XP-Pen Artist Pro 27 Gen 2 Review: 27 Inch 4K Drawing Display Tested

When XP-Pen invited me to try out the Artist Pro 27 Gen 2 drawing display, I was genuinely excited to see what it could do. With so many artists sharing their work online and digital illustration and animation becoming increasingly accessible at home, the chance to experiment with a large digital canvas like this was hard to resist. Once it arrived, it did not take long before I had it set up and was experimenting.

 

tl;dr

The XP-Pen Artist Pro 27 Gen 2 is a high-end 27 inch 4K drawing display tailored for professional digital artists and animators. Key highlights include an impressive 16,384 levels of pressure sensitivity, a Super AG etched glass surface for a natural “pen-on-paper” feel, and exceptional colour accuracy (99% Adobe RGB). While its size makes it a permanent desk fixture rather than a portable tool, its premium build and competitive pricing make it a formidable rival to more expensive industry standard displays.

 

Unboxing the Artist Pro 27 Gen 2: Premium Packaging

The unboxing itself was exciting. The box is much larger than I was expecting, which always adds to the sense that something substantial is inside. Everything was carefully packaged in foam to protect the display. Although 27 inches sounds large on paper, it does not quite register until you actually see the screen in person. Once revealed, the 27 inch drawing display is smooth and the weight of the screen is quite substantial. This is a solid piece of equipment designed to stay set up on a desk rather than something intended to be moved around frequently.

Inside the box there are quite a few components including two stylus pens, a pen case with replacement nibs, a drawing glove, multiple connection cables, the shortcut remote and the adjustable stand. While XP-Pen includes a screen cleaning cloth, a dust cover for the screen would be a useful accessory for a device this size.

My first impression: this is a well thought out piece of equipment designed for regular creative use rather than something casual.

 

Seamless Setup and Software Compatibility

Connecting the display to my laptop was quite straightforward. For many computers it can be done with a single USB C cable although (as you can see from the amount of cables in the unboxing video) other connection options are available depending on your setup. Once connected it essentially works as a large second monitor that you can draw directly on.

When you purchase the drawing display you can download the tablet drivers directly from the XP-Pen website. These allow the computer to recognise the tablet and configure things such as pen pressure sensitivity and shortcut buttons. XP-Pen also provides access to optional art software downloads. These include programs such as ArtRage which simulates traditional painting tools, openCanvas which is used for digital illustration and Cartoon Animator which focuses on animation.

Many other programs also work well with the screen including Clip Studio Paint, Photoshop, Corel Painter and Krita. For this review I chose to use Krita mainly because it was something already installed and familiar.

 

Studio Workspace: Ergonomics and Desk Requirements

One practical thing worth mentioning here is desk space. The display is honestly huge for a drawing tablet. Because of that it is clearly not a portable device. It is designed more as a desk or studio setup. In practical terms that means you either leave it set up ready to use or store it in the original box. You do need a reasonably spacious and stable desk to use it comfortably especially if you like positioning the screen at an angle while drawing.

The adjustable stand allows the screen to be positioned more like a drafting table which can make longer drawing sessions more comfortable. The rear of the display also keeps the cables neatly contained which helps keep the desk setup tidy. Once it is set up the larger workspace becomes one of its biggest advantages.

4K X-Nature Display: Colour Accuracy and 120Hz Performance

The advantage of the size becomes obvious once you start working. You can keep a large canvas visible while still having all your design tools clearly displayed around it. The screen itself is also 4K resolution which means it can show a huge amount of detail. The display supports multi touch gestures, which can be used for navigation tasks such as zooming or moving around the canvas. For anyone used to touch based devices this can feel quite natural when working across a larger digital workspace.

The colours on the display are genuinely beautiful. The screen is capable of displaying over one billion colours and supports a wide colour gamut including Adobe RGB, sRGB and P3. This allows for richer colour gradients and smoother transitions between light and shadow when working on more detailed artwork. What stood out most was the depth of the blacks. Black actually looks black rather than slightly grey which makes darker tones and shadows appear much richer.

Super AG Etched Glass: The Pen-on-Paper Experience

The display uses what XP-Pen calls Super AG etched glass. In simple terms the glass surface has a very fine matte texture built into it. This helps reduce glare and reflections and also creates a pen on paper feel, and might I add, it feels wonderful to design on and touch.

