By Brady Betzel

Wacom has released the latest update to its impressive line of digital pen displays: the Wacom Cintiq Pro 27. It’s a 27-inch version of the Cintiq line of pen-based drawing tablets used by animators, editors, colorists and more. The newest 27-inch Cintiq is the most utilitarian version of the pen-based tablet that I have seen. From the UHD (3840×2160) resolution to the 10-bit color and even the 120Hz refresh rate, Wacom has upped the performance of the Cintiq line — and I hope Wacom will add these updates to other versions at some point. The Cintiq Pro 27 retails for $3,499.95, with the stand sold separately for $499.95.

So here is the thing: According to Wacom, the Cintiq 27 will not work without a stand, so you have to buy theirs or someone else’s to make it work. For the price of $499.95, I assume the Wacom stand is of high quality, but I have not had a chance to use it. If you don’t want to purchase the Wacom stand, the Cintiq Pro 27 is compatible with a Vesa 100×100 mounting arm, so you can get a stand from a third party.

The Cintiq Pro 27 comes with the display, the newly updated Wacom Pro Pen 3 with extra grips and balance weights, a detachable pen holder, nibs and a bunch of cables. You must connect the Cintiq Pro 27 through either USB-C (DisplayPort Alternate Mode), USB-C, USB-A, HDMI or Mini DisplayPort. Graphics input must come through either USB-C (DisplayPort Alternate Mode), HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 1.4 and USB-A. In any scenario, you must have at least two connections.

The Wacom Cintiq line of pen displays has always been a staple for editors, colorists and motion-graphics designers.  However, in recent years Wacom had fallen behind because of the lack of resolution and color display options. With the Cintiq Pro 27, Wacom has not only increased the tablet’s refresh rate to 120Hz for video game and Unreal Engine users, but it has also upped the resolution to UHD (3840×2160) to align with the video crowd.

In terms of physical updates, the Cintiq Pro 27 includes multi-touch customization and three buttons on the new Wacom Pro Pen 3. There is no more eraser on the Wacom pen. Some people might boo that, but I personally enjoy having three buttons on the pen instead of having to flip the pen over to erase. But I do understand that some might like the physical turning of the pen like a true-to-life drawing instrument.

One of the biggest updates to the Wacom Pro Pen 3 is the ability to shift the weight in the pen from the bottom to the top by reversing the included pen weight. I am really excited to try this. I love Wacom pens generally, but I never could understand the skinny pens because they were so light to me. I personally love a hefty pen, but to each his/her own. The eight ExpressKeys are located on the rear of the display, with rear-grip accessibility and a physical on-off switch.

In the end, the Cintiq Pro 27 pen display appears to be a worthwhile upgrade to the Cintiq line if 120Hz, UHD resolution and/or DCI-P3 color accuracy are up your alley. If you buy Wacom’s stand along with the Cintiq Pro 27 you are looking at a hefty price of almost $4,000. Not for those of us on a budget.

I am also surprised that Wacom promotes HDR PQ/HLG gamma support in its specs when the brightness can only reach 400 nits. While 400 nits is great, the real HDR support is way higher, more like 1,000 nits. Having 400 nits is still workable, but I would really like to see higher nits in an HDR-compatible pen display.

Finally, forcing the buyer to use a stand (whether Wacom or not) is a little crazy. It borders on Apple’s $999 Pro Stand for its monitors. It comes with a one-year warranty in Japan and Asia Pacific (excluding Australia, mainland China and Hong Kong S.A.R.), a two- year warranty in the US, Canada, Latin America, Mainland China and Hong Kong SAR. There’s a three-year warranty in Europe, Africa and Middle East, with on-site exchange in select regions.

Brady Betzel is an Emmy-nominated online editor at Margarita Mix in Hollywood, working on shows like Life Below Zero and Uninterrupted: The Shop . He is also a member of the Producers Guild of America. You can email Brady at bradybetzel@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @allbetzroff.