On June 5th, 2023, Apple announced Apple Vision Pro, their new augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headset, at their WWDC 2023 conference. As Apple’s first new product since the Apple Watch in 2014, Vision Pro marks a revolutionary milestone in advancing spatial technology.
Apple’s announcement comes just days after Meta released the Meta Quest 3, the successor to its more budget-friendly VR headset, Meta Quest 2.
Here’s what we know so far.
Apple Vision Pro Overview
Key Features
At first glance, Apple Vision Pro is a standalone spatial computer that looks a lot like futuristic ski goggles. Vision Pro augments a user’s reality by blending their real-world environment with their digital world. It offers ultra-high-definition displays that can be controlled by a user’s eyes, hands, and voice.
visionOS: Apple built its new operating system, visionOS, to power an extensive array of spatial computing features in Apple Vision Pro. Powerful dual-chip processors, including the new R1 chip and M2, give the Vision Pro incredibly low latency, delivering images 8x faster than the blink of an eye.
3D Dynamic Design: Although mixed-reality headsets aren’t new, frequent user lag often leads to clunky user experiences. Apple’s 3D layered UI seamlessly merges the digital and physical world, overlaying digital objects and scaling them to adjust to movement in three-dimensional spaces and lighting in real-time.
Intuitive Navigation: Vision Pro users don’t use controllers to interact with the apps floating over their physical environment. Users can tap, pinch, flick, or scroll with their fingers and even give voice commands to interact with the device. Built-in eye-tracking technology enables users to navigate the device using only their eyes.
Apple EyeSight: The ‘EyeSight’ feature automatically reveals a user’s eyes to others by turning the Vision Pro display entirely transparent. EyeSight becomes opaque, indicating that a user is immersed in a complete digital experience.
Spatial Audio & Photos: With ‘dual-driver audio pods’ inside each earpiece of the headband, users experience end-to-end surround sound. Spatial photos enable users to capture and relive 3D images and videos with “unparalleled depth and realism.”
23 Million Pixel Display: The ultra-high resolution screen boasts 23 million pixels across two displays, and a dual-chip design makes every experience feel like it’s happening in front of the user’s eyes in real-time.
Environments: The “Environments” feature allows users to escape into landscapes that close a user off from mixed reality into a completely immersive Apple VR experience.
Use Cases
The Apple Vision Pro is marketed to the average consumer interested in improving their everyday life with XR technology.
Entertainment: Apple describes the Vision Pro as “The ultimate entertainment experience.” By transforming any room into a theatre, Vision Pro can blow up and scale screens in 4K right before a user’s eyes. Immersive spatial audio and 3D displays further enhance any gaming or cinematic experience.
Productivity: Apple has positioned Vision Pro as an alternative to multiple desktop monitors, enabling users to work off an array of “infinite canvas” scaled to sit within their point of view. Vision Pro also makes a case for easy collaboration and connection by combining life-size FaceTime video tiles with spatial audio to make users feel as if they are together in real life.
Looking Forward to the Future of XR
The Apple Vision Pro represents a shift in computing from personal to spatial computing by combining AR, VR, and mixed-reality capabilities. It’s evident from the Apple Stock surge, spec list, and high price point that the technical execution of the Vision Pro product far exceeds anything we’ve ever seen in XR technology. The question is, will consumers embrace XR technology in their everyday life?
Data privacy, when using highly complex tech, is a top concern for the average technology consumer. Apple built an empire on its promise that its products are secure and easy to use. Rather than focusing solely on Vision Pro’s high-tech specs, Apple sells Vision Pro with convincing everyday use cases.
By demonstrating how Vision Pro can improve productivity at work or enhance a movie-watching experience, it’s clear that Apple intends to drive mass consumer adoption on a scale not previously seen.
As VC firms race to fund the next iteration, Apple’s newest hardware will open up new opportunities for developers interested in working at the forefront of XR technology.
Apple has partnered with Unity 3D, a popular game engine to empower developers and designers to create interactive games, apps, and simulations for visionOS. This partnership presents an ideal moment to enter the exciting world of XR and gain the fundamental skills required for XR design and development.
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