Apple unveiled an expensive augmented-reality headset called the Vision Pro in its riskiest bet since the introduction of the iPhone more than a decade ago, barging into a market dominated by Meta (META.O). The headset, which allows people to relive memories and take on new experiences thanks to spatial audio and Unity technology, will cost $3,000, nearly triple the top-line price of the competitor’s headsets. First, however, it must be clarified if the expensive device will catch on.
The sleek device looks more like a pair of semi-transparent ski goggles than the bulky headsets, aiming to keep users connected to the real world by showing their eyes in their peripheral field of view. The company also uses a display to reproduce the wearer’s face to appear similar to other people looking at them. In addition, the headset will run iOS apps, including Safari and Messages, that many iPhone, iPad, and Mac users already know and use.
It isn’t clear if the Vision Pro can create the sort of three-dimensional files that would allow you to walk “into” and around them, as with some VR headsets such as the Meta Quest 2. But Apple executives avoided using the term metaverse during their presentation at the WWDC conference at Yerba Buena Gardens, where Michael Franti and Spearhead performed.
While Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been pushing his social network’s metaverse, it remains a geeky concept that has mostly appealed to gamers and others with deep pockets. Apple’s executives described the Vision Pro as a first step into spatial computing instead, although they did mention gaming and other immersive apps.
To make the headset work, it needs a lot of power. The device is reportedly powered by a new chip faster than the M2 Ultra in the 15-inch MacBook Air. In addition, it has two micro OLED screens the size of postage stamps with 23 million pixels working in conjunction with three-element lenses to provide a wide field of view. It also has up-facing cameras, sensors, and a six-axis head-tracking system that can read your gestures, eye movement, and hand position in milliseconds.
While Apple has had vital developers working on the Vision Pro before its launch, it will still be years before a wide range of apps are available. In the meantime, the headset can run iPad apps, expanding its capabilities before immersive apps are ready. The company also has a set of desktop applications for the headset, including Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, to help users get started with the software. First, however, it needs to be clarified whether any other desktop software will be ported to the device.
