I just experienced a lengthy demo of Apple’s newly unveiled $3,499 Vision Pro headset, touted as the “world’s most advanced consumer electronics device” at WWDC 2023. The device is an exceptional VR headset that boasts remarkable displays and video passthrough. The displays and video passthrough are incredibly impressive, as I was able to use my phone to take notes effortlessly while wearing the Vision Pro, which would be a challenging feat with other headsets. Although Apple intends for the Vision Pro to be recognized as a powerful spatial computer or augmented reality device, its VR headset nature is undeniable, down to the adjustable headstraps that wreaked havoc on my hair. It looks, feels, and functions precisely like a VR headset. Think of the best possible Meta Quest running something very similar to iPadOS, and you’ll understand what the Vision Pro is like.
Apple held the Vision Pro demos inside a large white cube-shaped building called the Fieldhouse, which they constructed explicitly for WWDC. Upon entry, an iPhone was given to walk through a quick setup process that included a face scan and a side-to-side face scan to calibrate spatial audio. I then saw an “vision specialist” to determine if I wore glasses, and Apple fitted the Vision Pros with the appropriate lenses. The headsets themselves weigh less than a pound and are attached to a silver battery pack through a braided white power cable. The battery pack provides around two hours of use, and it is detachable from the headset with a mechanical latch. The design of the Vision Pro is brushed aluminum, shiny glass, and soft fabrics, much like the iPhone 6. The front glass is a piece of complex optical engineering that is appropriately curved to serve as a lens for its cameras and OLED screen.
The Vision Pro counts 12 cameras, a LIDAR sensor, and a TrueDepth camera, alongside IR flood illuminators that ensure the cameras can see your hands in dark environments for control purposes. The device runs on a combination of Apple’s M2 and new R1 processors, which generate a fair amount of heat that the Vision Pro vents by drawing air up through the bottom and then venting it out through the top. The top of the device has a shutter button on the left to take 3D videos and photos. The Digital Crown is on the right; clicking it brings up the home screen of app icons, while turning it changes the level of VR immersion in certain modes.
The device features a 4K display for each eye, with pixels just 23 microns in size, making it the highest-resolution VR display available. It was workable for reading text in Safari, looking at photos, and watching movies. Additionally, the video passthrough appeared sharp, crisp and clear, and I was able to take notes on my phone while wearing the headset. Apple has solved significant hardware interaction problems with VR headsets, out-engineering and out-spending other competitors. But the device has not yet answered the question of what it’s for, as the main interface is a grid of icons, and most of the demos were projections of giant screens with various apps. The demos included some old standbys, such as 180-degree 3D videos with spatial audio in something Apple calls the Apple Immersive Video Format.
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Alex Smith is a writer and editor with over 10 years of experience. He has written extensively on a variety of topics, including technology, business, and personal finance. His work has been published in a number of magazines and newspapers, and he is also the author of two books. Alex is passionate about helping people learn and grow, and he believes that writing is a powerful tool for communication and understanding.