Imagine an augmented reality device that can seamlessly blend the digital and physical worlds, creating an infinite canvas for your apps, entertainment, and memories. A device that can transform any room into your own personal theater, where you can watch movies and shows at any size you want. A device that can capture and relive your moments in 3D, with immersive spatial audio. A device that can make you feel like you’re in the same space with your friends and family, even when you are miles apart.
Sounds like science fiction, right? Well, not anymore!
Meet Apple’s Vision Pro, the revolutionary spatial computer that is all set to change the way you interact with technology and the world around you. The Vision Pro is Apple’s first entrance into a new major product category since the Apple Watch, released in 2015. And let me tell you this, as a tech nerd who has tried every AR/VR headset out there, Vision Pro is unlike anything I have ever experienced before.
Therefore, in this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about this virtual reality/augmented reality headset in simple terms. Particularly, we will talk about what Apple’s Vision Pro really is, look at its pros and cons, as well as highlight its use cases and applications. More importantly, we will see whether we have finally taken a step closer to Metaverse or not.
What is Apple Vision Pro Headset?
Although it can be regarded as a VR or AR headset, Apple officially introduced Vision Pro as its first “spatial computer” on June 5th at the 2023 WWDC event. As per the tech giant, it will be ready to ship “early next year” at a starting price of $3,499.
However, Vision Pro is not just another virtual or augmented reality headset that is soon to be launched in the market. It is a spatial computer that can create and manipulate digital content in relation to the physical world.
Spatial computing is a new paradigm of computing that goes beyond the limitations of 2D screens and keyboards and allows users to interact with technology in a more natural and intuitive way.
Unlike other virtual reality headsets that are primarily focused on gaming or entertainment, Vision Pro is designed to be a powerful, personal, and versatile device that can enhance every aspect of our lives. Whether it’s work, play, creativity, or connection, Vision Pro has something for everyone.
This virtual reality headset comes jam-packed with features that make it the most advanced personal electronics device ever! Perhaps its most ground-breaking feature is the input system that, instead of using traditional controllers, uses eye tracking, hand gestures, and voice commands to control the device.
As such, Vision Pro is truly a game-changer. It is the ultimate spatial computer that is all set to revolutionize the way we interact with technology and the world around us.
The Pros of Apple Vision Pro
1. Ultra High-Resolution Display
One of the most impressive features of this augmented reality headset is its ultra-high resolution display system. Vision Pro has two micro-OLED displays, one for each eye, that pack 23 million pixels each. That’s more pixels than a 4K TV for each eye!
This means that Vision Pro can deliver stunning visuals with incredible clarity, detail, and realism. You can watch movies and shows at any size you want, from a small window to a giant screen. You can also enjoy immersive 3D content, such as spatial photos and videos, that make you feel like you’re in the scene.
2. Infinite Canva for Apps
Another amazing feature of Vision Pro is its infinite canvas for apps. Vision Pro frees your apps from the boundaries of a traditional display and lets you arrange them anywhere in your space.
You can scale them to the perfect size, from a small widget to a large billboard. You can also move them around with your eyes, hands, or voice. This, in turn, creates a new way of using your apps that is more flexible, productive, and fun.
For instance, you can multitask with multiple apps side by side, browse the web in Safari, create a to-do list in Notes, chat in Messages, and seamlessly switch between them with a glance. You can also use Vision Pro to collaborate and connect with others, using FaceTime and shared documents.
3. A Complete 3-D User Interface
Vision Pro also introduces a fully 3-dimensional user interface that changes the way you interact with technology. The virtual reality headset uses eye tracking, hand gestures, and voice commands to control the device. You can navigate simply by looking at what you want, pointing at what you want, or saying what you want.
4. A Dedicated Operating System
In addition, Vision Pro runs visionOS, the world’s first dedicated spatial operating system. Although VisionOS is built on the foundation of macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, it is highly optimized for spatial computing.
Powered by Apple’s dual M2 and R1 chips, VisionOS can flawlessly and seamlessly blend digital content with the physical world, creating a one-of-a-kind immersive experience. VisionOS also supports a wide range of apps and features that are specially designed for Vision Pro and spatial computing.
5. Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad Support
If hand gestures, eye-tracking, and voice control command features do not come naturally to you, we have yet another good news for you. The augmented reality headset supports both Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad, two of Apple’s most popular accessories.
You can use them to enhance your productivity and creativity with Vision Pro. You can connect them wirelessly to the virtual reality headset and use them as you would on a Mac or iPad. As such, you will be able to type, scroll, swipe, and click with ease and precision.
6. Wireless Connection to Mac Devices
Apple’s Vision Pro also supports wireless connection to Mac devices, such as MacBook, iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro. You can use Vision Pro as a wireless display for your Mac, creating a huge, private, and portable 4K display.
