Apple Vision Pro AR Headset

NortheasternPJ

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That's right. iPhone is a great product, but what sold iPhone was "there's an app for that." Apple Vision Pro is Apple's attempt not just to advance spatial computing, but to create an App Store/app ecosystem that rivals/surpasses the ones they already have.
Don’t forget for the first year or so there were no apps, no 3g, no keyboard (insert Steve Ballmer video here), was vastly overpriced and a whole bunch of other things people hammered them on.

View: https://youtu.be/eywi0h_Y5_U
 

notfar

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I’m looking forward to catching COVID again trying it out at the store.
 

Ed Hillel

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I definitely think there's potential there, and Apple has a good track record for perfecting/mainstreaming things that already exist. That said, VR video games don't seem to be catching on as quickly as companies are hoping them too. I imagine that as the tech gets better there will be more interest, but to this point it seems like the market is closer to rejecting it than embracing it.
VR like Oculus, no, it's not going to catch on in your everyday household. However, I think VR combined with AI will for gaming. I think the main appeal is going to be interacting with AI characters. You'll be sitting there holding a controller as you do now, but with that headset on for insane graphics and realism, plus the ability to just speak and make things happen like real life. I don't know that the movement stuff is ever really going to catch on, unless it's super simplistic stuff like pulling a trigger for Call of Duty, but sitting in a gamer's chair with this thing on and your standard controller I think is the future.

These are obviously expensive and a toy for the rich like SoSH, but I think this will end up like HD televisions and come down to Earth for the rest of humanity as the technology improves and others enter the market.
 

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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but sitting in a gamer's chair with this thing on and your standard controller I think is the future.

These are obviously expensive and a toy for the rich like SoSH, but I think this will end up like HD televisions and come down to Earth for the rest of humanity as the technology improves and others enter the market.
I think that's right, too. I can't afford v1 of this product (I'll try and convince work to buy it for me) but I'll probably buy gen 3. But of course I saw Kojima announce Death Stranding for Mac. If he ports Death Stranding to the headset, it's gonna take an awful lot of willpower for me not to buy this.
 
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CoffeeNerdness

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I was super bullish on VR for gaming until I got motion sickness using the Oculus. That shit succcked. I think the ultimate VR/AR gaming solution is probably decades away and won't involve strapping anything to your face.

The eye tracking + gesture inputs on this device sound super cool. We'll see what devs come up with.
 

TrotWaddles

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Video games and AI are gonna make it a thing imo. Playing Skyrim and speaking to AI characters is going to blow the present away.

Now, I'm not sure how these companies are going to weave all this together, in terms of selling these headsets separately or with their new consoles etc., but I don't think we're all that far off.
My kids were on the game side of the issue immediately. I'm not buying one but half the price, double the battery life, and make the vision issues easier deal would make me look at this again.
 

johnmd20

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I was super bullish on VR for gaming until I got motion sickness using the Oculus. That shit succcked. I think the ultimate VR/AR gaming solution is probably decades away and won't involve strapping anything to your face.

The eye tracking + gesture inputs on this device sound super cool. We'll see what devs come up with.
It is not even close to decades away.

That is a crazy take. The iphone was invented less than decades ago. A lot can progress in 4-5 years. Decades isn't possible for a product that literally exists today.
 

CoffeeNerdness

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It is not even close to decades away.

That is a crazy take. The iphone was invented less than decades ago. A lot can progress in 4-5 years. Decades isn't possible for a product that literally exists today.
"decades away and won't involve strapping anything to your face."
 

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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"decades away and won't involve strapping anything to your face."
A video game will always need some sort of video display, right? The display could get smaller and lighter until it's as comfortable as a pair of eyeglasses. Or the display could be summoned on demand and projected into the either. "Hey Siri, I want to play Zelda on a big screen. Give me 150" inches, fully immersive." The sunglasses are probably years away. The screen-on-demand-anywhere-you-can-think-it sounds decades away.

But video games that are not some degree of "sitting down and looking at a screen" aren't really video games. They're exercise/augmented reality.
 

ifmanis5

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You'll need an appointment and a face scan to get one.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-07/apple-vision-pro-headset-to-launch-in-us-stores-by-appointment?sref=ExbtjcSG
Apple will ask in-store buyers to make an appointment to purchase the Vision Pro. That follows a strategy the company used for the Apple Watch in 2015. The driving force behind the idea is to ensure customers walk out with a product that fits properly. If applicable, the company will ask users for their vision prescription for lens inserts via an online portal.
To determine the right light seal — the component that keeps light out of a wearer’s field of view — Apple is developing an iPhone app that will scan a person’s head as well as a physical machine. Online purchasers will similarly be asked to upload their prescription data and use the face scan app to determine accessory sizing.
 

