Xencelabs’ Pen Display 16 Lite is a 4K OLED pen display for $799
Xencelabs has launched the Pen Display 16 Lite, a new edition of its 16-inch 4K OLED pen display for professional 2D and 3D graphics work.
The Lite edition lacks the accompanying Quick Keys unit, power adapter, stand and carrying case of the original Pen Display 16 Bundle, reducing the price to $799.
| Xencelabs pen displays | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pen Display 16 Lite | Pen Display 16 Bundle | Pen Display 24 and Pen Display 24+ |
|
| Screen size | 15.6 in | 15.6 in | 23.8 in |
| Dimensions | 16.1 x 10.2 x 0.5 in (410 x 259 x 12 mm) |
16.1 x 10.2 x 0.5 in (410 x 259 x 12 mm) |
24.4 x 15.3 x 1.4 in (619 x 388 x 35 mm) |
| Weight | 2.7 lbs (1.2 kg) | 2.7 lbs (1.2 kg) | 13.3 lbs (6.0 kg) |
| Panel type | OLED | OLED | IPS |
| Resolution | 4K Ultra HD (3,840 x 2,160) |
4K Ultra HD (3,840 x 2,160) |
4K Ultra HD (3,840 x 2,160) |
| Active area | 13.6 x 7.6 in (344 x 194 mm) |
13.6 x 7.6 in (344 x 194 mm) |
20.8 x 11.7 in (527 × 296 mm) |
| Colour gamut | 98% Adobe RGB 99% sRGB 98% P3-D65 99% Rec. 709 |
98% Adobe RGB 99% sRGB 98% P3-D65 99% Rec. 709 |
99% Adobe RGB 99% sRGB 93% DCI-P3 99% Rec. 709 |
| Viewing angle | 170° | 170° | 178° |
| Brightness | 170 cd/m2 (300 cd/m2 with Xencelabs Hub) |
300 cd/m2 | 330 cd/m2 |
| Contrast ratio | 100,000:1 | 100,000:1 | 1,000:1 |
| Pen pressure levels | 8,192 | 8,192 | 8,192 |
| Multi-touch? | No | No | No |
| Programmable keys | None (8 on Quick Keys: supports up to 5 sets) |
8 (On Quick Keys: supports up to 5 sets) |
8 (On Quick Keys: supports up to 5 sets) |
| Includes stand? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Operating systems | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Launch date | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 (Pen Display 24) 2025 (Pen Display 24+) |
| Launch price | $799 | $1,249 | $1,899 |
Key specifications and price
On its release last year, Xencelabs pitched the Pen Display 16 as an “industry-first” 16-inch 4K OLED display.
It featured the same 4K Ultra HD resolution as its 24-inch sibling, the Pen Display 24, but its OLED panel gave it a much higher contrast ratio, with deeper blacks and more saturated colors.
Xencelabs targets it at professional CG work, both 2D and 3D: the list of suggested software on the product website includes Blender and Adobe, Autodesk, Foundry and Maxon’s 3D tools.
New Pen Display 16 Lite is a stripped-down product bundle for $799
The display was previously available in two editions, the original $1,249 Pen Display 16 Bundle, and the $999 Pen Display 16 Essentials.
The extra cost of the Bundle comes from the extras it includes: Xencelabs’ Quick Keys unit, Mobile Easel stand, and Hub Bundle – a power adapter and set of cables that increases the brightness of the display from 170 cd/m2 to 300 cd/m2.
The new Pen Display 16 Lite goes further, also removing the carrying case for a further $200 reduction in price.
You can see a comparison of the accompanying content in the Pen Display 16 Bundle – which is still available – and the Pen Display 16 Lite in this comparison table.
Priced competitively relative to other manufacturers’ pen displays
The Pen Display 16 Lite’s $799 price point brings it in below the MSRP of the equivalent 16-inch professional display from a traditionally lower-priced competitor: XP-Pen’s Artist Ultra 16.
Like the Pen Display 16 Lite, the Artist Ultra 16 has a 4K OLED panel, but also supports multi-touch, and comes with a shortcut keys peripheral and power adapter.
The Pen Display 16 Lite’s price also comes close to that of Wacom’s new Cintiq 16 pen display, which features a lower-resolution, lower-contrast 2.5K IPS panel.
Price and system requirements
Xencelabs’ Pen Display 16 Lite costs $799. Its drivers are compatible with Windows 7+, Linux (supported distros include CentOS, Rocky Linux and Ubuntu) and macOS 10.13+
Read more about the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 Lite on the product website
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