Apple has announced the Apple Vision Pro augmented reality headset, which “seamlessly” combines the physical and digital worlds. CEO Tim Cook said of the device, which looks like a pair of ski goggles –
“It’s the first Apple product you look through, and not at.”
According to rumors, it has a separate battery supply and can be controlled with the eyes, hands, and voice. The headset is anticipated to be released in early 2024 with a price tag of $3,499, initially for the US market and expanding to other countries later in the year.
Vision Pro is predominantly marketed as an augmented reality (AR) device, but a dial allows users to switch between augmented and full virtual reality. The device lacks a controller, and rows of program icons in the visionOS operating system are navigated visually.
You can tap to select and flick to scroll, as well as give voice commands, and Apple claims that “hundreds of thousands of familiar iPhone and iPad apps” will function seamlessly in this manner.
In addition, the headset is compatible with Bluetooth accessories, such as the Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad, and allows you to connect your Mac for use within the headgear. Even if your hands are placed low on your body, downward-facing cameras can capture them.
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The headpiece has a glass front and an aluminum frame, as well as five sensors, 12 cameras, a 4K display for each eye, and a fan-cooled computer. The headset mask (which Apple refers to as a “Light Seal”) and headband (which Apple refers to as a “Head Band”) are fabric-lined and modular, and Apple claims that they can conform to a variety of face shapes and head measurements.
The Head Band is ribbed and fits around the back of your head; it is also interchangeable between various sizes and styles. Zeiss has designed custom optical inserts that adhere magnetically to the lenses of eyeglasses.
It has an external battery that lasts up to two hours and connects via a “supple woven cable” so it can fit in a pocket, or it can be plugged into external power and used for the entire day. Apple promises that the display’s sharpness will be unprecedented and that it will support 4K video.
In addition to the M2 chip, the system also contains a new chip called the R1. Apple also promises that you are not isolated from the people around you. The headset’s EyeSight system will display your pupils, and if you’re in full VR, a glowing screen will obscure them to indicate you’re unavailable.
By scanning your visage, it also generates a digital “persona” that is essentially a hyperrealistic avatar. The device utilizes passthrough video that allows the user to see the real world in full color, but it can project 3D objects into real space, including the ability to draw objects from a message thread into real space.
When communicating remotely, you can use spatial audio to position FaceTime participants as “video tiles” throughout the room. And while wearing the headgear, you can capture and “relive” 180-degree video using a 3D camera. Apple also promotes TV and Arcade content for the headpiece, including Disney premium content.
The headset has reportedly gone through several iterations and years of delays over the course of its development. It is intended to be Apple CEO Tim Cook’s signature addition to the product line, and it has received acclaim from industry insiders despite entering a market that has not yet taken off.
Its principal rival is likely to be Meta, which has enjoyed moderate success with its games-oriented Quest 2 headset and received mixed reviews for its general-purpose Quest Pro.