Well, it's official – the Apple Reality Pro headset is here, but – plot twist – it's actually called the Apple Vision Pro. And long story short – this looks revolutionary.
Forget the VR headsets of old, this is something entirely different. Apple has clearly spent a lot of time thinking about how this works, ensuring it solves a whole host of problems people have had with other headsets in the past.
Lets quickly blast through some features. First and foremost, the device is controlled with just the hands, eyes and voice of the subject. Users can use their eyes to move the cursor on the screen, with app icons popping out to show where the cursor is. Hand gestures control click and scroll, while voice dictation allows users to type into search bars and more.
You'll be able to make screens any size, to fit your space. Panels also have a depth dimension and a shadow, to help you visualise them within your space. It makes moving tabs like moving furniture in your home.
There's also a feature called environments. This allows you to place a different backdrop behind your displays, so you can choose to work beside a lake, rather than from your living room. These are fully volumetric renders, making them look incredibly lifelike.
Apple has also considered how the Vision Pro headset will allow you to interact with other people in the physical world. When you're immersed in an activity, a swirly design will show on the front of the device. If someone walks into the space, not only will they appear in your vision, they'll also see your eyes on the front of the device, so you can interact as normal.
The space is fully 3D, allowing you to place multiple apps and tabs around you, wherever you'd like. If you work with 3D images, you can even pull those out to view in 3D in front of you. Apple Vision Pro will also link via Bluetooth to popular accessories like the Magic Keyboard and the Magic Trackpad.
Plus, if you use a MacBook, you can use this with it, too. Simply look at the screen on through the Vision Pro and the display will pop out from the laptop, allowing you to place it anywhere in your space, with a whopping 4K resolution.
The Vision Pro headset also features a redesigned Spatial Audio system. The ambient system analyses your room with audio ray tracing, to create audio that is perfectly matched to your space. You'll also be able to take Spatial Video and Spatial Photos, too.
The Vision Pro is powered by a dual chip design. That includes the Apple M2, plus an all new Apple R1 chip which works to reduce lag from sensors for seamless use. That means that footage appears in front of your eyes eight times faster than the blink of an eye.
A uniquely designed operating system called VisionOS has been created for the Vision Pro headset. This is the first operating system designed from the ground up to support Spatial Computing.
The Apple Vision Pro headset will retail from $3,499, and is available from early next year. The headset will be available on the Apple website, and at select Apple stores in the USA, with other regions expected to be added soon after.
