Wacom has introduced a new line of Cintiq tablets that aim to lower the cost for digital artists. The Cintiq 24 offers all the space of more expensive devices, 2.5k resolution, and the Pro Pen 3 to get illustrators working. However, much like the Movink, changes to overall design and a lack of accessories out of the box will leave those who pick this tablet frustrated.
Wacom has been the industry standard for decades when it comes to digital art technology. The Cintiq 24 is exactly the type of tablet I used to spend hours looking at on the Wacom website in college, aware that I would never be able to afford one. Even decades later, I’ve never owned a premium Cintiq, and was very excited when offered the opportunity to try this new model on loan.
While the Cintiq 24 offers all the build quality I have come to know of Wacom products, I ran into a few road bumps that surprised me. While the base price of $1299.95 is nowhere near as expensive as the Pro line of Cintiq, it’s still a good deal of money to put down, and I found I’d need to spend quite a bit more on accessories to truly make this monitor function.
Key Details
- Developer: Wacom
- Size: 23.8″
- Resolution: 2.5k WQHD
- Touch Controls: No
- Built-in Stand: Yes
- Pressure Levels: 8192
- Out of the Box Connection: USB-C
- Price: $1299.95
- Review Unit Provided: On Loan
The Specs Are Solid
Despite the high price range for the Wacom Cintiq 24, artists won’t find a 4k or OLED screen with this drawing monitor. Instead, you will get a 2560 x 1440 WQHD resolution without touch. The screen feels nice, fitted with an anti-glare coating that offers minimal glare and reflection while also providing grip via the etched texture for the Pro Pen 3.
The 23.8″ active drawing area is breathtaking, especially when first booted up. The minimal border around the outside of the tablet really accentuates the two feet of drawing space artists will be working with.
Additionally, the Wacom Cintiq 24 comes with a built-in adjustable stand that makes setting up on most surfaces painless. I enjoyed the second setting best, as it mimics a studio drawing board and creates a comfortable surface. Drawing flat on this tablet felt cumbersome and awkward, but it likely works better on the slightly smaller option of this line.
Frustrations At Unboxing
I ran into a few problems right out of the box when setting up the Cintiq 24. Like with the Movink, Wacom has moved away from providing a helpful range of accessories in each box. There are no extras, no flare, and no added details to this unboxing. Inside, artists will find the monitor, the Pro Pen 3 with a weight and button plate attachment, a snap-on pen holder with a few extra nibs, a single USB-C cable, and the power cable.
Unfortunately, if you are like me and do not have a USB-C option for your video card in your PC, you will have to purchase an additional cable to hook up to a tower. I was able to use my older laptop, but this wasn’t ideal.
Additionally, this tablet offers no buttons on the interface for control while drawing. This leaves artists with the three programmable buttons on the Pro Pen 3 and nothing else. I was particularly frustrated with this, as it feels like a move to make the purchase of a Bluetooth remote a requirement. While other brands like Huion and XPPen include a remote with their premium models, Wacom does not. The Bluetooth remotes aren’t cheap, with the Express Key starting at $119.95.
Add this to the HDMI to Mini HDMI cable at $24.95 and extra nibs, as the tablet only comes with two, and artists are looking at an additional $200 or more to have the basic necessities to create a reasonable workflow. At this price point, some of these options should be included, as it feels unfair to the person purchasing a premium product not to have all the basic tools in the box to make the monitor function. Especially as Wacom used to include these items, and most other industry brands still do.
The Drawing Experience is Exactly What I Expected
Wacom has always provided a predictable and stable drawing experience with its monitors. For a mid-range Cintiq, the Wacom Cintiq 24 delivers a clean, crisp, stable drawing experience. The device lights nicely from the back, offers a clear picture with no stuttering or lagging, and the surface feels very good to draw on.
I didn’t notice any pixelation while creating linework, allowing me to focus on illustrating with minimal fuss. I will say, nothing about this tablet was startling. It is exactly what you would expect from a no-touch monitor at this resolution. It’s not shockingly pretty, the color isn’t particularly saturated, and it doesn’t have the edge of a 4k display.
The Pro Pen 3 is an interesting stylus. I didn’t particularly like it due to how narrow it is. I found myself gripping it quite hard and regularly hit the hot key buttons while shifting it for a better hold.
I also noticed a bit of a gap between the stylus nib, the screen, and my drawing. This is something I haven’t had an issue with in other modern tablets, and was surprised to see it with the Cintiq 24. I reset the stylus in the Wacom Center, ensuring that it was calibrated as closely as possible, but I continued to have this issue, which causes lines to not quite go where I was drawing them.
Despite this, the Cintiq 24 offers plenty of space for big projects, a clear screen, and easy use. Artists can get drawing within minutes of setting up the monitor, and that ease-of-use is very nice.
Final Score – 7/10
If you are looking for a big Wacom tablet for under the 2k mark, the Wacom Cintiq 24 isn’t a bad choice. You get everything expected of the brand as far as quality and performance, even if there are missing accessories that would be helpful or even necessary for workflow.
However, for the price, there are a wide variety of other tablets of a similar size that offer many different specs, including 4k resolution, included accessories, or improved refresh rates. This is a difficult price range, especially with the increase in competition over the past decade and it doesn’t feel like it quite meets the other brands.
If you are a die-hard Wacom fan looking for a size upgrade or replacement, this is definitely a solid option, but those looking for specific specs may want to shop around a bit before committing to a device that will potentially require multiple additional accessories to be used at it’s best capacity.
**Bonus Action was provided a loaned evaluation unit of the Wacom Cintiq 24 for the purpose of this review**
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