As someone who would eagerly apply three or four screen protectors to their touchscreen devices were it not for the strange looks I’d get, I can’t help but cringe at this new stylus from MSI that also works as a pencil without swapping tips or switching ends. But apparently, MSI promises it won’t scratch or mar your touchscreen displays in any way as you transition back and forth between screen and paper.
If you’ve ever tried to sign your name on a digital document using a mouse or even your finger, you can understand the appeal of using a stylus instead, which offers the same precision as if you were writing with a pen. For those not wanting to carry a uni-tasking stylus like the Apple Pencils, we’ve seen plenty of options that combine them with pens, either through multiple tips that extend and retract as needed or double-ended solutions where you flip the stylus over depending on where you’re using it.
The MSI Pen 2 brings an entirely new idea to multi-tasking stylii. It looks very similar to the Apple Pencils, with a chunky tip that narrows to a fine point, but instead of being made of plastic, the tip is made of graphite: the same ingredient in pencil ‘leads’. You can use the MSI Pen 2 to write on paper just like a pencil, and even erase your marks afterwards, but it can instantly transition to being used on a touchscreen, without leaving marks all over the screen (or any scratches, besides).
The stylus is packing a lot of tech too. It’s compatible with the latest version of the Microsoft Pen Protocol, so it will work optimally with touchscreen machines running Windows, and it includes a tiny motor for haptic feedback to simulate the gentle scratching feel of a pencil on textured paper, even when used on a smooth glass screen. The MSI Pen 2 also boasts 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, can detect the angle of the pen, and includes a swappable non-graphite tip with a finer point, making it an ideal tool for artists needing extra fidelity.
The MSI Pen 2 can also control a mouse cursor even when hovering eight to 10-millimetres above a screen, and promises up to 32 hours of battery life, with recharging handled by a USB-C port on the side so it’s not completely dependent on a specific device for power.