Maxon announced Cinema 4D for iPad at NAB Show 2026, opening beta registration for the first professional 3D application on iPadOS. The app requires M2-chip iPads minimum, includes Redshift rendering capabilities, and targets commercial release in late 2026.
What Happened
Maxon unveiled Cinema 4D for iPad on April 16, 2026, alongside the Cinema 4D 2026.2 desktop release. The iPad version runs on 2022 iPad Pro or 2024 iPad Air (M2 minimum), with M3 chip or higher recommended. Beta registration is now open at maxon.net/en/cinema-4d-for-ipad.
The announcement came the same week Maxon released Autograph as a free motion graphics tool and showed a full lineup of updates at NAB 2026.
Why It Matters
Cinema 4D is the industry-standard 3D tool in broadcast motion graphics and VFX pipelines. The iPad version is not a stripped-down viewer -- it includes Redshift capabilities, the same GPU renderer bundled with the desktop app. That distinction matters: production-quality rendering on a device you carry in a bag.
Apple Pencil Pro support adds pressure-sensitive sculpting. Direct ZBrush file exchange means artists already working in ZBrush for iPad can move between sculpting and full 3D production without returning to a workstation. For freelancers who travel, this removes a hard dependency on desktop hardware for concepting and iteration.
Key Details
- Minimum hardware: M2 chip -- 2022 iPad Pro or 2024 iPad Air
- Recommended: M3 chip or higher
- Renderer: Redshift capabilities included
- File interchange: Opens ZBrush sculpts directly; syncs with desktop Cinema 4D
- Input: Full touch gestures plus Apple Pencil Pro support
- Beta registration: Open now at maxon.net/en/cinema-4d-for-ipad
- Commercial release: Late 2026
- Pricing: TBA -- expected to bundle with existing Cinema 4D subscriptions
Also New: Cinema 4D 2026.2 Desktop
The desktop release ships alongside the iPad announcement with three standout additions:
- Fabric Brush: Physics-based sculpting tool that deforms cloth into realistic folds using Cinema 4D's simulation engine
- Redshift Live: New real-time preview engine replacing Redshift RT, for faster interactive viewport rendering
- Windows ARM support: Native Copilot+ PC support delivers over 50% faster performance and 1.5GB less memory usage
What to Do Next
Register for the Cinema 4D for iPad beta at maxon.net/en/cinema-4d-for-ipad. Maxon is demoing the iPad version on the NAB Show floor April 20-22 in Las Vegas.
Commercial launch is targeted for late 2026. Maxon described pricing as "as accessible as possible." If it follows the ZBrush for iPad model, existing Cinema 4D subscribers would get iPad access included with their current plan. Desktop Cinema 4D subscriptions run $109/month or $839/year.
