Wacom Tablet Cursor Lag on macOS 14: Bluetooth vs. USB Connection Issues with Photoshop and Illustrator
I'm experiencing a cursor freeze for 1-2 seconds under a brand-new macOS 14 setup, with only Photoshop and Illustrator installed. The issue occurs as follows:
- When switching from any app to Illustrator, or from Illustrator to any app.
- When switching from any app to Photoshop, or from Photoshop to any app.
Additionally, under "Settings > Wacom Tablet > Tools > Functions > Applications," Photoshop and Illustrator automatically appear. Even after I delete them, they reappear automatically in the settings when I open either app again, making it impossible to truly remove them.
Additional Context:
During the cursor freeze, it's not the entire computer that freezes; mouse movement and keyboard input still function. Only the cursor operated by the Wacom stylus experiences this freeze.
Attempts to Resolve:
- Reformatted and reinstalled macOS, installing only the Wacom driver and Illustrator.
- Reinstalled any drivers compatible with macOS 14.
- Followed official installation steps, including security and other settings.
- Turned off some performance settings in Photoshop.
Hardware Specs:
- Mac Studio M1 Max
- 32GB RAM
- macOS 14.3 (issue persists across all 14.x versions)
- Models PTH-460, CTL-4100
Additional Note:
On macOS 13, using the Driver 6.4.0-9, there were no issues. However, subsequent driver versions have had this freezing problem, along with other issues reported by users.
This significantly impacts the user experience, especially since I frequently switch between Photoshop, Illustrator, and other apps. I opted for Wacom due to its brand reputation and the necessity of using both apps, yet encountering these issues has led to a disappointing experience.
I hope the engineering team can address this issue promptly. It has been ongoing for some time, and I believe it should not be difficult to resolve.
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Update:
- When connecting devices via Bluetooth, I do not experience any lag when switching between Illustrator and Photoshop.
- The lag occurs only when using a USB connection. However, while Bluetooth connectivity occasionally results in slightly less smooth operation, it is more tolerable compared to the freezing issue.
- No other USB devices are connected, only the Wacom tablet using the original USB cable. And I have tried other USB ports.
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7 days more and... nothing.
Problem solved. I bought an XP-Pen. And to my surprise, it works without this issue.
I didn't realize how much my productivity was being affected by this lag.
Dear Wacom, I want to return the PTH 460 tablet. What is the procedure?
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Hi marcos happy for u, i asked the same thing to wacom i want to return this product because i can not use and it make me very anoying with lagging , i just wanna buy another brand never trust to wacom again.
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Marcos Schnaider Thank you for providing the information! I am also tired this issue.
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I am very sorry we have not yet been able to resolve this yet. I just want to let everyone know that this is a priority fix for the next driver release so we will do all we can.
Currently don't have an ETA I can provide.We can only thank you for your patience and persistence and for reporting this issue so thoroughly.
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I'm sorry, João, but the wait has been too long, and it's become impossible to continue. After 28 years of using Wacom products, I've decided to move on and give other brands a chance.
Apple will release a new version of macOS in September. This means we've been dealing with this problem for almost a year. I bought a new Wacom Intuos two years ago, and it worked fine on the older version of macOS, but it’s no longer functioning properly.
Wacom is the most expensive tablet on the market, and for a long time, it was the most reliable, present in studios worldwide. It's a shame that this issue hasn't been resolved yet. Although you've mentioned that it's a priority, it doesn't feel that way for those of us who have been struggling with this delay when clicking in any Adobe app.
I sincerely hope that this problem will be addressed soon, as it's affecting the trust and loyalty of long-time users like myself.
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Hi Marcos Schnaider,
I understand. I am sorry we cannot resolve this sooner.
Unfortunately I don't have an alternative solution I can provide for the moment.
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Just for the record, same problem here where cursor freezes for 2s when swithing between an adobe app to another app. Wacom has being a joke recently. Bugs and more bugs. Everytime i install a new driver i know i will have some big issue and will need to work my way into an older version. If everbody here had better experience with other brand please let me know and i will replace instantly. Tired of buying products, updating drivers and never being able to do your work without a lot of bugs and errors happening all the time. Enough.
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Same issues here on MAC OS 14.6.1. Massive inputlag. It is absolutely impossible to work with wacom on Apple. Dear wacom, do something! U re about to loose many customers, and u did alrdy!
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Dear Wacom Team,
I have been a loyal Wacom user for a couple of decades now, but the recent experiences with your products have left me incredibly frustrated and seriously questioning my commitment to your brand. What has been happening over the last few years is nothing short of unbelievable.
For too long, I have been encountering the same persistent bugs, despite numerous reports from users like myself. Specifically, as a Mac user, I’m referring to the lag that occurs every time I switch between Finder windows or different applications. This isn’t a new issue—it’s been raised by many users over an extended period, yet there’s been no resolution. This problem has rendered your devices almost unusable for any serious work.
