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Tablet Purchase Guide for osu!

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DeadLock212
I used an Intuos small as my first Tablet and it was great. however i didn't get a Warranty so im gonna get a bamboo too replace it :)
Zard0Z
I was thinking of either getting a Bamboo Connect, or a Huion 420. Do you think either of these are a good option? I'm mostly worrying about latency and hover height. My Wacom 490 has a lot of latency, and I was looking for something better. I wanted to get a Wacom 480, but I couldn't find a safe place to buy it under $100. If you think any other tablets would be good, I'm also up for that.
dorsalplum
Thanks for the tips and info The post qas neat and very easy to read ;) 8-)
Mugi Brows
I'm stuck in 2017 trying to find a tablet, any recs? I Tried looking for the Huion 420 and the Wacom CTL471-480 but there arn't any local ones.
FlipSide82
how much one cost??
FlipSide82
oops XD
Bloodsaint
Is there another site where the guide is up? I've been a longtime osu player and I've been thinking about buying a tablet.
Edit: I've been playing with a mouse (no mousepad) and I was thinking about switching it up
jxydenyexe
Huion 420 all the way, it's cheap and pretty much all you need. Even if you find out you suck at tablet, it doesn't matter because it's only 20-25 dollars.
Councils_old
I personally use the newer intuos tablet I forget the exact model, I used it for drawing originally but I've pretty much stuck to making it my Osu! Tablet because I got a Cintiq or whatever and my friend uses his Cintiq for Osu! As well as he is less serious about Osu! Compared to graphic design but it's a cheap tablet about 50$ on Amazon so I recommend it for sure I haven't had a single issue with my Intous other than the disc the drivers comes with is bunk and you'll have To say screw the drivers they give you on install and grab them off of the archive of drivers because the ones the give you are out of date for the newer Intuos and then you can't use your tablet at all haha
SpookyStan

kly1222 wrote:

Huion 420 all the way, it's cheap and pretty much all you need. Even if you find out you suck at tablet, it doesn't matter because it's only 20-25 dollars.
H420 All you need? Man, I can't go back to H420, not only the pen is too heavy and it has batteries which results in a higher center of mass which will make it more difficult for your hans to control it, it's also really easy to break it. The surface is also pretty bad if you're hovering as it will work like a sandpaper. There is almost little to no place to put your hand on it, as after 3-4h of playing it will start to hurt (the tablet itselelf is too small). I would highly recommend purchasing a tablet from ugee/wacom if you're trying to get to top1000/100/whatever your goal is - of course all of that is only my opinion :)
Voaxas
I see a lot of replies on H420 being a good tablet to start with but I was wondering if anyone has had experience with both the H420 and the Xp-Pen G430 and was hoping to see any noticeable differences so that I can lean towards buying one over the other.
DooM
Is this one a good tablet? i want the best out there price/quality so is this one good enough?

https://www.amazon.it/Wacom-CTH-490AB-S ... ntuos&th=1
Endaris
The 490 is generally not as desirable for playing osu! compared to older models as the hover range for that model is significantly lower compared to older models (480 and before).
If you know that you will drag with your pen on the tablet it is okay though.
The Draw model would be cheaper than the Art one if you don't plan on drawing with it. Aside from that I can recommend you to check the official Wacom site on a regular basis as they are offering refurbished presentation models for 50% of the original price there (if you want a 490 that is).
refunds
im not so sure that helped
PereRisitas
Hey, I’m actually looking for a good n cheap tablet. What would be the best choice considering that I would drag if i had one?
fongtastic
what is the difference between wacom intuos 480 manga and creative and which one should i get
MrBaconn
What to buy first? a keyboard or a tablet? just in your opinion guys.
fongtastic

MrBaconn wrote:

What to buy first? a keyboard or a tablet? just in your opinion guys.
i would say keyboard and use a mouse first
maciejka002
Where can I find an "osu!tablet v2 (2016)" replacement pen? Or atleast something similar. You can't find them anymore in Osu! shop. ( my last pen broke ~_~)
Dinofam
just a small intuos is good
HiMomItsMe
is a wacom intuos s black good?
dellar68
Im wondering to buy wacom's one
xBuneZ
Thanks!!!!
NotIPlayForFun

ShangMing wrote:

Zelmarked wrote:

I can't reason buying a peripheral at that price to do better for one application. I have no interest in pursuing digital art. I'd buy a joystick so I can have better control in the multitude of games involving flying; makes sense. But I can't see any application of a tablet outside of Osu!. No offense to those more dedicated to the game.

Good guide. Very thorough.
I can't reason buying a hockey stick at their prices to do better at that one sport. I can't reason buying a pair of running shoes at that price just to do better at running. etc. etc.

Maybe once you stop being a noob or closed minded, you wouldn't make such idiotic comments. Also, when you say "no offense", that pretty much says that you know that your comment was going to be offensive.

hahaha imagine being offended on behalf of a company hahaha good one chap
PereRisitas

NotIPlayForFun wrote:

ShangMing wrote:

Zelmarked wrote:

I can't reason buying a peripheral at that price to do better for one application. I have no interest in pursuing digital art. I'd buy a joystick so I can have better control in the multitude of games involving flying; makes sense. But I can't see any application of a tablet outside of Osu!. No offense to those more dedicated to the game.

