In a bid to entice both developers and consumers, Apple has included gaming, fitness and e-reader functionality for the virtual reality headset, Bloomberg reported. Top Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the company is concerned about consumer response to the product, amid a softening macroeconomic background.
Everything we know about Apple’s Vision Pro headset
People have been speculating about Apple’s entry into the world of virtual and augmented reality headsets for the better part of a decade, and at WWDC 2023, it finally revealed Vision Pro.
Apple made a VR headset, but it’ll never admit it
As Apple CEO Tim Cook was winding up to reveal the company’s new Vision Pro headset on Monday, I was struck by his very particular choice of words: “So today, I’m excited to announce an entirely new AR platform with a revolutionary new product.” Before we knew anything about the Vision Pro — what it looked like, what it could do, what it cost — Cook said that Apple was announcing a new augmented reality platform, setting us up for a device that would enhance and not obscure the world around us. Though Apple made its Vision Pro and visionOS pitch all about augmented reality, the device is definitely a VR headset. Meta offers work-focused VR spaces with Horizon Workrooms, but Apple’s idea of collaborative work with a headset is essentially an upgraded Zoom call.
In retrospect, I shouldn’t have been surprised that Apple avoided branding the Vision Pro with virtual reality, especially since Cook has been singing the praises of AR for years.
What does the Apple Vision Pro do? Here’s everything you need to know after WWDC reveal.
I had a chance to wear and use Vision Pro for about 30 minutes and run through several applications that fused augmented reality (where you can see digital information overlaid on top of the real world around you) with virtual reality (realistic imagery that fully envelopes your field of vision, and is tied to head-tracking too). It’s a wearable headset, with twin micro‑OLED displays – one for each eye – and featuring 23 million pixels, which is more than a 4K TV.
The new visionOS operating system features a fully three-dimensional user interface controlled with your eyes (tracked with inward-facing sensors), voice (including Siri support, which I did not try), and hands, whether it’s via finger gestures in the air or by twisting a Digital Crown knob on the side of the headset (similar to the dial on Apple Watch).
When opening the Photos app, for example, I viewed a number of high-resolution images and the room automatically dimmed around them for added immersion (including panoramic shots of Iceland and Oregon’s coast). One virtual reality-like experience is called Environments, which are full-screen relaxing videos tied to head-tracking (so you can “look around”), but when the Apple employees in my room talked with me, their images gradually appeared in my scene (called “breakthrough,” as to stay connected with those around you). The user interface was graceful and intuitive, and the applications are seemingly endless (for work and play).
One of the most impressive parts of the demo by far was seeing “spatial” photos and videos, captured by Vision Pro headset, including scenes of kids blowing out a birthday cake and another with a few friends hanging outside by a fire, sipping drinks, telling stories and laughing. I also get that some people think technology like this is disconcerting as it may encourage less human interaction (similar to the concerns over the metaverse), so it won’t be for everyone. The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.
Apple Vision Pro rumors, predictions, release year, specs, apps and more
Twin 4K displays inside the headset provide incredible HDR picture quality, but if you wear glasses you’ll need to get custom Zeiss inserts. No controllers needed — the headset relies on eye and hand tracking in addition to voice commands. With such a high price tag (more on that below) don’t expect the Vision Pro to be a device for the masses. Unfortunately, it looks like Apple could be canceling its lower-cost Vision Pro with some features removed, but everything is still just rumors and speculation at this point on that front. The current version of the Vision Pro may have serious supply chain constraints thanks to its pricey displays and they would logically be dropped from the cheaper headset. That means it’s possible Apple can only manufacture 400,000 headsets per year due to the premium displays it has chosen. That could make it nearly impossible for Apple to reach an install base of 20 million users in 5 years, which some analysts are predicting. As previously mentioned, at its release the Vision Pro will only be available to U.S. customers, though other countries are expected to get a rollout not too long after the U.S. launch.
