Microsoft details which apps will support the Surface Dial at launch

By Brad Jones Published October 31, 2016

surface dial teardown — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Last week, Microsoft announced the Surface Dial, a new input peripheral intended to supplement the capabilities of the ever-expanding Surface line. Now, Microsoft has offered up some new information on how the Dial will operate, as well as the first apps to support the product at launch.

As expected, many of Microsoft’s own software offerings will be among the first apps to take advantage of the Dial’s functionality. The Windows operating system, the Universal Windows Platform version of OneNote, Groove Music, Microsoft Photos, Windows Maps, PewPew Shooter, and the Win32 versions of Office, PowerPoint, and Excel are all ready for day one, according to a report from MS Power User.

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Sketching and drawing apps make up another large sector of the apps that will be compatible with the Dial at launch. As well as Microsoft’s Paint, Plumbago, and Sketchpad apps, Mental Canvas Player and Sketchable are both set to support Dial functionality.

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Beyond that, there’s the Moho 12 animation suite, PDF creation tools Revu and Drawboard PDF, and music notation app StaffPad. Music streaming service Spotify has also pledged release day support for the Dial.

The peripheral will reportedly have quite some range of functionality. While its primary implementation seems to be pressing and holding the body of the puck to display a menu, users can rotate the Dial, use it as a switch and receive tactile feedback. When the device is being used in tandem with the Surface Studio, it can even report its position on the screen.

The Surface Dial is compatible with Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, and Surface Studio devices that are running the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. Pre-orders are open now ahead of the peripheral’s November 10 release, when it will hit retail at a price point of $100.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…

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