Good guide. Very thorough.
I can't reason buying a hockey stick at their prices to do better at that one sport. I can't reason buying a pair of running shoes at that price just to do better at running. etc. etc.

Maybe once you stop being a noob or closed minded, you wouldn't make such idiotic comments. Also, when you say "no offense", that pretty much says that you know that your comment was going to be offensive.

hahaha imagine being offended on behalf of a company hahaha good one chap
Imagine reviving a dead thread to say this + if you're on this thread it's clearly because you're considering buying a tablet so..
mine_old_2
I suggest the WACOM 480 or the GAOMON S620. I have both, and they're both amazing.
Esutarosa

mine wrote:

I suggest the WACOM 480 or the GAOMON S620. I have both, and they're both amazing.
If I am not mistaken, that is, Wacom CTL-480, CTL-480S-N and Wacom CTH-480. I think it's different. Or I'm wrong?
- Isla -
I use a gaomon s620 >w<
I would recommend it if you're looking to buy a tablet, as it's a fair price and works exactly as expected. The drivers are slightly difficult to understand but thats it.
Arm

Esutarosa wrote:

mine wrote:

I suggest the WACOM 480 or the GAOMON S620. I have both, and they're both amazing.
If I am not mistaken, that is, Wacom CTL-480, CTL-480S-N and Wacom CTH-480. I think it's different. Or I'm wrong?
For osu, there is absolutely no difference
ayyub_aaf

Daru wrote:

Moved over to wiki wiki/Tablet_purchase //Marcin
SPOILER
Introduction

If you've been playing osu! and chatting with other players, you're bound to hear about so-called "tablets", and their effects on gameplay in osu!. Tablets are pads that operate with a stylus that connect to your computer. As you hover the pen around above the pad, the mouse cursor moves with the pen, and tapping the pen clicks the mouse. You can think of a tablet for osu! in the same way as you think of an arcade stick for fighting games - not necessary, but some players prefer it.

Their original purpose is to allow a greater degree of control in digital art applications, allowing the user to draw or paint on the computer as if they were using a pencil or paintbrush. The biggest difference that a tablet has over a mouse is that it features absolute tracking. This means that every point on the tablet corresponds to a particular point on the screen. If you lift the pen outside of the sensitive range, then put it down on another part of the tablet, the cursor will "jump" to that location. This is opposed to mice, which rely on relative tracking.

The biggest selling point of tablets for osu! is this absolute tracking - every other parameter such as pressure levels, tilt sensitivity, barrel rotation, etc. will have no effect on your osu! gameplay. These features are for digital art, where the tablet can sense things such as pressure you're applying, and make a darker pencil mark, for example. The only specification which may affect your osu! gameplay is "lpi", or "lines per inch". This is essentially the "resolution" of the tablet surface, or how little you have to move for the tablet to detect it. If a tablet has 100 lpi, then you have to move at least 1/100th of an inch for it to register movement. However, even the lowest lpi should be far higher than any monitor that you're likely to play on, so higher numbers have a mostly unnoticeable effect on gameplay.


In short: Tablets are an optional device to let you play the game in a different way. They were originally intended for digital art, but happen to work very well with osu!, and most specifications will make no difference in osu!.



Types of Tablets

Wacom is the "brand name" of tablets - tablets are all they make, and they're widely accepted (by artists) as producing the best quality, most reliable tablets. I recommend buying from Wacom because of their reputation as producing high-quality products as a leader in the tablet world. They produce three main lines:

Cintiq - "Draw directly on the screen" tablets, these are used in very high-end professional applications, and cost a pretty penny.
Intuos - The Professional line of tablets, these have features above and beyond the Bamboo line, but lack a screen.
Bamboo - The general consumer line of tablets, these come cheap with all the features you need to get started as a hobbyist.

There are other lines, such as the Graphire or Volito tablets, but these names have been discontinued, replaced by the above lines.

For osu!, you are very unlikely to need a Cintiq or Intuos - these two lines cater to professional in graphic design and illustration, and cost much more than the tablets in the Bamboo line. They feature increased pressure sensitivity, more bundled graphics software, and advanced features such as barrel rotation or tilt sensitivity. These mean nothing in osu!, so only buy one of these if you're planning on using your tablet for serious graphic design work outside of osu!.

At the time of writing there are three versions of the Bamboo, all confusingly under the same "Bamboo" moniker (The Intuos lines are distinguished by number - Intuos5 is the latest at the time of writing). I would recommend either buying the second or third generation Bamboos - the first generation Bamboo tablets had the extra buttons on the top of the tablet rather than the side, which makes them awkward for use in osu!.