The biggest one is that the front of the visor features a display underneath a curved pane of 3D laminated glass. While a cheaper version’s future is still very much in doubt, there are rumors that one way Apple could build a low-cost Vision Pro is by ditching EyeSight. Conversely, if EyeSight doesn’t appeal to you, it could be worth waiting a bit to see if a future model ditches it rather than picking up the Vision Pro right away. The mixed reality headset features a custom aluminum alloy frame that is curved to fit your face.
The Light Seal comes in several shapes and sizes and is made of a soft fabric for improved comfort while using the Vision Pro. And for those worried about being unwittingly photographed, Apple promises that the front display will use EyeSight to signal that a photo or video is being taken.
The other button is a crown similar to the Apple Watch, which can control the level of immersion you are in while wearing the headset. The Apple Vision Pro can be used all day when plugged in but otherwise needs an external battery to work.
However, it’s unclear at this point whether the adapter (which appears to attach to the other side of the headset from the power cable) will be available to all or merely used as a developer tool. The Apple Vision Pro displays are leaps and bounds ahead of anything Meta offers so far.
Zeiss has launched its own site for the Apple Vision Pro inserts, which it says will be available early next year. In a patent application, Apple laid out the possible design for a liquid display that uses a system of actuators, pumps and reservoirs to form and deform lenses within flexible and/or rigid walls.
Again, this won’t be the route Apple goes with for this edition of the Vision Pro, but if they use it in the future, it could eliminate the need for the custom Zeiss inserts. Speaking of immersion, an alleged leak from the set of an unannounced Apple TV Plus show has shown off what looks like a camera designed for capturing 180-degree footage. The Vision Pro is all about staying in the physical space as much as possible, even if you can turn the crown on the top of the headset to make yourself more immersed in the virtual world. It creates a 3D user interface that responds to natural light and casts shadows and allows for apps to be expanded and moved with just a hand gesture.
Reportedly, a “Visual Search” feature will let Vision Pro users get information about objects in the real world and serve up text about those items in front of their eyes. Speaking of apps, the Apple Vision Pro should come with a surprising amount out of the box. It’s unclear if these fees will also apply to games ported to the Vision Pro through PolySpatial, but regardless it’s certainly not what Apple was hoping for when it joined forces with Unity.
Aside from games, typical productivity apps that you use on your other Apple devices are available on the Vision Pro too.
FaceTime is there too, and you can move people’s video feeds to one side of your display while keeping other apps in view. Instead, the Apple Vision Pro will create a Digital Persona to represent you in FaceTime that will simulate your face and hand movements. Travel Mode has been spotted in the visionOS developer beta, and it is totally focused on the experience of using the Vision Pro on a plane. According to early looks at the developer beta for visionOS, there will be a Guest Mode for the Vision Pro that allows you to lend the headset to friends and family while keeping some personal data secure. This potential feature allows Apple Vision Pro wearers to have private conversations in a “computer-generated reality.” Supernova Technologies managed to get visionOS on a Meta Quest Pro and it’s a bit of a shock looking at the new OS out in the wild. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said “the league is working with Apple to bring a tech-enhanced viewing experience” to its upcoming headset. Then inside the headset is a ring of LED lights that project invisible patterns onto your eyes to assist with the eye-tracking.
Apple says the R1 chip keeps the input lag of the twin 4K Micro OLED displays at just around 12ms — on par with a lot of the best TVs. Reportedly, the Vision Pro could come with a 1TB SSD on board for storing apps, games and more. Finally, Apple promises spatial audio thanks to a speaker on each side of the headset, near where it connects with your Head Band. According to the Settings app on the latest iOS 17.2 beta update, it records two 1080p, 30fps videos at once, resolving the lens and distance differences with computational photography.
