Microsoft has issued a new firmware update for the Surface Pro 4 which finally introduces long-promised support for the company’s Surface Dial accessory.
The fresh firmware consists of four updates which deliver on-screen support for the Surface Dial, and they also hone the overall accuracy of the touchscreen on the Surface Pro 4.
As the Verge reports, Microsoft had originally planned to have support for the Surface Dial grace the SP4 at some point early last year, so there has been a considerable delay. Still, better late than never, and all that.
Dial it up
The Dial is a circular peripheral, aimed at creative types, which can be placed on the screen and turned to manipulate radial menus and swiftly select functions in an intuitive manner. Microsoft’s latest Surface Pro supported the accessory from the get-go.
The peripheral works with any app, albeit only delivering basic functions unless the software specifically supports the Dial, in which case the developer can (hopefully) really flesh out the functionality of the circular gadget.
Officially-supported applications are still rather limited, but include all built-in Windows apps, and several heavyweight Adobe offerings: Photoshop and Illustrator. Last spring, Microsoft introduced support for CorelDRAW, Autodesk’s SketchBook, Sketchable, and djay Pro.
If you’ve not already had this new firmware via Windows Update, then you can always manually check for the update. To do so, click on the Start button, then head to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
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