You can then access all your Mac apps on the virtual reality headset, with crisp text and graphics. And with the Mac keyboard and trackpad, you can control your Mac apps on Vision Pro with utmost flexibility.
7. Spatial Audio Capability
Continuing with the flow, Vision Pro comes with in-built support for Spatial Audio, a feature that creates a realistic and immersive sound experience.
Spatial Audio uses dynamic head tracking and directional audio filters to adjust the sound based on your head movement and position. This makes it feel like the sound is coming from the direction of the source, whether it’s in front of you, behind you, or above you.
8. Support for People with Glasses
Last but not least, one of the most remarkable features of Apple’s Vision Pro is its support for spectacle wearers. However, people with glasses will not be expected to don the augmented reality headset with their glasses on.
Apple is working closely with the lens giant, Zeiss, to make custom optical inserts that are magnetically attached to the device’s lenses.
The Cons of Apple Vision Pro
Where Vision Pro has a pile of astounding jaw-dropping features, it is not without its drawbacks. Here are four of them:
- Very, Very, Very Expensive!
One of the biggest drawbacks of Vision Pro is its price. Apple’s upcoming virtual reality headset is not a cheap device by a long shot. It costs a whopping $3,499, which is more than most laptops and smartphones.
And that’s not even including the accessories, such as the Vision Lens, the Magic Keyboard, and/or Magic Trackpad. When combined, all these add up to a hefty sum that may not be affordable for everyone.
As seen above, Vision Pro is an expensive device that requires a ton of investment.
- Make Users Look Weird
Another drawback of Vision Pro is its gawky appearance. Although Vision Pro is a stylish-looking device, it is rather big that takes up the majority of space on your face. Consequently, it will make users look weird and out of place.
You will definitely not feel comfortable wearing it in public or around other people. You may also feel self-conscious or embarrassed about how you look with it on.
Vision Pro is not a device that you can wear casually or discreetly. It is a device that makes you stand out, and not in a good way for the most part.
- Limited Battery Timing
Yet another drawback of Vision Pro is its battery timing. Vision Pro has a limited battery life of only 2 hours when used wirelessly. This is because the augmented reality headset requires a lot of power and processing to run its high-resolution displays and dual chips.
This means that you can’t use it for a long time without plugging it in. You may run out of battery in the middle of an important task or an enjoyable activity. Therefore, you may also have to carry a charger or a power bank with you wherever you go. As such, Vision Pro has a limited battery timing that restricts your usage and mobility
- No Native Controller Support
Last but not least, yet another drawback of Vision Pro is its lack of native controller support. Vision Pro does not come with any motion controllers. Instead, it relies on your hand gestures, eye tracking, and voice commands to control the device.
While these input methods are innovative and intuitive, they may not be suitable or preferred for everyone. Some users may find them difficult or uncomfortable to use, especially for complex or precise tasks.
Is Vision Pro A Step Closer to Metaverse?
The concept of the Metaverse was first introduced in the 1992 novel, Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Since then, it has been explored and developed further by various media, such as movies, games, and books.
It gained a lot of attention and hype in 2021 when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that he wanted to transform his company into a metaverse company. He envisioned the metaverse as a 3D virtual space where people can connect, work, play, and create using VR/AR devices and platforms.
However, and rather unsurprisingly, the metaverse hype slowly faded away, as people realized that it is not an easy or realistic goal to achieve. This got compounded by many challenges and limitations that prevented the metaverse from becoming a feasible reality, such as technical, social, ethical, and legal issues.
Moreover, to date, no one has been able to provide a single acceptable infrastructure for the metaverse. It is not a clear or unified vision, but rather a vague and diverse idea that different people and companies have different interpretations and expectations of.
But Apple’s Vision Pro has changed the tide again. Vision Pro is a device that can potentially make the metaverse more accessible and appealing to the masses. It is a device that can seamlessly blend the digital and physical worlds, creating an infinite canvas for apps, entertainment, and memories.
Moreover, it has introduced a fully 3D user interface that is natural and intuitive to use as well as supports a wide range of apps and features that are specially designed for spatial computing. Apple Vision Pro is, therefore, a device that can make the metaverse more feasible and enjoyable.
Final Thoughts
As seen above, there’s more to the Apple Vision Pro than meets the eye. At the time of writing, its release is still more than half a year away. Undoubtedly, there is much hype present around Apple’s latest virtual reality headsets.
Moreover, as of now, we are not much aware of its future implications. Only time will tell what new forms of communication will arise, how many platforms will emerge for spatial apps, and how much influence Vision Pro will have on 2D screens.
Also, Apple's upcoming virtual reality headset puts no strain on your ears. This means you can wear your favourite Tranya T6 earbuds with utmost ease and connect to any iOS device!
What do you think of all this? Share your thoughts with us and let us know in the comments below!
