“Avatar” hit theaters in 2009. It was a technological marvel that presented audiences with one of the most immersive cinematic reports in the history of the medium. If the new online forums are to be believed, they have also caused something unforeseen in some viewers: depression. .
Not long after the film’s release, CNN reported on a strange new phenomenon that some deemed “Avatar Depression.” The film had been so immersive, a handful of audience members reported experiencing a kind of emptiness when they left the theater, and Pandora along with it.
As extended reality experiences have grown more prevalent on the success of headsets from companies like Meta, HTC and Sony, many have experienced similar phenomena. The more immersive the experience, the more jarring it can feel when you finally take the headset off.
After all, in essence, headphones aim to trick the brain about what it sees. This cognitive dissonance also creates movement diseases that are experienced in virtual reality. Your body and brain, for all intents and purposes, are experiencing other realities.
Image credits: apple
The Vision Pro is rarely a true virtual headset, at least not as far as Apple is concerned. If we go by the company’s press materials, this is a spatial computing device. In practical terms, it’s a combined truth. While so far maximum or maximum apps are considered augmented truth, thanks to the built-in pass-through technology, the device is also capable of being fully submerged by temporarily rotating the Apple Watch-style virtual crown that sits above the visor.
This week, Apple is offering some members of the media demos of Vision Pro. I spent some time with the headphones the day before. This was my first hands-on experience with the material, as Matthew had the honor of presenting it at WWDC. this summer. The idea was to get through as many elements as possible in about 60 minutes, from the app’s initial facial scans to the workspace to watching videos (there’s no game this time around, unfortunately).
First impressions: Yes, Apple Vision Pro works and yes, it’s good
The company has taken it upon itself to offer both ends of the Vision Pro immersion spectrum, ranging from a full passage to environments, an overall herbal scene that looks a bit like live photography on an infinite loop. An hour browsing through other apps is probably enough to feel a general Avatar Depression (certainly not in my case), but it gives a glimpse of a world where such phenomena are a distinct possibility, especially since the resolutions demonstrated are capable of making increasingly realistic photographs.
In the case of the Vision Pro, the display is everything. While phones have reached a point where 4K and 120Hz refresh rates are no longer a novelty, headphones have taken over. Much of the Vision’s ability to do what it does in the pair of micro-LEDs, which block 23 million pixels depending on the eye. This has the effect of creating an incredibly dense 4K display right from the start.
Of course, this is Apple, so each and every facet of the hardware is meticulously considered. Start with the adjustment process. Starting February 2, Apple will have Geniuses available at all of its U. S. retail stores. We are in the U. S. to advise buyers through the process. The exact nature of the in-store experience has not been described, but some of the ground will be committed to it. , you do any and all things inside the Genius Bar.
Of course, not everyone lives near an Apple Store, so the company will also carry out the procedure through the app. In fact, the home edition is based on the same app that workers will use in the store. The first step is almost indistinguishable from the procedure of setting up Face ID on an iPhone. You hold the phone close to your face and then move it in a circle as it scans from other angles. You’ll do this twice.
From there, the formula will determine which parts will best suit the shape of your face. Of course, all faces are different. Diversity is huge, and getting the wrong item can have a huge effect on the experience. We’ve had facial disorders (it’s rarely the first time those words have been uttered). The Light Seal, which magnetically attaches to the helmet, is designed to prevent ambient light from penetrating.
I just couldn’t quite perceive it. Finally we ran out of time and I had to continue with the gentle sensation coming from the bridge of my nose and cheekbones. If you’ve ever had a similar experience with headphones, you’ll know that it’s annoying at first, but over time your brain adapts and that’s it. However, there were some obscure demonstrations in which once he returned he made himself known.
I recently read how-to articles about some discomfort after using the equipment for a full hour. I haven’t experienced this, but of course your mileage will vary. To more comfortably distribute the weight of the device, Apple includes a pair of straps in the box. There’s the Solo Knit Band, which is the big, padded one you see in all the photos. Apple also offers the Dual Loop, which is narrower and has a secondary band that goes over the head.
