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Trying the Apple Vision Pro: Is the mixed reality headset worth the hype?
Summary
Apple’s Vision Pro mixed reality headset is a novelty and might appeal to early adopters. But there is scope for it to become an everyday productWhen Apple first introduced its first mixed reality headset last year in June, the one thing that overpowered all other headlines about it was the pricing. At a staggering $3,499 ( ₹2,90,000), one could imagine why. Meta received ample flak for pricing its Quest Pro headset at only $999 ( ₹84,000).
Yet, a one-hour demonstration session with the Apple Vision Pro gave plenty of food for thought into the next generation of personal computing. What Apple has may not be perfect, but it adds layers of interactivity to the experience that, after soon-to-be two decades of being driven by smartphones, felt just right.
First thing: comfort
A couple of things that are quite likeable are magnetic snap-on prescription lenses that you can get via Zeiss for the Vision Pro headset, and the comfortably adjustable head strap. Even after nearly one hour of using the headset, there was no head or neck fatigue—although it is impossible to miss that this is a heavy, helmet-like contraption that isn’t quite natural or subtle enough for human interfacing. Not yet at least.
Comfort would be of utmost value for the Vision Pro, for as a next-generation spatial computer, the idea would be that the headset is wearable for long hours. This could mean three hours to watch Avatar or going through emails. That anyone might use the Vision Pro for everyday work feels farcical today, but in the long run, it isn’t unlikely that devices of this headset’s form factor could replace other gadgets as we know of them today.
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It is also noticeable that the Vision Pro does not have handheld controllers, and users are left to use everything within the headset with gestures, taps and pinches with both hands. While this isn’t a bad idea—especially because Apple’s implementation of the gesture recognition feature is quite sound, the lack of tactile, haptic feedback on fingertips and hands is sorely missed. Especially while typing, touch feedback is missed, and not just out of habit. The act of writing and typing have always been tactile. Perhaps Apple will find a way to enable this in the long run, through accessories.
The content and the experience
Once within the Apple Vision Pro headset’s main interface, the best part for anyone who has used Apple devices before is the overall familiarity. The home screen with all apps looks akin to an older version of Apple’s iPad software, while there is an option to move app screens and even the home screen around with twists and turns.
The quality of pass-through video rendering is sharp, but there is still a slight sense of fuzziness that is hard to ignore if the Vision Pro is used every day. What works is that the Vision Pro leverages a user’s eyeballs as a pointer within the headset, which significantly aids its usability quotient. The interface and its design do not feel alien, and that is a big win, especially for a gadget that acquired notoriety before critical appreciation.
Through the demo period, Apple presented a range of highly curated 3D photographs and videos taken with the Vision Pro, as well as 360-degree videos shot for the headset. While the added depth in the content felt incremental, the 360-degree videos made a big difference—and came close to claims of mixed reality headsets placing users at the centre of the action. Even as a large-screen content experience, the Vision Pro felt quite focused, with spatial audio in each ear making the video experience enjoyable.
Then, there was gaming: with Pinball, a classic. Playing this with finger swipes and flicks took some getting used to. All of this summed up to make the Apple Vision Pro one of the best immersive headset experiences in the market, even though purchasing it costs more than a pretty penny.
There are compromises
The curated list of experiences raises questions around developer support, which is yet to ramp up. This is a classic chicken-and-egg situation. Developers would only build for a device if enough users were on a platform. However, the headset’s lofty price tag means that it’s unlikely that mass adoption is just around the corner.
As a result, this demotes the Vision Pro to a strictly enthusiast experience, reserved largely for fans of the brand, or early adopters of consumer gadgets. Beyond a point, there wouldn’t be a whole lot of new video content coming along for users to savour, and unlike 4K televisions, for the Vision Pro, it isn’t just a question of ramping up standard content to immersive 3D or 360-degree renditions. Until the library of immersive movies and games comes along, it would not be a surprise that the Vision Pro remained a novelty.
The Vision Pro also only works for users who leverage Apple’s entire ecosystem of products. It’s unlikely that a bit-part user would be shooting a whole lot of life events in immersive 3D. But for what it’s worth, the added depth does make a difference. Is it a difference worth ₹300,000? That remains to be seen.
Slim competition
The Vision Pro has few competitors in the market. Straight up, the headset is not in India yet, even after Apple expanded its retail markets to new geographies recently. One key reason could be its lofty price tag and its complex manufacturing process. Apple would perhaps only scale the headset once it sees enough cues of users being interested in adopting the new technology format.
However, there are other options available. Meta, for instance, has a Quest Pro, and two other less-expensive offerings with the Quest 3 ($399, ₹33,000) and Quest 2 ($299, ₹25,000). In partnership with eye gear veteran Ray-Ban, Meta also offers the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses ($299, ₹25,000), all of which retail in the US.
None of these hold a candle to the overall visual fidelity of the Apple Vision Pro, even with Quest Pro’s higher-resolution in-eye displays that still feel jittery. The latter also uses handheld controllers like gaming consoles, which aren’t the most natural way for mainstream users to communicate with their surroundings.
Meta’s smart, immersive wearables also suffer from the same issue of lacking developer support, a factor that only Sony’s take has somewhat answered.
Sony’s PlayStation VR 2 ($549, ₹57,999) is the only immersive wearable that is officially retailed in India. But it is strictly gamer-oriented, which leaves users with none of the versatility promise that Apple’s Vision Pro comes with.
Truly a novelty
It is undeniable that the Apple Vision Pro is a novelty. Using the headset does feel like taking on a next-generation, work-in-progress user interface that is new, yet not unfamiliar. There are edges to smoothen out—for which Apple will need to make the headset lighter, reduce its price tag, and bring a constant stream of games and 360-degree video content to the platform.
The hype around the Vision Pro is not baseless. There’s no denying that it’s still in the early stage, but for a first-generation hardware, there’s also no denying that the Vision Pro carries all signature Apple-like refinements that make it feel far superior to its competition.
The writer was in Cupertino, California on Apple’s invitation.
