And it’ll cost you nearly £3000

Apple finally unveiled their new Vision Pro headset at their WWDC 2023 event. The device will support augmented and virtual reality, with a particular focus on films, entertainment and the work place when it launches next year.

Everyone has been speculating just when would Apple dive into the AR/VR headset space, with rumours circulating of Apple Glasses and VR goggles for years.

The device is now official and Apple have taken some big steps into focussing on image quality and portability. The headset looks similar to a pair of ski or snowboard googles and features two micro-OLED displays, delivering more pixels than a 4K TV to each eye. No one likes a blurred image, so it seems Apple is focussing on delivering a high quality image, even if it drives the cost up of the device.  Their big claim was that the Vision Pro fits 64 pixels into the same space that the iPhone’s screen fits into one single pixel.

To help with portability, Apple have opted to remove the battery pack from the headset itself, and this instead sits in your pocket or by your side, attached to the main headset via a cable. This should make the device more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time. Well – up to two hours, as that’s the estimated time from Apple on battery life.

Currently there is also no official controller for the device – you use your hands, eyes and voice to control the menus and other apps.  There are 12 cameras, 5 sensors and 6 microphones on the headset to help make this all work. Apple also showed off a user using a PlayStation 5 controller with the Vision Pro for gaming sessions.

If you’re using the headset in AR mode then people will be able to see your eyes through the headset’s glass – the idea being that you’re not totally cut off from the real world when using the device.  Although if you’re venturing into a VR world or immersed in a movie then the visor will switch to a cloud of colour, hiding your eyes.

Apple demonstrated how the Vision Pro can be used for watching movies in a virtual theatre, or by changing the surroundings and sitting you on top of a mountain or by a lake.  FaceTime meetings were also demonstrated, with a animated virtual avatar being created of yourself to display on other meeting member’s screens, rather than them seeing you sitting there in your headset.

Similar to when they launched their Watch, Apple have developed a specific operating system for the Vision Pro called visionOS.  The headset also uses two chipsets – an M2, which is the same one found in the iPad Pro 2022 and some Macs, plus an R1 chip which powers the augmented reality stuff.

All this tech of course doesn’t come cheap with the Vision Pro retailing for $3,500 (around £3,000). This is far more than Meta’s Quest 3 device but no doubt Apple will be targeting loyal Apple users initially – especially those that happily spend thousands on Mac and iPhone products already.

For now, we’ve only seen a showcase video, so how well this will all work in practice will be confirmed once the device goes on sale.  Apple have confirmed the device will go on sale in the US at some point in 2024, but have yet to announce any dates for the rest of the world.

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