I used the latter in the demo, assuming it would do a bigger job in terms of weight distribution. The straps snap into position magnetically and feature Velcro for adjustments. And then, of course, the battery. I guess Apple’s designers fought like hell to find a way to fix this problem. Ultimately, this would mean a considerable loss of battery life or a much greater increase in weight on the earbuds.
For better or worse, the world of hardware is a world of compromise. After all, physics has limits. As it stands, the drums are a vestigial organ and, moreover, a sublime one. This seems like a first-gen element that will be addressed in later versions.
It’s long enough that you can run it behind you while you sit, or stuff it in a pocket. I have zero doubt that the coming months will also see a number of solutions from third-party accessory manufacturers, like battery belts that promise an AR element.
Once you’re up and running, you’ll know. That in itself can be, in the end, a challenge if you make the decision to stay, as I did, halfway through the demo. I gained a slight jolt from the group as I did so. Moral of the story: If you plan your state a lot while using the headphones, look for a smart position for the battery.
UX relies heavily on gestures. With this, you’ll pinch more than an overzealous prankster on St. Patrick’s Day. The secret sauce is a mix of eye tracking and pinching. Look at an icon and it will vibrate subtly. You can now pinch to select. Pinch your hands and slide them left or right to scroll. Pinch your hands with both hands and spread them apart to zoom. There’s a bit of a learning curve, but you’ll be up and running quickly. Me in you.
You don’t need to raise your hands (although you probably will instinctively), as long as you make sure they’re not hidden from line of sight. I, for the most part, rested mine in my lap at all times.
Further refinement can be found through a button and digital crown located on the top of the visor. The crown is really not much more than a bigger version of what you get on the Apple Watch.
Once up and running, I entered the passvia global. This is not a new idea. Magic Leap does, as do the new Meta and HTC earbuds. A fully immersive delight requires the opacity of the visor. This means you can’t just look through a glass window at the world around you. Passvia uses speed cameras to get a symbol of your landscape and transmit it to your eyes with as little latency as possible.
Of course, humans are very clever about noticing latency. It’s another thing about the brain and the body. If the headphones trick your brain into thinking you’re directly looking for an image, the slightest perceptible latency will be shocking. There’s a bit of ici. That was to be expected. However, it is not enough, to be in fact turned off. Again, you get used to it. (I’m going to say this often. Get used to it. )
You also get used to the passthrough itself. While it’s probably the best version of the technology I’ve experienced, it’s still immediately obvious that you’re not actually looking through a transparent surface. If the headset is a window, it’s a little foggy. The image isn’t as sharp as reality, nor is it as bright. Remember that bit before about getting used to it? That applies again.
Passthrough is a foundational technology here for a number of reasons. The first and most practical is so you don’t run into shit. Simple enough. The second is that spatial computing element we talked about 1,300 or so words back. The world, to paraphrase Billy Corgan, is a desktop.
Image credits: apple
This is the clue you’ve noticed in all the videos. Among those who envisioned the Vision Pro as a first gaming device, it was unexpected how much Apple leaned into this concept of spatial computing. In the grand scheme of things we think we’re doing with real helmets combined, it’s not one of the most appealing. It’s work. You’re sitting at a table typing or surfing the internet. The challenge is that there is no table monitor, or rather, the truth in the table monitor.
Again, Apple is rarely the first company to test this. However, it could be the most ambitious. It’s a wonderful effect. When someone writes this to you while sitting at a table in front of two giant monitors, the appeal is clear. Hell, if you read this regularly, you’ll know that after decades without a TV, I recently bought a projector. While shopping for the projection screens, I discovered that the one that best suited my desires was also the hundred-inch one.
One hundred inches is — and I can’t express this enough — a lot of inches. I have a smallish one-bedroom apartment. The projector screen now monopolizes an entire wall of it. Using the Vision Pro, it strikes me that Apple has done a truly excellent job approximating distances and points in space.
Watching a movie in Vision Pro is like watching a movie projected on the wall in front of you. Using the spatial computing element, on the other hand, provides the effect of retrieving application windows and moving them in front of you. You can open (more or less) as many as you need at the same time, just as you would on your computer or phone. It’s the first computing device I’ve used where real estate doesn’t seem to be a premium. Do you want to open some other app? Just toss it aside.