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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Pre-orders start on Friday, 5 AM PT. My employer is willing to buy me one, but they don't know that they'll be sufficient supply. Anyone planning to pick one of these up?
 
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Seven Costanza

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All the initial responses seem similar: "this is incredibly cool, and by far the best implementation of AR/VR to date... but after a week toying with it, what are we going to use it for?"

I think it'll take a few years to mature from a very expensive and very cool toy to a genuinely useful everyday tool.
 

AlNipper49

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I was all set to pre-order one but I’ve heard some concerning things about the weight of it. Not enough to scare me away, but enough I’d like to see how to masses feel about it.

It’s a perfect application for me. I spend maybe three hours a day going through reports, dashboards and general data. If I could do that spatially it could speed me up a ton.
 

wilked

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I was all set to pre-order one but I’ve heard some concerning things about the weight of it. Not enough to scare me away, but enough I’d like to see how to masses feel about it.

It’s a perfect application for me. I spend maybe three hours a day going through reports, dashboards and general data. If I could do that spatially it could speed me up a ton.
 

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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I’ll see what my ordering experience is like. I have the dual constraint of needing the prescription eyeglass inserts and not being near an Apple Store. So I think Step 1 is calling my optometrist and seeing if I can get my prescription, then finding out what I need to upload for an online order.
 

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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Ordering this online was a breeze. Used Face ID oniPhone to scan my face. It recommended the correct size for the "light seal" (face padding). Called my optometrist, got my prescription, and uploaded it to Apple. It took 10 minutes. Arrives Feb. 6
 

Mantush

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The ordering experience was pretty easy. You had to scan an image on your browser with your iPhone and let it measure your face. I’ve had lasik so I didn’t need to bother with any of that stuff. I pick it up at 1:30 on February 2.
 

johnmd20

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There is going to be a lot more content coming out on the Vision Pro after it's released in February but if you want some talk about a first look, the Vergecast Podcast had a lot of discussion about it.

Vergecast is a must listen in general if you're interested in technology but this week's episode was especially good.
 

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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There is going to be a lot more content coming out on the Vision Pro after it's released in February but if you want some talk about a first look, the Vergecast Podcast had a lot of discussion about it.

Vergecast is a must listen in general if you're interested in technology but this week's episode was especially good.
"I'm going to be hammered in this thing 24/7. I live in the sky now, people. Flying around drunk wearing a headset." Thanks for the recommendation - this is good!
 

AlNipper49

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I think we'll see content come faster than with most things. The Oculus is the biggie right now and it has it's own development ecosystem. The Apple one that people will be developing on has 1000x more developers and is orders of magnitude more mature.
 

bigq

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The VR market has been in decline for the past two years and 2023 was particularly bad with sales declining by 40%. Zuckerberg has been burning mountains of cash on VR with losses of close to $40B since 2020. I have several friends and former colleagues who worked in Meta's VR division. A number of them have been let go in the past year or so. I imagine morale there can't be very good.

Apple seems poised to quickly become the market leader in the space.
 
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mauf

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My prescription was approved. Lenses arrive Feb. 2. For US customer: make sure your prescription is valid, signed by a doctor, and has your birthdate.
Can you say a bit more about your “prescription?” Are you nearsighted/farsighted/astigmatic, or does the device help address other issues?

I don’t think I’ll be an early adopter of this device, but I’d be at least a little interested if you can get it fitted with corrective lenses.
 

AlNipper49

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Can you say a bit more about your “prescription?” Are you nearsighted/farsighted/astigmatic, or does the device help address other issues?

I don’t think I’ll be an early adopter of this device, but I’d be at least a little interested if you can get it fitted with corrective lenses.
You can. I was under the impression that it was a thing that happens when you order but that video referenced a QR code where you enter in your script, so I guess it could be done programmatically

I think you can even order corrective lenses for the Oculus 3 through Zenni.

It’s very geeky but with my wife now traveling a bunch I watch TV on the oculus. It’s a really great experience and I’d imagine that the Apple one blows it out of the water.
 

