Microsoft puts the spotlight on apps with Surface Dial support

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
published

Since Microsoft first announced its unique Surface Dial accessory alongside the Surface Studio last fall, full support has been limited to a relatively small pool of apps. Now, just a day ahead of the Windows 10 Creators Update's full release, Microsoft has taken to a new blog post to highlight a handful of apps that support the Surface Dial, including a couple of new additions.

The two newbies to the lineup include Algoriddim's djay Pro — which we've already highlighted — and CorelDRAW. Both leverage the Surface Dial in unique ways, with djay Pro in particular allowing for the input accessory to control scratching, scrubbing, fine-tune knob adjustments and much more. CorelDRAW, meanwhile, uses the Surface Dial to give you quick access to the tools needed to speed up your design workflow.

Microsoft also took a moment to highlight some other popular apps that have added support for the accessory since launch, including Sketchable (opens in new tab) and AutoDesk Sketchbook (opens in new tab). Adobe's Premiere Pro CC is also gearing up to add support for Surface Dial for "shuttling through clips and sequences with precision frame selection and immediate stop and start of playback" and more.

Those are only a small sampling of some of the apps that support the Surface Dial, but they show off some of the unique interactions app developers can implement. It will definitely be interesting to see what other ways developers might tap into the Dial's capabilities as support continues to roll out.

See at the Microsoft Store (opens in new tab)

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. 

19 Comments
  • Any truth to the rumors that the next version will be able to spin both ways?
  • It doesn't spin, it's haptic.
  • It does turn.
  • Has MS added on screen dial support to the SP4?
  • Probably not in plans or low priority (I think sensors are capable to detect it) since hand with SD will take half of the screen and kick stand isn't that durable as SS
  • Support for CorelDRAW! That is great to hear.
  • I use the Dial with Corel Painter on SP4. Works good after some settings tweaks. There's a paint app better suited to Surface Pro called "Leonardo" but does not support Dial yet. Dev says he will work on it once he has access to the Dial.
  • If only Adobe would come out with functionaliy for Lightroom, so my wife could actually get some benefit from the Dial on our Studio for her photography business.
  • I think the store link is broken
  • I'm not buying one until Pong is updated to support it.
  • For those interested, the music app I develop supports the Dial, too. It basically allow playing sections of a music or video file back and forth for easier transcription.
  • what is your music app called? is it in the store or is there another way to give it a try?
  • @Kirsh1793: The app is called "Chronotron Speed Changer" and it's available for PC/tablets (there's also a link to it in my comment above)
  • Ah thank you! I found it. :)
  • Hope you'll find it useful. It's more of a productivity app for musicians than a general-purpose media player, but can be used as both.
  • Something missing in the article title... It should be ending by, "... with Dial support in the USA only!". No point showing off a technology that nobody (but the US) can buy!
  • Indeed. To add Dial support to my app I had to get someone to ship me a unit from the US to Europe, then paid customs and VAT on arrival. Not every app developer will go through all the hassle just to support US users.
  • I would be nice if this could be incorprated into PC games. Maybe it could be used as a control for the zoom on a sniper rifle or to call in air support.
  • I use AnimeSutdio Debut and it works with it. Definitely support it.