When Apple fully releases iOS 17.2 — believed to be sometime later this year, as Apple said in September that this spatial video recording feature would roll out by the end of 2023 — all owners of the latest and greatest iPhones can start recording a library of personal memories to revisit in 3D on the Vision Pro. Here’s arguably the biggest knock against the Apple Vision Pro, aside from the other-worldly price tag. Oh, and you may need to buy it separately, which would add to the Apple Vision Pro’s $3,499 price tag. Apple says all it takes is turning your head to shift the focus of the display, or a simple tap of your fingers to simulate a mouse click. And now that we’ve officially seen the Vision Pro, it’s clear that Apple wanted to have a true mixed reality device rather than a VR headset. Granted, that should be expected when the Apple Vision Pro is nearly seven times the price of the Meta Quest 3, but it’s more than that. Check out our Apple Vision Pro versus Meta Quest 3 face-off for the full breakdown. And unfortunately for the Quest Pro, the Apple headset is the clear winner between the two — as long as you can stomach the $2,499 price difference.
Everything we know about Apple’s Vision Pro headset
People have been speculating about Apple’s entry into the world of virtual and augmented reality headsets for the better part of a decade, and at WWDC 2023, it finally revealed Vision Pro.
Apple’s VR headset will reportedly run hundreds of thousands of iPad apps
In a bid to entice both developers and consumers, Apple has included gaming, fitness and e-reader functionality for the virtual reality headset, Bloomberg reported. Top Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the company is concerned about consumer response to the product, amid a softening macroeconomic background.
Apple’s Vision Pro AR/VR Headset: Bold, Innovative, and Ridiculously Expensive
The pricier Meta Quest Pro shows the world around you, but its cameras are also low-quality, and the experience isn’t that great. If the Vision Pro actually works like it did in the demo video shown during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June, it would represent a significant improvement over the current generation of the technology. Like other VR headsets, the Vision Pro completely wraps around your head, obscuring your eyes with what looks like a pair of goggles. This feature, called EyeSight, is supposed to make it less weird for other people to talk to you while you’re wearing the device. The Meta Quest and the HTC Vive have space enough to accommodate glasses, but the Vision Pro doesn’t, so Apple has partnered with Zeiss to create thin corrective optical inserts that magnetically click into place. Soft, easy to coil, and durable, the cable connects to an aluminum external battery pack, which should fit into a back pocket easily.
The headset will support Apple Immersive Video, which matches a 180-degree view of content with spatial audio. Disney CEO Bob Iger appeared at WWDC to announce that Disney+ will be available for the Vision Pro on release day.
One of the reasons Apple announced the headset so many months before launch is to give developers the opportunity to make new apps (or to adapt existing ones) for the platform that take advantage of its AR and VR capabilities.
Even if a mixed-reality device offers fantastic processing power and optics, it’s useless if people want to barf after using it for a few minutes. “After three years of my being mostly isolated during the pandemic, Apple wanted me to engage with what was essentially a deepfake video of a real person. The Vision Pro’s eye tracking, hand-gesture recognition, and seamless scrolling were what most impressed Marques Brownlee, who runs the tech YouTube channel MKBHD.
But Brownlee says that the headset’s weight, its lack of haptic feedback from controllers, and the surreal FaceTime Persona are negatives. Gartner analyst Tuong Nguyen told me that the price indicates that Apple knows its technology is leading the field, but that it is also due to the cost of custom hardware and the low anticipated sales volume.
Apple VR Headset
Apart from scattered patent filings, which don’t often make their way into finished products, leaks about “Apple VR” have only recently begun to surface. The bulk of the product’s leaks had come in early 2021, with multiple reports and analysts pointing to an expensive headset with cutting-edge technology arriving in 2023. A series of filings linked to Apple have been found in a number of countries, including the U.S., the E.U., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, and Uruguay.
Meanwhile, AR overlays virtual objects, UIs, and characters on top of the user’s real-world environment. Apple’s rumored approach would be much more advanced than early AR beta products like Google Glass. Unlike PlayStation VR or Valve Index, you wouldn’t need to connect it to a gaming PC, console, or another external processing source.