The anti glare aspect was noticeable straight away. A light directly above the desk did not affect my view of the screen at all, even when viewing from different angles. The screen also includes low blue light certification. I felt this coupled with the anti glare helped reduce eye strain, so I could work comfortably for a good few hours.

The matte surface also meant the stylus didn’t slide across the glass like it would on a glossy screen. Instead there was a slight resistance which made drawing feel much closer to working on paper.

 

Professional Drawing Experience: 16K Pressure Levels

This is where the enjoyment is. There is naturally a short learning period when experimenting with different pens, nibs and brush settings. The tablet includes two stylus pens which are both extremely light. One is slightly thicker and the other slimmer which simply gives a choice depending on what feels comfortable in your hand. I much preferred the slimmer pen, and used that for the majority of the experience. The package also includes a selection of replacement nibs which allows the pen tips to be replaced over time as they wear down. Both pens are battery free which means they never need charging. They remained comfortable to use during my lengthy drawing session with no cramping hands or fatigue, which is helpful for anyone dealing with mobility or fatigue issues. I could also use the pen on an angle or tilt. This meant I could hold it just like a normal pen or paintbrush, without needing to keep it upright to make sure it registered on the screen.

Overall the stylus felt responsive and comfortable to use and the pressure sensitivity translated well into the drawing software. The tablet supports 16384 levels of pressure sensitivity which allows it to detect subtle differences in how hard the pen is pressed. In practice this meant light pressure produced thin lines while heavier pressure created thicker strokes and shading could be built gradually and naturally. At one stage while drawing it genuinely felt more like painting than using a digital device. The responsiveness of the pen combined with the matte screen surface created a natural feeling. The drag of the pen across the display felt smooth and controlled, almost like a paintbrush moving across canvas.

The shortcut remote added another useful layer of control. It features programmable buttons and a rotating dial that can be used for tasks such as zooming, adjusting brush size, undoing actions or rotating the canvas. The dial in particular made it easy to zoom in and out while working on fine details without interrupting my drawing flow. At one point I zoomed in so far that it was possible to colour individual pixels which was impressive when working on very detailed areas.

A lot of my testing involved experimenting with different pen and brush settings to see how the pen and screen responded together. As the screen is fully laminated, the gap between the pen tip and screen surface is supposed to be reduced, creating a more natural drawing experience, so I wanted to test that out. I found the responsiveness and placement of the strokes remained consistent across the various pen and brush options. During a two to three hour drawing session a couple of small things were noticed. Once or twice there was a slight disconnect between where the pen first touched the screen and where the line registered. On one occasion there was also a moment where the pen appeared to lag and then catch up with the stroke. Both instances were brief and did not affect the overall experience. For the vast majority of the session the pen response felt smooth and accurate and the tablet itself felt intuitive to use. Most of the time was spent exploring creative options rather than struggling with the technology.

After several hours of drawing the display did become slightly warm. It was not uncomfortable and did not affect the drawing experience but it is something worth mentioning and is likely part of the internal cooling working to manage the high resolution display.

 

XP-Pen Artist Pro 27 Gen 2 Full Specifications

• Display size 27 inches
• Resolution 3840 by 2160 which is 4K
• Refresh rate up to 120Hz with 5 ms response time
• Display panel ADS IPS with 178 degree viewing angle
• Stylus technology X3 Pro stylus
• Pressure sensitivity 16384 levels
• Tilt support up to 60 degrees
• Screen surface Super AG etched glass matte anti glare finish
• Fully laminated display
• Colour coverage approximately 99 percent Adobe RGB 99 percent sRGB and 97 percent DCI P3
• HDR support
• Calman colour calibration
• Low blue light certification
• Shortcut remote included
• Stylus battery free
• Connectivity USB C and other connection options depending on setup
• Adjustable stand included

 

Australian Pricing and Global Market Value

The XP-Pen Artist Pro 27 Gen 2 sits at the premium end of XP-Pen’s range which is understandable given the large screen and professional features. The drawing display is set to launch today 20th of March 2026 and is priced at AUD$2899.99. You can click on this link here, and punch in XPPENPRO27 to get yourself a 20% discount, which brings it down to A$2319.99. This offer is valid until 31 May 2026, just in time for some EoFY tax deductions?

While it is certainly an investment, similar large drawing displays from other brands can cost considerably more. XP-Pen appears to position this model as a high end drawing display with professional capabilities while remaining more accessible than some competing devices.

For anyone specifically looking for a large 27 inch 4K drawing workspace the value is clear.