Hands-on with Xencelabs Pen Display 16: a 4K OLED drawing tablet for everyone

I first caught sight of the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 drawing tablet at our Vertex 2024 event where the rep from this Wacom competitor simply couldn't resist showing off an industry first 16-inch 4K OLED aimed squarely at digital artists. It was pushed into my hands, a lightweight, smooth and smart looking display. I really wanted to turn it on and start noodling, but I wasn't allowed to go that far.

Now I have the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 in my home and I've been using it on and off for a number of days, and it's a really lovely tablet for artists that would suite pros and students alike. My full review will be up soon, I want to give it more of a serious test until I put a score to this new release, but first impressions suggest this could be the pen display most artists will desire in 2024.

The Xencelabs Pen Display 16 has been designed with portability in mind, so I can easily hold it one hand (it's not iPad light but you won't struggle to carry this around) or sit on the sofa with it.  At just 12mm slim and weighing 1.21kg this is a pen display you can happily slip into a bag and go from home to office or demo without fear of killing your shoulders.

The model I've been sent for review is the more costly Xencelabs Pen Display 16 Bundle, this includes the pen display, carry bag, slip case, two stylus, spare nibs, WiFi dongle, plugs for every global region, six cables (everything: USB-C, USB-A, HMDI, etc), a protective glove, metal stand and the all-important Quick Key remote - this last gadget is in the 'Bundle' only, so the 'Essentials' package lacks this eight-button and dial controller.

The upshot is, as the brand chooses to do with its excellent Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium, and Xencelabs Pen Display 24, you get everything you could possibly need in the box. It can feel like overkill but when I open the box and see all these gizmos and gadgets, every cable I could need, and even a smart carry case hidden in the base of the box that can fit the display and my MacBook, I'm pleased Xencelabs continues to ensure new users are in need of nothing. (The lack of a protective sleeve was the only gripe I had when I reviewed the excellent XPPen Magic Pad.)

Hooking up the pen display is easy, and a large clear sheet is included to show how the mix of cables can be connected to get started. A QR code connects to the driver for download - only MacOS, Windows and Linux are supported, so for now this can't be used with ChromeOS or Android (unlike some competitor displays).

Connection is as easy as plugging in the USB-C cable and the screen automatically pings on; it's bright and clear, and the etched, smooth surface reduces glare and shine without losing vibrancy. I never really thought I'd want an OLED display for drawing, but the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 has convinced me otherwise.

Often using other drawing pen displays with anti-glare coatings can dampen the colours and brightness, for example with the Ugee UE12 Plus. Not so here, and with the OLED you remove any issues of visual artefacts, such as backlight bleeding and blooming pixels, interfering with your accuracy and enjoyment.

There are some nice design choices too. This pen display uses the power from my laptop so there's no need for a noisy fan, which also reduces the tablet's weight, and the aluminium backing ensures it stays cool as any heat from the OLED is dispersed. It's also not a touchscreen, so gesture controls are missing, but but this feels like a choice on Xencelabs part to match use with price (and many digital artists don't use gestures).

The real eye-catching design idea is the inclusion of large, fat bezels around the edges of the display. While other brands, like Apple, continue to sell thin bezels as a notch on their tech bedposts, Xencecabs has gone in the opposite direction, and for good reason. If you're drawing on a display you want to rest your wrist on the edges, and if accessing menus in the top left or right corners (depending on your handed-ness) you often need to remove your hand from the display and 'hover' outside its edges. Initially I thought this was a marketing pitch but in use it works. Fat bezels? For digital artists at least, this should be welcomed.

I like both pens Xencelabs includes in its bundles, my preferred option is the slimmer Apple Pencil 2-like stylus but many coming from Wacom will love the fatter model (it tapers to a round ridge much like Wacom's Pro Pen). Both Xencelabs stylus have a decent weight to them, and these are the same pens you get in other Xencelabs bundles (so I have a few now). If I have any gripes it's with the button sensitivity, which are a little too easily pushed when in use, and it can take time to get to grips with where these are positioned and avoid random actions.

The idea of offering two styluses comes down to customisation; you can set one up for digital painting and one for 3D, with different actions on the stylus buttons. It's an acknowledgment that many artists nowadays work a mix of apps, including combining 2D and 3D.

The same focus on ease of use and whittling down productivity problems feels like something Xencelabs considers in detail. For example the Quick Keys remote can be tailored to use in different apps, each of its eight buttons and dial can be set for functions in Photoshop, then again in ZBrush, and saved and cycled through in the Xencelabs driver app. In total you can assign 40 shortcuts per app. You will soon be able to download other artists' setups too, and being a very lazy person who gets anxious setting up Netflix preferences, I'm in awe of this coming option.

Finally, I need to mention the inclusion of a stand, called the Mobile Easel, which is a solid metal device that can be set in two angled positions, 18.3 degrees and 32° degrees. My preference is for the lower angle but I know many will like the higher position. Given its rivals sell stands as extras, this is a welcome inclusion. It does add a weight to the pen display, and is something you may not take from home to office or studio.

When I met with Xencelabs recently they did mention a second stand will be released this summer; the Desktop Easel will be a larger stand with a range of tilt and rotation features as well as a VESA mount to attach the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 to articulating arms. I can see this being very popular, both for creating art and for using pen displays as a second screen.

My thoughts? I love the Xencelabs Pen Display 16. The choice of going with an OLED screen is a costly one but once you see it I'm not sure you'll be able to look at other pen displays in the same way. The price is offset by Xencelabs commitment to filling the box with everything you need to get started and keep you drawing. This brand takes the hassle out of getting started in digital art, and I really appreciate it. 

The 16-inch size also means this pen display can easily slip into a backpack alongside your laptop and take your art from home to work, and the plug and play ease means this really does feel stress free - I've been carrying this one around for a week. It won't replace an iPad for outdoor art, but for many this could be the ideal pen display if you're constantly moving from one desktop setup to another.

My full review will be up in the next week, but I think you can guess I kind of love this smartly designed pen display. Xencelabs is a new brand in this market, and has yet to put a foot wrong.

The Xencelabs Pen Display 16 is on sale now. The 'Bundle' is priced £1,199 while the 'Essentials' package (which lacks the Quick Keys remote) costs £969. We've arranged a 15% discount for UK, Ireland and European buyers, just use the code 15OFFXENCELABS at the Xencelanbs' website.