Late-stage prototypes and concept images of the device show a curved visor that attaches to the face with a mesh material and swappable headbands. According to leaks, Apple has tested chips for its VR headset that outperform the M1 processors found in the latest Macs.
Apple could use a custom version of M1, M1 Pro, or M1 Max in the headset built specifically for VR applications.
Foveated rendering requires ultra-precise eye-tracking that hasn’t yet made it into mass-market VR headsets.
However, once companies nail down the technology, foveated rendering will present high-fidelity graphics more efficiently, without any noticeable drop in visual detail. A 2020 report suggested Sony would be supplying OLED panels for Apple’s VR or AR initiatives.
Every Apple product runs some kind of operating system and software and the upcoming VR headset is no exception. Hints to Apple’s naming convention for this new operating system has been discovered through various code leaks and documentation. A trademark filed by a company called “Realityo Systems LLC” was filed for something called realityOS to be published on June 8, 2022, suspiciously close to the WWDC keynote taking place on June 6, though that didn’t pan out into anything.
Apple’s headset prototypes include outward-facing cameras that could enable some AR features and support hand tracking.
While wearing the headset, users will typically see virtual hands that move in real-time along with the remotes. Since the user’s face will be obscured by the headset, it would use cameras to track facial expressions and map them to a Memoji instead.
One possible method would be a thimble-like device worn on a user’s finger that could allow them to control software. The technology, which Apple has used in the 2020 iPad Pro and iPhone 12 series, dramatically improves environmental mapping for AR experiences. The company typically avoids fans in its mobile devices, but a proper cooling system is essential in today’s standalone VR. Even today’s most efficient mobile processors would risk overheating under high-end VR demands without cooling to dissipate heat.
A VR system needs to process two simultaneous graphical feeds to power each lens’s view, each from a slightly different angle. Each lens’ video is graphically demanding and continually shifting in response to the user’s head movement.
While patents don’t always predict a final product, Apple filed one that would use fluid and pressure to adjust the user’s prescription on the fly. Rumors suggest that Apple could implement eye tracking and iris scanning for controls and biometric authentication.
Hololens has a similar business model, though Apple is expected to target the headset at both consumer and commercial buyers.
Apple views its initial VR or MR product as a niche project that will sell in low volume, similar to the Mac Pro.
Apple has allegedly shown a working demonstration of the rumored VR headset to its board in May 2022. The second-generation headset would also have multiple price tiers with high-end premium and low-end budget lines for consumers, shipping in early 2024.
Apple Vision Pro: Just announced! Features, First Impressions and Price
Vision Pro marks the company’s first entrance into a new product category since the 2015 Apple Watch, with the device introduced at WWDC 2023 in June. Instead, Apple calls it a spatial computer because of its ability to blend digital content with the physical world.
For a virtual reality experience, Apple shuts off those cameras and can make it seem like you are completely isolated from what’s going on around you, allowing you to focus solely on what’s being displayed on the headset’s screens. Design wise, Apple Vision Pro is not unlike a pair of ski goggles, featuring a singular piece of laminated glass for the front that melds into an aluminum alloy frame.
There’s also an external display called EyeSight that projects an image of your eyes so people can tell whether you’re using the headset in an immersive mode or if you can see what’s going on around you. For glasses wearers, there are custom prescription Zeiss Optical Inserts that can be attached magnetically to the headset’s lenses.
More than a dozen cameras and sensors in Apple Vision Pro map out the world around you, keeping track of your hand and eye movements. Apple Vision Pro can take 3D photos and videos using a built-in camera that’s powered by tapping on the top button of the device.
Vision Pro will also show existing photos and videos in large scale, making them more immersive.
There is a main Home View that has all of your favorite Apple apps like Mail, Messages, Music, Safari, Photos, and more, with your data synced through iCloud. With FaceTime, Vision Pro users can collaborate on documents with colleagues or share apps with others, and spatial audio makes it clear who is speaking.
