	Architecture and design visualization platform
Tilt Brush	Creative	Google's VR painting application
Elucis	Medical Imaging	Medical imaging and 3D model interaction platform

Additionally, the stylus featured integration capabilities with game engines:

Unreal Engine integration

Unity integration

These integrations allowed developers to implement support for the VR Ink in custom applications and existing software platforms.

Functionality

The VR Ink was designed for a hybrid 2D/3D workflow, allowing users to:

Sketch on 2D Surfaces: Users could draw on a physical surface (like the optional VR Ink Drawing Mat or a desk) using the pressure-sensitive tip, with the sketch appearing in the VR environment.

Draw in 3D Space: The stylus could also be used to draw and sculpt directly in three-dimensional virtual space, leveraging the pressure-sensitive main button for control over strokes.

Navigate and Interact: Beyond drawing, the buttons and touch strip allowed for navigation within VR applications, object manipulation (grabbing, moving), and menu interactions.

This dual functionality bridged traditional design processes with VR capabilities, allowing users to start with familiar 2D drawing techniques on a physical surface and then continue developing their designs in 3D space.

Applications

Professional Use Cases

The Logitech VR Ink was primarily targeted at enterprise users and professionals in design-related fields. Its main applications included:

Industrial design and product prototyping

Automotive design and visualization

Architectural design and review

3D modeling and sculpture

Concept art and sketching

Engineering visualization

The device was particularly valuable for workflows that required transitioning between 2D sketching and 3D modeling, as it allowed users to start with familiar 2D drawing techniques on a physical surface and then continue developing their designs in 3D space.

Workflow Integration

A key advantage of the VR Ink was its ability to bridge traditional design processes with VR capabilities. The flyingshapes application, for example, developed a specific "virtual tablet" feature for the VR Ink that aligned a two-dimensional drawing surface with a physical desktop or drawing mat, enabling users to seamlessly transition between 2D sketching and 3D modeling.

This integration was reported to significantly reduce production cycles for design projects. According to testimonials, the time required to create full-scale mockups could be reduced from years to months using VR tools like the Logitech VR Ink.

Accessories

VR Ink Drawing Mat

Alongside the stylus itself, Logitech offered an optional VR Ink Drawing Mat for $70. This A1-sized (594mm × 841mm) mat provided a low-friction surface texture specifically designed for optimal tracking performance when using the stylus for 2D drawing on a physical surface. The mat was considered necessary for proper 2D input functionality.

Technical Specifications

Logitech VR Ink Pilot Edition Specifications

Feature	Specification
Tracking	SteamVR Tracking (1.0 and 2.0 compatible)
Connectivity	2.4 GHz wireless, micro-USB
Battery	Rechargeable via USB, 2.5+ hours of use
Dimensions	Length: 207mm; Diameter: 29mm (Tip end) / 32mm (Top end); Height: 39mm (Main button)
Weight	68 grams
Inputs	Pressure-sensitive tip, pressure-sensitive main button, clickable 2D touch strip, dual-sided grip buttons, menu button, system button
Haptics	Yes, integrated
Stylus Tips	POM, interchangeable
Required OS	Windows 10 (64-bit)
Compatible Headsets	HTC Vive, HTC Vive Pro, Valve Index, Varjo

Reception

The Logitech VR Ink received positive impressions from technology reviewers who had the opportunity to test it. The precision and pressure sensitivity of the stylus were particularly praised, with some comparing it favorably to professional drawing tablets like those from Wacom.

Reviewers also noted that the device addressed an important gap in VR input methods, especially for professional users who required more precision than what was offered by standard VR controllers. The familiar pen-like form factor was highlighted as a significant advantage, allowing users to leverage existing drawing skills in VR environments.

However, the high price point of $750 was identified as a potential barrier to widespread adoption, along with the relatively short battery life of 2.5 hours. The device was clearly positioned as an enterprise product rather than a consumer accessory.

Early enterprise evaluators such as Design Partners highlighted the stylus' ability to merge 2-D sketch workflows with room-scale prototyping. According to testimonials, the time required to create full-scale mockups could be reduced from years to months using VR tools like the Logitech VR Ink.

Legacy and Successor

The Logitech VR Ink Pilot Edition represented Logitech's first entry into specialized VR input devices. While it was primarily targeted at a niche enterprise market, it demonstrated the potential for more precise and intuitive input methods in virtual reality beyond the standard controllers.

In June 2024, Logitech announced a successor to the VR Ink called the MX Ink, with availability starting in September 2024, designed specifically for Meta Quest headsets (compatible with Quest 2, Quest 3, and Quest 3S). Unlike the original VR Ink, which required external SteamVR tracking base stations, the MX Ink utilizes the inside-out tracking capabilities of the Quest headsets.

The MX Ink was positioned at a significantly lower price point of $129.99, making it more accessible to a broader range of users. It features several improvements over the original VR Ink:

• Lighter weight: 29 grams (compared to 68 grams)
• Longer battery life: up to 7 hours (compared to 2.5+ hours)
• Wireless connectivity via Bluetooth
• USB-C or pogo-pin charging options with the optional MX Inkwell charging dock and optional MX Mat
• Integration with Meta Quest's settings UI for customization

The MX Ink represented a continuation of Logitech's exploration of stylus input for VR/AR applications, but with deeper platform integration and a more consumer-friendly approach compared to the original VR Ink.

See Also

Virtual Reality

Input Device

SteamVR

Logitech

Stylus

3D Modeling

Logitech MX Ink

Meta Quest