Apple Vision Pro – The Future or Just a Gimmick?

The Vision Pro was unveiled a month ago, with Apples entry into the VR market a hotly controversial topic of discussion.

This brand-new headset contains features that look straight out of a sci-fi movie. It combines technological developments of the last 20 years and places them around your eyes in a really expensive pair of ski goggles.

This VR/AR headset is retailing for a price of £3,500… yes, 3 thousand 5 hundred pounds. While this price is definitely out of the realms of the average customer, its features aim to act as an all-in-one entertainment and workstation. Essentially replacing your Tv, Phone, PC and Headphones. But what features does this have and is it enough to justify the price.

Immersive Entertainment

• Apple states that you will be able to have your ‘own personal cinema’ with an adjustable virtual screen with the lenses able to dim the surroundings and create that ‘cinema’ experience.

3D Photos and Videos

• The Vision Pro contains 12 cameras and 6 microphones, this allows you to capture spatial photos, creating an immersive experience when reliving the memories at a later date.

Virtual Avatars

• Seen as the camera would be so close to your face people would only be able to see your forehead, Apple’s vision pro will use multiple angles to make a digital recreation of your face, this is used for facetiming and video calls on platforms such as teams.
• The avatar can detect facial movements as well as eye movements to give an authentic, realistic appearance.

‘Eyesight’ – to Display the users eyes

• This is a feature that will show the eyes of the user to the outside world in order to create that connection between the user and people communicating with them without the headset on.

Precise Eye Tracking

• Eye tracking is used to eliminate the need for those clunky handheld controllers. All you have to do is look at what you want to select and then perform the relevant had gesture and like magic it will respond to your action.

External Battery with 2 Hours of Battery Life

• In a somewhat lacklustre point, the battery life of the Vision Pro is only 2 hours. This is because the battery is external as to reduce the weight of the headset. However, if you want all day use, you can use the headset plugged into the power.

Spatial Audio

• Two audio pods are located next to the ear. These provide personalised audio to allow the user to hear what is happening around them. It also plays high quality audio from the headset themselves.

So, are these features enough to make the £3,500 price tag worth it. It is very hard to justify dropping what could buy you a car on a chunky headset.

It depends on if you’re willing to fully embrace the VR revolution. Replacing your TV, Computer, Headphones and Phone with the headset. If you’re not then Apple’s headset wont be for you.

Read more about the vision pro here – Apple Vision Pro – Apple