Apple Vision Pro: Everything you need to know
That suggests that one day in the not-so-distant future we will see a cheaper Vision headset, rumored to arrive in 2025. Rather it’s referring to the headset as its “first spatial computer” with a big emphasis on how a user will be able to stay present in the physical world while wearing it. Macworld’s Roman Loyola has and he describes the experience here: I entered Apple’s thrilling Vision Pro world and didn’t want to leave!
Apple has said that the Vision Pro headset will be available “early next year” so a spring 2024 release date looks likely.
That’s not exactly evidence, but Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman believes that a cheaper headset will arrive in 2025. The Light Seal is made of a soft textile that comes in a variety of sizes and shapes to suit the user’s face for a precise fit.
There are flexible straps that can be adjusted to fit the head and ensure that the Audio Pods are positioned near the ears. Apple hasn’t said anything about compatibility in terms of whether you will need a particular generation of iPhone to use the Vision Pro, but it seems likely that it won’t be supported by every handset. The Vision Pro will, according to Apple, “deliver phenomenal compute performance.” It is powered by both an M2 processor and a new R1 chip used to process input from 12 cameras, five sensors, and six microphones, it also eliminates lag to avoid latency. Inside the lenses, a high-performance eye-tracking system uses cameras and a ring of LEDs to project invisible light patterns on the user’s eyes. As a result, the Apple headset is able to tell what way the user is looking and use high-performance eye tracking to control the interface. The Vision Pro also recognizes the user’s iris via a new method to unlock the device and authenticate passwords and purchases called Optic ID.
EyeSight also includes a visual indicator that makes it clear to others when a user is capturing a spatial photo or video. With a Vision Pro headset users will be able to watch a movie, listen to music, browse photos, look at 3D objects, and even collaborate on a presentation. The Vision Pro headset will run visionOS, an operating system that Apple has designed from the ground up for visual computing. Next month, the company will open developer labs at its Cupertino, California headquarters, as well as in London, Munich, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo.
It can show call participants a ‘Persona’–a digital representation of the user created using Apple’s most advanced machine-learning techniques. Disney CEO Bob Iger joined Apple on stage to demonstrate his excitement about the new technology.
Macworld’s Roman Loyola was able to spend an hour wearing a Vision Pro, an experience he described as “emotional, immersive, and completely captivating.” As a result, users can browse through apps by simply looking at them, tapping their fingers to select, flicking their wrist to scroll, or using voice to dictate.
Loyola described being put right in the middle of the recorded memory that “triggered memories and emotions of my own from similar moments.” He said that the immersive video gave him “thrills,” explaining: “My body reacted to situations and my mind responded to the sights and sounds.” In one demo, Loyola “got to pet a freakin’ dinosaur.
Not a beast that looks like a 3D model set against an illustrated background, but a realistic-looking dinosaur that sniffed my hand and let me pet it.” It all sounds pretty impressive.
While there are other headsets that can offer an immersive experience, Loyola notes that “the difference with the Apple Vision Pro is the two displays set in front of each eye. The resolution and color they display are fantastic and make things look realistic.” While Loyola did experience some pixelation and playback stutter (of the people in the room with him not of the videos) he was impressed.
Loyola, who feels that his head is large, said that “when I first put the Apple Vision Pro on, I had to tighten–not loosen–the straps to get a proper fit”. After wearing the Vision Pro for an hour Loyola said that he didn’t have any fatigue in his neck or any tenderness where the headset and straps hugged his head. There were some reports of testers suffering from soreness around the top of their head, but it’s very possible they were also dealing with sunburn since Apple’s keynote had been delivered outside in bright sunlight.
If you’re prone to inner ear infections, have ADHD/ADD, anxiety disorders, a pacemaker, epilepsy, blackouts/seizures or are pregnant, you may be warned against using the headset.