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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Can you say a bit more about your “prescription?” Are you nearsighted/farsighted/astigmatic, or does the device help address other issues?
I’m nearsighted. I don’t have astigmatism. The only times I don’t wear my glasses are when I’m sleeping or showering. The Vision Pro comes with two types of optional, Zeiss “optical inserts” that attach magnetically to the device: readers or prescription lenses. To my knowledge, the only (commonly-correctable) vision deficiency that the optical inserts can’t orrect is double vision. If you have a prism on your prescription lenses, you won't be able to order them through Zeiss or Apple.

You can add them to your cart when ordering online. You upload a prescription from your optometrist, Zeiss reviews them, and you'll hear back later that day whether they can make your lenses. I believe you'll be able to check your glasses at an Apple Store as well, if you go in for a demo or a try-on.

It's honestly the thing I'm most excited about. I have an Oculus Quest 2, but it was never comfortable putting my headset on over the glasses. The device wasn't compelling enough for me to consider getting lenses for it. (The Oculus Quest 3 might be, and at a third of the price for the Vision Pro). But really, the displays on this are supposed to be magnificent. Two 4K OLED screens -- one in each eye. To be able to see that clearly and comfortably will be nice.
 
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Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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I’m being a fanboy here, but the Wall Street Journal’s video review of the Vision Pro is bananas. The reporter wears it “for the better part of 24 hours.“ At one point she cooks pasta with it on. She opens a recipe app and puts it in her peripheral vision. The stove is in front of her. She can clearly see everything— apps, stove, pots. She has mushrooms on one burner and sauce on another. She opens two separate timers with Siri. She drags one timer over the mushrooms and one over the sauce.

This scenario is contrived. No one should do this. But this is the dream of Augmented Reality, isn’t it? Being able to go about your day to day life with digital information effortlessly and intuitively overlayed becomes profoundly useful.
 

soxhop411

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I’m being a fanboy here, but the Wall Street Journal’s video review of the Vision Pro is bananas. The reporter wears it “for the better part of 24 hours.“ At one point she cooks pasta with it on. She opens a recipe app and puts it in her peripheral vision. The stove is in front of her. She can clearly see everything— apps, stove, pots. She has mushrooms on one burner and sauce on another. She opens two separate timers with Siri. She drags one timer over the mushrooms and one over the sauce.

This scenario is contrived. No one should do this. But this is the dream of Augmented Reality, isn’t it? Being able to go about your day to day life with digital information effortlessly and intuitively overlayed becomes profoundly useful.
WALL-E did it first :)
 

uncannymanny

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I’m being a fanboy here, but the Wall Street Journal’s video review of the Vision Pro is bananas. The reporter wears it “for the better part of 24 hours.“ At one point she cooks pasta with it on. She opens a recipe app and puts it in her peripheral vision. The stove is in front of her. She can clearly see everything— apps, stove, pots. She has mushrooms on one burner and sauce on another. She opens two separate timers with Siri. She drags one timer over the mushrooms and one over the sauce.

This scenario is contrived. No one should do this. But this is the dream of Augmented Reality, isn’t it? Being able to go about your day to day life with digital information effortlessly and intuitively overlayed becomes profoundly useful.
Link? Is this a video review or article?
 

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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Link? Is this a video review or article?
Both! I let my Journal subscription lapse, but here it is on Apple News: https://apple.news/ALd4RY3b9Q0umjnCH4Srw9A

Here’s the Journal link. https://www.wsj.com/video/series/joanna-stern-personal-technology/vision-pro-review-24-hours-in-apples-mixed-reality-headset/05CD2E77-897D-49A9-A87E-9B8A93E3E45F

Brian Tong shows watching sports on this thing:

View: https://youtu.be/GkPw6ScHyb4?si=7H_jx3N_Q6LXAC3M


That’s going to be the killer app on this.

It seems inevitable that Apple will do Friday Night Baseball broadcasts where you can change your perspective throughout the game. I’ve never sat in the Monster seats or behind home plate at Fenway, but I think this will get me close.
 

h8mfy

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It seems inevitable that Apple will do Friday Night Baseball broadcasts where you can change your perspective throughout the game. I’ve never sat in the Monster seats or behind home plate at Fenway, but I think this will get me close.
[/QUOTE]

I can confirm - as it is my job to develop this capability - that it is inevitable, but also, some ways off.

I am definitely looking forward to reading everyone's impressions of the product
 
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nvalvo

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I will say that I'm interested in this thing, but mostly as a work from home accessory — i.e. I am less interested in trying to replace a cellphone or a television as I am in replacing an external monitor/desk situation.