I have gone through the tedious process of performing clean installs multiple times, only to find that the issue temporarily subsides and then reappears, making it impossible to work effectively. This is beyond frustrating.
To make matters worse, since upgrading to macOS Ventura, both Wacom drivers now consume an alarming amount of CPU, leading to frequent freezes that force me to restart my desktop Mac. Let me emphasize that I have 64 GB of RAM and 8 GB of VRAM—these kinds of performance issues should simply not be happening on such a powerful machine.
Adding to the frustration, I’ve noticed that even when I have the touch setting turned off, after a restart, it inexplicably turns itself back on. This kind of inconsistency is unacceptable and further disrupts my workflow.
Is Wacom truly trying to improve its products for Mac users, or are you just making things worse? These unresolved bugs, compounded by new issues with each update, suggest the latter. I have attached screenshots for your reference, though at this point, it feels like these will just fall on deaf ears.
I have been loyal to Wacom for years, but this lack of attention to critical issues is pushing me to seriously consider alternatives. I hope that you will take this feedback seriously and address these ongoing problems promptly.
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Hi Diana Nikolova,
Please see my official reply in the beginning of the thread so you can install the latest driver and see if most of the issues you reported have improved.
For the Touch being turned back "ON" when you restart the computer, can you let me know which Wacom device do you have?
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Hi João,
Thank you for your reply.
I am using the Intuos Pro M tablet, and my system is running on macOS Ventura 13.6.7.
So far, I have tried different drivers, including the latest ones available at the time. The only driver that has worked a bit longer and somewhat better for me is 6.3.41. However, I did read the release notes for the most recent driver released yesterday, and it looks like it addresses the lag issue I’ve been experiencing. I will give it a try and see how it goes.
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I wanted to add some additional information regarding the lag issue I mentioned earlier. In my case, the lag primarily occurs when I switch between Finder windows, especially when browsing an external drive. Interestingly, I don't experience this problem when using a mouse (not a wacom mouse)—only with the Wacom tablet. During these moments, I notice that the CPU load significantly increases due to the Wacom drivers, often requiring me to wait 10-15 minutes before I can continue working or, in some cases, restart or reinstall the driver.
This lag also affects my workflow in Adobe apps, Blender, and Houdini, which further complicates my work. I hope this information helps in identifying the issue, and I’m looking forward to seeing if the new driver resolves these problems.
Thanks again for your support.
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The update did the job!! Fantastic! Finally!!! This took way to long
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Hi Diana Nikolova,
Thanks for the info. So to confirm, do you have a PTH-660 or a PTH-651?
The reason I ask is because the PTH-660 has a physical touch toggle on the side of the tablet that completely shuts down Touch input from the tablet.
As for the lag issues you detailed, that seems to match the issue we address in the latest driver release so please test it out and let me know if there are improvements.
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6 month no solution, support keep mailing me with with same questions" did u delete driver, which program u have problem with issue " just trying excuse... they acring like just i have the lagging problem, never fix problem , they told me the problem with photoshop and illustration, they do not accept Wacom does not work anymore because they can not update driver, they keep telling we are working on it last 6 MONTH ! I asked refunds they said my device guarantee finished, I said this is for hardware , but I have driver problem wich is u can not fix for new adobe programs, I bought another brand it is totally fine working no logging issue with Adobe software, it's mean problem not Adobe no my macbook pro ,no USB nothing just Wacom not working with new software and they do ads when I bought working with Adobe! when it keep lagging how I can draw? so they told me warranty for software is not limited and still they do not refund ! I can not use this device and I am tired with customer service . pls take this garbage and give my money back because I do not wanna see Wacom again !
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Hi emre koyuncu,
We just released a new driver where we address this issue.
Please be so kind to install the latest version from the link below and try it out.
https://www.wacom.com/en-de/support/product-support/drivers
You can also check the release notes to see what other bugs we fixed and are working on.
https://cdn.wacom.com/u/productsupport/drivers/mac/professional/releasenotes/Mac_6.4.7-2.html
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Hello, João I've installed the latest drive, macOS 6.4.7-2, for my CTL 4100 S, which was supposed to have resolved the issue of the Wacom not working properly with Illustrator, but nothing has been fixed. I'm still experiencing the same frustrating problem where the Wacom runs extremely slowly, making it impossible to design or illustrate. What else can be done to resolve this? It's been months and there's still no solution :(
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Hi Adriana Mora Rey,
The specific issue addressed in this thread was related to the PTH-460 specifically, not the CTL-4100.
In your case, either this is a different issue, or perhaps this can simply be improved with some changes in the performance settings.
https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/kb/optimize-illustrator-performance.html
If that doesn't help, please collect the logs, a video of the issue and contact the support team directly:
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