In addition to Meniere’s disease, past traumatic brain injuries, post-concussion syndrome, migraines.
The Best VR Headsets for 2023
It’s powered by mobile components, specifically the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset, and that’s enough to run entertaining VR experiences. Who It’s For This is a top VR headset, but its follow-up, the Meta Quest 3, is more compelling in every way (including a faster processor, a higher-resolution display, and color pass-through cameras). Accurate motion tracking Optional PC tethering via accessory cable CONS Short battery life SPECS Name Value Type Standalone Resolution 1,832 by 1,920 (per eye) Refresh Rate 120 Hz Motion Detection 6DOF Controls Oculus Touch Hardware Platform Standalone Software Platform Oculus All Specs GET IT NOW $249.00 Amazon $249.00 Walmart $249.99 Best Buy Learn More Meta Quest 2 Review Plus, the lightweight headset has impressive specs, including a sharp OLED display that delivers a 2,000-by-2,040-pixel picture to each eye.
After all, the headset’s not inexpensive at nearly $600 and it lacks backward compatibility with original PlayStation VR games (which is why that model is still on this list). However, this comfortable and impressive hardware has a strong launch library that includes Horizon: Call of the Mountain and the Jurassic World Aftermath Collection. They’re revolutionary, able to rack individual finger movements and make games (that take advantage of the feature) much more immersive than the standard trigger grips on other controllers. The system integrates with Valve’s Steam store through SteamVR, so there’s an incredibly large library of VR games, even if only a tiny fraction might bother with the finger support. High, 120Hz refresh rate delivers smooth motion Lots of VR software available on PC via SteamVR CONS Expensive
Expensive Occasionally frustrating tethered design SPECS Name Value Type Tethered Resolution 1,600 by 1,440 (per eye) Refresh Rate 120 Hz Motion Detection 6DOF Controls Valve Index Controllers Hardware Platform PC Software Platform SteamVR All Specs GET IT NOW $1,647.97 Amazon $999.00 Steam Learn More Valve Index VR Kit Review
The store offers the subscription-based Viveport Infinity service that provides unlimited access to VR experiences, instead of a la carte software purchases. It’ll cost you at least $1,300 before factoring in a PC with the specs to take advantage of the headset’s power, but you’ll enjoy amazing visuals and controls.
Expensive Doesn’t include necessary base stations or controllers SPECS Name Value Type Tethered Resolution 2,440 by 2,440 (per eye) Refresh Rate 120 Hz Motion Detection 6DOF Controls None Included Hardware Platform PC Software Platform SteamVR All Specs GET IT NOW $1,439.12 Amazon $799.00 Lenovo Learn More HTC Vive Pro 2 Review Who It’s For The Meta Quest Pro is for professionals who need a capable VR headset for collaboration purposes, and for enthusiasts who want to play with the excellent eye-tracking and face-tracking tech. Their cables makes them a bit unwieldy, but putting all of the video processing in a box that you don’t need to directly strap to your face means your VR experience can be a lot more complex. Either external sensors or outward-facing cameras provide full 6DOF (six degrees of freedom) movement tracking for both your head and your hands, thanks to motion-sensing controllers.
Standalone headsets offer the greatest physical freedom by completely removing the cables and not requiring an external device to handle processing. They lack a dedicated gaming PC’s processing power on their own, but their high-end mobile processors (especially the Quest Pro’s Snapdragon XR2+) push detailed, smooth graphics.
Meta’s vision of the metaverse hasn’t really panned out, and the aforementioned Horizon Worlds app is a ghost town. On the other hand, platforms and games that don’t call themselves metaverse like Roblox and VRChat have effectively become popular multimedia experiences crafted and curated by users.
Basically, these AR headsets have transparent lenses that let you look at your surroundings instead of completely replacing your vision with a computer-generated image. You can make a web browser pop up in the middle of a room, for instance, or watch animals run around your coffee table.
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