iPad and Apple Pencil
Deus XT runs on any iPad with iPadOS 18 or later and an Apple Pencil that has pressure: 1st generation, 2nd generation or Pro. We build it and test it with Apple Pencil Pro.
| iPad | Pencil | Status |
|---|---|---|
| iPad Pro 13″ (M5) | Apple Pencil Pro | Tested |
| iPad Pro 11″ (M5) | Apple Pencil Pro | Not yet tested |
| iPad Pro 11″ and 13″ (M4) | Apple Pencil Pro | Not yet tested |
| iPad Air 11″ and 13″ (M2 and later) | Apple Pencil Pro | Not yet tested |
| iPad mini (A17 Pro) | Apple Pencil Pro | Not yet tested |
| iPad Pro 11″ (1st–4th generation), iPad Pro 12.9″ (3rd–6th generation), iPad Air (4th and 5th generation), iPad mini (6th generation) | Apple Pencil (2nd generation) | Not yet tested |
| iPad (7th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad mini (5th generation) | Apple Pencil (1st generation) | Not yet tested |
Squeeze and barrel roll need Apple Pencil Pro. Hover needs Apple Pencil Pro, or Apple Pencil (2nd generation) on an iPad Pro with M2. Apple Pencil (1st generation) has pressure and tilt but no hover. Styluses without pressure, such as Apple Pencil (USB-C) and most third-party pens, cannot draw with pressure in your apps.
Computers
The free companion runs on Macs with Apple silicon, on Windows and on Linux.
| Mac | macOS | Status |
|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air (M2) | macOS 26 | Tested |
| Other Apple silicon Macs | macOS 15 or later | Not yet tested |
| Intel Macs | – | Not supported |
| Windows PCs | Windows 10 or 11 | Not yet tested |
| Linux computers | – | Not yet tested |
Drawing apps
What "tested" means here: pressure changes the stroke, hovering moves the pointer without painting, tilt reaches tilt-aware brushes, modifier keys work alongside the Pencil, and nothing stays stuck after the connection drops.
| App | Pressure | Hover | Tilt | Modifiers | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Photoshop 2026 (27.10) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Tested |
| Krita | Yes | Not yet checked | Not yet checked | Not yet checked | Partly tested |
| Adobe Illustrator | – | – | – | – | Not yet tested |
Photoshop was tested on 24 and 25 September 2026 with an iPad Pro 13″ (M5), Apple Pencil Pro and a MacBook Air (M2) on macOS 26, including dropping Wi-Fi and force-quitting the Mac companion in the middle of a stroke: nothing stayed pressed. Krita was checked for pressure on 25 September 2026; see the demonstration. Long drawing sessions are still being tested.
Connections
| Connection | Tablet mode | Display mode |
|---|---|---|
| USB-C cable | Tested | Partly tested |
| Wi-Fi, same network | Tested | Not yet tested |
We publish no speed figures until they are measured. Until then, the app and this site describe the link in words.
Using Deus XT with something not listed? Tell us how it went.