Trying to find space for two home offices in a small-but-well-located apartment is a drag, and if something like this (say, three versions down the road) could effectively get me a home office that didn't look like it was a home office when not in use — well, that sounds like something that might actually be worth $3500 compared to literally renting an apartment with an extra bedroom you wouldn't otherwise need. You could stand at a kitchen island with a wireless keyboard/mouse or sit down in a cozy chair and start opening gigantic pseudodisplays all around and get some work done (maybe keep a SoSH window open over on the side to keep an eye on the game thread), and then on evening and weekends just tuck the thing in a drawer.

Think how much people spend on powered standing desks. This might be a better solution for a lot of those people.
 

sodenj5

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canderson

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This thing seems like it’ll be incredibly in the medical world. Real-life during surgery and maybe even guides seems like a perfect use case.

Same when watching a game. Live stats around the action, spray charts, etc.
 

Mantush

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How are all of you guys liking yours so far? I'm having an amazing time with mine. I haven't tried using it for anything productive yet. I plan on setting it up tomorrow and seeing how if it's beneficial during my work (project management). I've been using it mostly so far as a media device and it's been really awesome in that regard.
 

NortheasternPJ

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How are all of you guys liking yours so far? I'm having an amazing time with mine. I haven't tried using it for anything productive yet. I plan on setting it up tomorrow and seeing how if it's beneficial during my work (project management). I've been using it mostly so far as a media device and it's been really awesome in that regard.
Anything you don’t like about it so far?
 

Mantush

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Anything you don’t like about it so far?
The floating keyboard is a little awkward and takes getting used to. I’m not sure I’ll ever really get used to it to be honest, so I may resort to using a physical keyboard with it when I set it up for work tomorrow.

My other minor gripe is the eye tracking to the corner of a screen doesn’t track well (may just be me), so it takes me several tries to try and resize a screen.

Those are the only two negatives for me. Netflix on Safari works just fine. Prime Video, using its iPad App, works well as well. I’m disappointed that Kindle isn’t supported and has to be used via Safari. I’ve been able to connect to GeForceNow and my PS5 remotely for gaming. It’s an awesome device overall—very pricey, obviously, but the technology is amazing and I’m super stoked to see how it evolves.
 

AlNipper49

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The floating keyboard is a little awkward and takes getting used to. I’m not sure I’ll ever really get used to it to be honest, so I may resort to using a physical keyboard with it when I set it up for work tomorrow.

My other minor gripe is the eye tracking to the corner of a screen doesn’t track well (may just be me), so it takes me several tries to try and resize a screen.

Those are the only two negatives for me. Netflix on Safari works just fine. Prime Video, using its iPad App, works well as well. I’m disappointed that Kindle isn’t supported and has to be used via Safari. I’ve been able to connect to GeForceNow and my PS5 remotely for gaming. It’s an awesome device overall—very pricey, obviously, but the technology is amazing and I’m super stoked to see how it evolves.
The keyboard was going to be my question. I can type extremely fast on a regular keyboard and was hoping that the integration was rock solid. Will definitely be interested in hearing your thoughts on that when you get a chance to get it all rolling.

I’m considering jumping in.
 

OfTheCarmen

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The video of the woman wearing it for ~24 hours went into the keyboard thing very early. She hated the virtual keyboard and quickly paired it with what I presume was a bluetooth one.
 

Mantush

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The keyboard was going to be my question. I can type extremely fast on a regular keyboard and was hoping that the integration was rock solid. Will definitely be interested in hearing your thoughts on that when you get a chance to get it all rolling.

I’m considering jumping in.
Corporate security protocols are blocking me from being able to use it for work… but I did hook up the magic keyboard this morning and I’m using it to type this message. The integration is seamless. I can look forward at this and see what I’m typing, but I can also look down at the keyboard and I’ll see a preview of what I’m typing so I can be sure I’m not making any typos. Once work lets me use this, I think I’ll be able to replace my three monitor setup just fine.
 

NortheasternPJ

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Corporate security protocols are blocking me from being able to use it for work… but I did hook up the magic keyboard this morning and I’m using it to type this message. The integration is seamless. I can look forward at this and see what I’m typing, but I can also look down at the keyboard and I’ll see a preview of what I’m typing so I can be sure I’m not making any typos. Once work lets me use this, I think I’ll be able to replace my three monitor setup just fine.
I really never expected it to work well enough to replace a physical keyboard. Maybe for some web URL's or quick searches but not for real work. I type pretty fast and I have no idea how they'd get it to an accuracy level that's required and also I don't know how they'd create an interface that wouldn't result in me significantly reducing my typing speed. Glad to see it works well with the Magic Keyboard, which is what I would expect.