As a Star Wars fan who has met a lot of Star Wars fans, I know for a fact that Star Wars fans will do (and spend) just about anything to feel immersed in the franchise. While there are quite literally thousands of licensed products and Disney-driven experiences for enthusiasts to enjoy, there’s one underrated item that I think was truly made for Star Wars diehards — the Apple Vision Pro headset.
Starting at $3,499, Apple Vision Pro is a high-ticket piece of headgear. Powered by Apple’s proprietary visionOS, the Vision Pro offers an impressive showing of what mixed reality can mean for productivity, communications and, especially, entertainment. Those I’ve spoken to who have used/now use the headset say the best thing about using it is watching shows and movies on the equivalent of a 100-foot-wide screen.
Having also tested it for myself, I would agree that Vision Pro makes up its value in entertainment. But I’d take it one step further and say the Disney Plus app for Vision Pro is the key feature that keeps me coming back to the world of what Apple calls spatial computing. Within the Disney Plus app, Lucasfilm’s entire Star Wars catalog is at my fingertips and expanded to my entire field of view.
Disney Plus is one of the few visionOS apps that take advantage of Environments, or true-to-life virtual reality scenes that make Vision Pro entrancing. When you’re in the app, you can toggle between a few different Environments, including the Disney Theater, Avengers Tower and Tatooine. I’m sure you can guess which one I opt for.
In the Tatooine Environment, you’re positioned in a X-34 landspeeder like the one Luke Skywalker uses to traverse his home planet. To your left, you see desert buildings while to the right, a sandcrawler looms tall. Tatooine’s two suns set on the horizon just beyond the Disney Plus window. Then, when you’ve selected which of the movies, shows or specials you want to watch, you can toggle on the Environment’s dark mode and see what Tatooine might look like in the middle of the night.
To your left, you see desert buildings while to the right, a sandcrawler looms tall. Tatooine’s two suns set on the horizon just beyond the Disney Plus window.
The Disney Plus app packs in all 11 live action Star Wars movies, which can be downloaded to watch offline for travel or whenever you might not have Wi-Fi. The most recent trilogy (also called the sequel trilogy) can be watched in 3D, elevating the level of detail and immersion, as though you could step right into a scene. The effect is subtle, yet totally incredible. And let me tell you, once you’ve watched a lightsaber battle with Spatial Audio, there’s no going back.
So, do I think that Star Wars fans could band together to save the device’s dwindling sales? Maybe, maybe not. But between visits to Comic-Con and Star Wars celebration, I’ve witnessed first-hand how wide Star Wars fans will open their wallets for any kind of way to be sucked into the universe. I mean, if LG can sell out a $3,000 OLED TV with the Galactic Empire logo on the back, shouldn’t fans be willing to shell out a few hundred dollars more for on-demand visits to Tatooine? Now, if only Apple would think to tempt wannabe Jedis in with an Apple Vision Pro Star Wars Day deal….
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Maria Malik is your guide to the immersive world of Virtual Reality (VR). With a passion for VR technology, she explores the latest VR headsets, applications, and experiences, providing readers with in-depth reviews, industry insights, and a glimpse into the future of virtual experiences.