Image credits: apple
If the truth is too boring, turn on the Environments feature we talked about earlier and do your taxes on top of a Hawaiian volcano at sunset. Apple also opens up environments to third parties. Disney made a few, so I spent some time at Avengers HQ and on a speeder parked on Tatooine. It’s a fun reminder of how much of my formative years this mouse has lately owned as intellectual property in the public domain.
For my money, besides watching a movie, the most immersive experience today was Encounter Dinosaurs. Apple worked with Jon Favreau and others on the Apple TV show Prehistoric Planet to create a stunning dinosaur experience. These projects are somewhat reminiscent of some of the proprietary app experiments that Apple created to demonstrate the iPad’s original display.
Here a portal to the promenade opens showing a rugged prehistoric landscape. A pair of giant carnivores reminiscent of the T-Rex come forward to sniff you. It’s very cool and you feel like a kid for a moment (never take your helmet off and never have to deal with adult responsibilities). I enjoyed it. The graphics are stunning, the AI makes the dinosaurs react to the user’s movements, and the audio speakers on both sides really bring to life the cacophonous sobs and growls of a curious carnivore.
Encounter Dinosaurs is rarely a very basic promotional point, but it is a great indicator of where things are headed. Unfortunately, today’s demo is completely lacking in gameplay, but the dinosaur experience gave me some hope for long-term experiences. I’ve spent a total of an hour relaxing with the dinosaurs and I’m perfectly happy. It’s probably just me.
Image Credits: Apple
Perhaps the most impressive thing about the demo, however, was that it felt completely immersive, even with the shortcut enabled. It’s a sense of transportation and at the same time very rooted in reality.
Another strangely immersive moment happened while I was looking at the Mindfulness app. It took me decades to bang my head against the wall (metaphorically) to begin to see the benefits of meditation. However, Vision Pro feels a bit like a cheat code. The app focuses on a ring of flower petals that moves in and out to help you control your breathing (it’s similar to the same call app on Apple Watch). It’s very focused and anything you surely intend to take advantage of if and when we have a control unit.
Space images and videos are also worth mentioning here. Taken with iPhone 15 Pro, the photographs create a three-dimensional scene with a genuine sense of depth. Remember ViewMaster? Imagine that, just with your photos and videos you will get a rough approximation of the experience. A video placed on the table of a circle of family members and it seemed downright intrusive, as if he was watching strangers interact in his own kitchen.
If you turn your head towards a user during one of those fully immersive experiences, you start to see their silhouette glow. The formula uses the user’s popularity and won’t do the same for objects. It’s simply another way to help users avoid being completely cut off from reality.
For those around you, there’s EyeSight (not with iSight). Remember the scanning procedure at the beginning?Another thing the app does is create a virtual edition of your face. When you look at someone, a sensible symbol of your face (mainly your eyes) appears in a small virtual cutout on the visor. The headset’s internal cameras see when you’re doing something like a blink or grimace, and the symbol responds in real-time, with the AI creating an approximation of what your face looks like when you do that.
Image Credits: Apple
The feature exists to circumvent potential privacy concerns, proving a subtle way for people around you to know when you’re looking at them. The contents on the inside of the screen can also be broadcast to an iOS device via AirPlay, so people around you can follow along with what you see.
Pre-orders for Vision Pro open this Friday, January 19. The headset will go on sale on February 2. Apple has promised more news and content announcements until then. As it stands, it’s an impressive demonstration of a new paradigm for the business, one that has taken about a decade to develop. It brings together a number of other things the company has been running over the years, such as spatial audio, into one attractive package.
Is it $3,500 compelling, however? After an hour of testing I’m not fully convinced. For one thing, that price is prohibitively expensive for a majority of people who would be interested in the system. For another, it feels like we’re very much in the primordial stages of the content story. Much of what is on offer is existing apps ported over. They’re still neat in this setting, but it’s harder to make the case that they’re revolutionary.
On the whole, though, Vision Pro just is.