Wacom Cintiq and Apple’s new M1 Computers
Posted by Phil Baker on
Want the brand new 2020 M1 (Arm Chip) MacBook Pro, Air, or Mac Mini? Struggling to decide whether it’s right for you and your Wacom Cintiq workflow? While there is plenty of information regarding the performance of the new M1 machines by Apple. There is not much information regarding the compatibility with various software and hardware. Many are starting to roll out updates to support the M1 machines while others are taking a bit longer. Make sure to check the appropriate hardware vendors' website for important info on whether the M1 Arm chip is supported.
As for Wacom, they have stated they will be releasing the next driver (version 6.3.42) to fully support the M1 chips sometime early February. While they do seem to work on the current driver (6.3.41). There are a few things worth noting that keep this from being an optimal version for your Wacom Cintiq and New M1 machine.
Pen, Touch, Express Keys, and input functionality currently works on a M1 machine. But unfortunately does not support any display change settings. This includes and is not limited to; Brightness, Color Settings, Gamut, and advanced display settings. It is also worth noting that because of this, it’s possible that any kind of color calibration might also be affected.
It's always ideal to do some research on compatibility when it comes to how both software and hardware are operating on the current Apple OS (Big Sur). They are very powerful machines and many users have posted very impressive benchmark tests.
Due to the inability to change display settings, you may want to hold off until the new driver is ready and released by Wacom. Big things are soon to come with the bridge of the creative world and Apple M1 machines. Stay tuned!