TechVRI tried Apple’s Vision Pro and I wasn’t quite expecting thisHere’s what you don’t know about Apple’s mixed-reality headset until you try itWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TechVRI tried Apple’s Vision Pro and I wasn’t quite expecting thisHere’s what you don’t know about Apple’s mixed-reality headset until you try itWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Here’s what you don’t know about Apple’s mixed-reality headset until you try it
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Apple)
(Image credit: Apple)
Applefirst announced its Vision Pro mixed reality headset at the2023 WWDC, and the device went on sale in the US in February 2024. In that time I’ve read a lot about it, from professional reviews, like the one on our sister titleTom’s Guide, through to influencers wearing them on the underground. I’ve even known people who have bought them.
Until today, though, I’d never tried it for myself – I’d not even seen it in the flesh (or rather, aluminium and glass). I knew what it could do, from the hand tracking and pinching to control, to the life-altering effect of watching Avatar on it. As good as that sounded, I wasn’t desperate to try it.
I’ve used almost every VR and augmented headset on the market, from the Meta Quests to the HTC and XReal Air 2 AR glasses. They’re all impressive in their own right, but the novelty of the experience was starting to wear off, quicker than the VR-induced nausea they can often create. The Vision Pro should be more impressive, especially for the price, and the reviews to date attest to that.
On 12th July, the Vision Pro finally goes on sale in the UK priced from £3499 (as well as a few other territories), so it was time to try the unit for myself. The good thing is, that Apple is offering demos of the Vision Pro at every one of its Apple Stores across the country. So, while you can read all about my experience, you can actuallybook a demoto go and try it for yourself and see how you find it.
(Image credit: Apple)
(Image credit: Apple)
Setting up the Vision Pro
My demo was to last about half an hour. First I needed to scan my face using aniPhone. The experience is a lot like setting up Face ID. Once this is done you can get the right light seal to match your face, which provides the best possible fit and avoid light leakage.
If you wear glasses, Apple can scan them to get the right prescription for you and then add the Zeiss optical inserts to make sure the image is crystal clear. It seems more complicated than a simple dioptre adjustment but it does ensure optimum focus.
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The battery pack has a long enough cable that you can either sit it on the chair next to you or slip it in your back pocket standing up. The pack will give you around two hours of use, or 2.5 hours watching video. It does feature a USB C port though, so you can continually power it from another source.
The rest of the set-up only takes a couple of minutes, and will only need to be done the first time you wear it. It calibrates the eye tracking and your hand positions, as these are your main tools for navigating the Vision Pro, so need to be spot on.
Calling up the home menu for the first time against the apparent backdrop of the room around me – though all actually on screen – I was acutely aware of how sharp the menus looked. The display for each eye is more resolute than a 4k screen, so it shouldn’t be a surprise, but it helped make it feel even more real.
To open one of the apps you simply look at it and pinch your fingers together. The apps move slightly as you look at them, which helps assure you it’s the right one. It also takes some training not to raise your hands up to do the pinch, as it still recognises it with your hands in your lap.
(Image credit: Apple)
(Image credit: Apple)
Diving into the Vision Pro apps
Most of what I had tried up to then had been with an augmented reality view so that the apps I was viewing appeared in my natural surroundings. However, turning the small dial on top of the glasses allows you to mix between augmented reality and virtual reality, replacing your surroundings with a virtual one as you turn it more. Suddenly I was standing on top of a Hawaiian volcano viewing my apps, which felt strangely natural.
There’s a function on the Vision Pro called People Awareness. With this selected, anyone close to you will appear in your view, even when dialled fully into virtual reality. It means you won’t get any surprises if someone is approaching, and also lets you easily chat with other people in the room while still enjoying the Vision Pro.
Browsing the internet using the Vision Pro feels like it would be beneath its station, but it manages to elevate the experience. Firstly, you get a lifesize browser window, which you can make smaller or bigger, and even position it to the side. Scrolling through pages requires a simple pinch and drag movement, like pulling a piece of string, and works very nicely. To enter the name of a website or search term, you have the choice of voice command using Siri or a virtual keyboard.
I was a little apprehensive about the keyboard, as you’re essentially typing into nothing, but once you learn to push your fingers through the keys rather than tap them, it’s actually very easy. You can also pair an Apple wireless keyboard to the Vision Pro if you prefer. Or pair your whole Mac and create huge virtual displays for it.
(Image credit: Apple)
(Image credit: Apple)
DJs, dinosaurs and downward dogs?
The app library for the Vision Pro already has over 2000 entries and is still growing, and there are some very clever apps out there that play to the headset’s strengths. The first one I tried was an app called Djay, which has been completely redesigned for the Vision Pro. You are presented with two lifelike decks and a central mixer to interact with, whether you’re moving the fader, scratching the recording or moving the needle. There are also virtual effects that you can control with your hands above the decks. It’s a lot of fun, and as it links to Apple Music and your personal collection, you could spend hours enjoying your favourite tracks here.
The Mindfulness app has also been redesigned to take advantage of the Vision Pro’s abilities. A virtual ball of light expands and contracts in your augmented view, and you feel instantly compelled to match your breathing to its movements. Images dance as they fill your view and help you completely switch off from your day. This certainly feels like a great way to unwind in the evenings.
(Image credit: Apple)
(Image credit: Apple)
Have 3D movies finally found their home?
I’d heard about theAvatar: The Way of Waterclip from the original demos at WWDC and it was perhaps the part I was least excited about. I’ve watched both Avatar films and found the 3D effects a bit of a one-trick pony. Watching it on the Vision Pro, however, did feel different.
For films in theApple TVapp, you can set your environment to a cinema experience, and even choose where you’d like to sit in the theatre. Here the depth of the 3D looks more natural, without needing to fly right into your face. It actually adds to the realism rather than distracting from it. While I’m still not sold on the need for 3D blockbusters, this is certainly the way to view them.
You can also watch TV and movies in the augmented view, to place a huge screen in your living room, or wherever you are. The NBA On-demand feature lets you watch a multi-view of screens that you can reposition and swap between – like your very own sports bar.
(Image credit: Apple)
(Image credit: Apple)
Immersive video
The last part of the demo pulled out the big guns. The collection of immersive video ranged from tightrope walkers suspended high in the mountains, to courtside for headline NBA basketball games, all harnessing the power of 3D 8K video with a 180-degree field of view.
Experiencing live-action sports, such as football, NFL American Football and NBA basketball in this way gives a different perspective to the game. Experiencing the action from the touchline or behind the goal is a dream for many sports fans, and feels incredibly real in this demo showreel.
(Image credit: Apple)
(Image credit: Apple)
Is it worth the hype?
The Vision Pro is a new sector. It isn’t perfect, and its pricing is far from mass market. However, it does show huge potential for a new generation of devices. Much like with the iPhone, second and third generations will widen the appeal and bring the experience to more people.
Areas such as the immersive and spatial video make this a sensory experience that cannot be matched with a 2D screen. I can’t wait to explore the features of the Vision Pro further and get a deep dive into more of its apps as they become available.
Today’s best Apple Vision Pro, Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 (2023) and Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 (2023) deals$1,189View$2,399View$2,798ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Apple Vision Pro, Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 (2023) and Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 (2023) deals$1,189View$2,399View$2,798ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Apple Vision Pro, Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 (2023) and Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 (2023) deals
$1,189View$2,399View$2,798View
$1,189View
$1,189View
$1,189View
$1,189
$1,189
$2,399View
$2,399View
$2,399View
$2,399
$2,399
$2,798View
$2,798View
$2,798View
$2,798
$2,798
Show More Deals
Show More Deals
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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