XPPen’s First Creative Editing Console

credits: XPPen

XPPen has announced the XPPen Pilot Pro, making this the company’s first dedicated editing console for photographers and other creative users. XPPen is actually mostly known for its drawing tablets and pen displays, but the Pilot Pro is meant for a different part of the editing workflow. The device is designed around one-handed operation and uses physical controls that can be mapped to different editing software.

The Pilot Pro has 16 customisable buttons, three control dials, and an all-way joystick, along with a built-in linear motor for haptic feedback. XPPen says the console is designed for “eyes-free” use, meaning you should be able to operate it mostly by feel once controls are mapped out. The device supports app-specific profiles and can automatically switch layouts depending on which software is currently open. Out of the box, the Pilot Pro supports programs including Adobe Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut, and Final Cut Pro.

The console connects through either USB-C or Bluetooth 5.4, and XPPen says the built-in battery is rated for up to 15 hours of use on a charge. Weight comes in at around 251 grams and it is available in white only. The controls themselves can be assigned to anything from timeline navigation and clip trimming to image rotation, exposure adjustments, photo rating, tool switching, brush size adjustments, scrolling through edits, etc. The XPPen Pilot Pro is priced at $210.