[spoilerboxx]First generation Bamboo (Pen and Touch, Touch, and Fun - Bamboo Fun shown)


Second generation Bamboo (Pen and Touch, Pen, Touch, Fun, and Craft - Bamboo Pen and Touch shown)


Third generation Bamboo (Connect, Capture, Create - Connect shown)
[/spoilerboxx]

You'll want to stay away from either of the Bamboo Touch tablets - they do not feature pen input, they're just multitouch trackpads for your computer. Frankly, Apple did it better.

The other Bamboo models come in two sizes - basically small and large. For the second generation, Bamboo Touch, Pen, and Pen and Touch were the "small" ones, whereas the Fun and Craft were the "large" ones. For the third generation, the Connect and Capture are the "small", whereas the Create is the "large". For osu!, you'll probably be looking at getting one of the "small" sized tablets because it's a common strategy to reduce play area so that you don't have to move your arm when you play. However, it's personal preference as to whether or not you want a larger tablet area, and it's especially worth considering the "large" size if you are also into digital art; drawing is much more comfortable on a larger tablet.

So, here are my recommend options -
Second Generation - Bamboo Pen for small size, Bamboo Fun for large size.
Third Generation - Bamboo Connect for small size , Bamboo Create for large size.

At the time of writing, the "Small" sized tablets hover around $70, and the "Large" size Bamboos hover at around $170.
Of course, these prices will change slightly day to day on Amazon - the Wacom site has the Bamboo Connect listed at $79 and the Bamboo Create at $199.

Here's some links to purchase the latest models from Amazon. If you buy using these links, you will be helping support osu! :).
Wacom Bamboo Splash Pen Tablet ($66.99)
Wacom Bamboo Capture Pen and Touch Tablet ($89.99)

Lastly, Intuos3 tablets can be had for very cheap on second-hand sites like eBay or Craigslist, and are definitely worth checking out if you're also going to be doing digital art as well. For osu!, however, the differences between the Intuos and Bamboo lines are negligible - the only real difference is that the Intuos lines have a much wider range of sizes than is available for Bamboo. I personally use a 9x12" Intuos3 for my art, and it still works like new after more than 4 years now.

In Short: Wacom's the recommend brand. Cintiq and Intuos tablets are too expensive and give no real advantage over Bamboo for osu!. See the recommend options above for the recommend models. Also try your luck at a used Intuos3 if you're also into art.



In Conclusion:

I hope this guide has cleared up some questions you may have about those tablets you've heard about and want to buy. These are only suggestions, however - there are certainly other brands out there that are cheaper than Wacom's tablets, but having tried tablets like the Mousepen, I would definitely say that you get what you pay for in terms of quality. Also, if you notice any mistakes in anything I've said here, or have anything to add, please say so in the comments.

I'll try to update this guide as new models come out to reflect changes in recommendations.

Good luck!
2020 update pls :)
MICEK
A good choice may be a graphic tablet from xp. They have few models in very good price. I think they are like 40-50$ and you don't get some cheap Chinese not working device. Remember to download normal drivers not osu ones(it works better with normal)
QuarioX
I'm back after 6~ years of break to osu! and I'm thinking about getting new tablet, since my old bamboo ctl-470 is kinda dying. Is anyone using Wacom Intuos Pen S CTL-4100? It's probably the cheapest available in my shop one.
I've heard cth480 is the most used right now, so I wonder how ctl-4100 is doing in comparison?


There is also Ctl-472N, which is even cheaper.
castin
This really needs to be updated. It's basically useless at this point.
RockRoller

CrispySquirrel wrote:

This really needs to be updated. It's basically useless at this point.
Anybody can go and submit an updated version to the wiki, someone just has to do it.
Anaxii
Actually what's the worst osu tablet to play with? I wanna try and have the worst experience ever with this trash

(Also sorry for necroposting a pinned thread)
My Angel Anaxii

I AM VERY SMART wrote:

Actually what's the worst osu tablet to play with? I wanna try and have the worst experience ever with this trash

(Also sorry for necroposting a pinned thread)
hmm good question but i dont think theres a bad one
Anaxii

Aireunaeus wrote:

I AM VERY SMART wrote:

Actually what's the worst osu tablet to play with? I wanna try and have the worst experience ever with this trash

(Also sorry for necroposting a pinned thread)
hmm good question but i dont think theres a bad one
Just bought the CTL-472... I accidentally bought the best tablet I could have had lol
DM FOR MUTUAL
Why is this still pinned/not updated? It's incredibly outdated. The osu wiki article could really use an update as well.

Edit: Actually, I wanna try whipping something up, give me a few days. Now that I think about it, it might be better to try making a complete guide to playing with tablet.
TheWMGoverment
A good option if you buy a tablet is to install the drivers and test different areas
Offdensen
I do want to say that I've been through at least 3-4 tablets.
I also don't know if this was said or not but if you plan on using a fancy expensive drawing tablet with screen after using one that you just use like a mouse (?) EXPECT A BIG CHANGE.
You'll have to relearn how to play the game ENTIRELY.
and switching back is the hardest part.
I just wanted to say that if no one has done that yet already.
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