A new vision of reality: Apple's Vision Pro
Sizing up the new headset's potential in the gaming space
Early Tuesday morning, with a 12-day-old baby sleeping on my chest, I tuned into Apple’s live keynote as part of this year’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC). Was I watching for the new iterations of Apple’s multiple operating systems? No, I was watching for something I already knew was coming—from leaks and thousands of patents—Apple’s first headset, the Vision Pro. While the headset is capable of both virtual reality and augmented reality, Apple’s focus was primarily on the latter.
Some definitions:
Virtual Reality (VR) is where your entire field of view is enveloped by a virtual environment. VR short films play in 360 degrees all around you as an observer. And of course, we have interactive games, which I’ve covered for devices like the PlayStation VR2. There are a whole bunch of these devices on the market now, mostly for games, and some (*cough* Zuckerburg *cough*) may claim VR is key for the eventual “metaverse.”
Augmented Reality (AR) is when you can still see the real world around you but digital objects overlay and appear to interact with your environment. Most AR experiences you would’ve seen in phone apps like TikTok filters and Pokémon GO. While we have been teased before about the applications of AR, with Minecraft on Microsoft’s Hololens and the many failings of Magic Leap, Apple is promising they finally cracked it and will be shipping an actual retail product next year (in the US to start). I’ve only ever experienced AR apps that feel like glitchy tech demos, so Apple still has a lot to prove and will have to unleash its marketing machine at full power.
Of course, a company like Apple would attempt to blend these two often distinct technologies together, making a truly “mixed reality” headset. A device that can do both virtual reality and augmented reality, and also utilize the two together in various scenarios. For example, the Vision Pro can put you inside a VR environment but lets you adjust your level of immersion with a spin of the headset’s “Digital Crown.” It also offers video passthrough of people entering your physical space. In Apple’s presentation they also never used these terms I outlined above and instead refer to it all as “spatial computing.” Apple’s gonna Apple.
All the world’s a screen
Most of what Apple showed was of users setting up virtual screens in front of them, whether a giant screen for viewing a 2D episode of Ted Lasso (oof, that third season) or 3D media like Avatar: The Way of Water, or multiple screens for working. While a neat idea, presenting a world without screens (ignoring shared viewing for a second), I am more interested in what developers come up with when it comes to applications that make use of the full 3D environment, and that includes games.
I know the reveal of this device at WWDC is designed to appeal to developers to make things for its platform, but Apple also makes apps. It would’ve been nice to see something more than a nifty visualizer in its Mindfulness app. At a price of USD$3,499, this is no entry-level device and will be facing stiff competition. Meta will still be in the mixed reality market yet. It even beat Apple to the punch with the latest reveal of its new Meta Quest 3 headset just days ago.
As for partners in this crazy endeavor, Disney’s on board, with its new Bob (CEO Bob Iger) taking the stage. At least with its Disney+ app, which teased sitting inside a cockpit of a spaceship on Tatooine while you watch The Mandalorian on a floating screen. In another moment, an AR replay of a basketball game is played on a coffee table. Toward the end of Disney’s teaser, someone reached out an arm to Jeffrey Wright’s The Watcher from Marvel’s What If, gaining superpowers of their very own. All this showcased what might be to come, but at this stage, it’s all just concept. The proof is in the proverbial pudding.
Look, Mum, no hands
Apple shows someone playing Apple Arcade games using a PlayStation DualSense controller, but the big selling point of Apple’s new device is that you only use your eyes, your hands, and your voice to control it. While nice in theory, it will have to be seen how accurate it is and how straining it could be after extensive use, no matter how small the gestures. I’ve used eye tracking in PlayStation VR2, and it still feels unnatural to me. Despite my qualms, it’s a low barrier to entry despite the many other barriers in place.
At this stage, while Apple has promised support for Unity, the mobile game engine, it’s hard to see what sort of games will be made for this new platform. Porting games from other headsets will be a harder-to-swallow investment with the Vision Pro’s innovative control scheme. I’ll bet for future iterations they announce some sort of haptic feedback controller (or gloves??), especially for VR games where you’re often grasping objects. Apple didn’t actually show being able to see your hands in a fully virtual environment. Even if they did get that working seamlessly, pretending to hold something in your hands when there’s nothing but air, will simply break immersion.
At least with the odd-looking controllers that Meta, Valve, and Sony have all made, you’re still holding onto a solid piece of plastic, with buttons allowing for further options. Since ditching the iPod click wheel and iPhone home button for touch-only screens, Apple really has it out for buttons.
What’s good
Unlimited screens
Ooh that glass
Looks comfy
OLED screens with more pixels than “a 4K TV for each eye”
Audio Raytracing, whatever that is
3D video capture, although the video they showed gave some odd vibes—“Daddy, come watch us play bubbles” while daddy stares intently through giant goggles, glowing with digital recreations of his eyes
Video passthrough of people entering your field of vision when you’re inside a virtual space
No controllers, reducing “one” barrier to entry.
What’s not so good
The Facetime avatars are hella creepy and so is “EyeSight” the recreation of a person’s eyes. I finally got around to seeing Luther: Fallen Sun and it basically reminds me of Andy Serkis’ digital face mask creepily staring in through a window
However slim fitting, it’s a device that still envelops your face. We’re some ways yet from proper AR glasses
No controllers, making VR games rarer and harder to port
Doesn’t fit glasses wearers—you need to attach proprietary prescription lenses
2 hours of battery life
The device itself is a wearable, but unlike Meta’s Quest, requires an external “MagSafe” attachable battery pack that you need to stick somewhere on your person
That $$$$ price tag.
A few places I read actually got a hands-on demo of the Vision Pro: