More juicy details about Apple’s Vision Pro have been uncovered by developers digging into the visionOS SDK.
We’ve already learned quite a bit about the Vision Pro since Apple’s WWDC event, but many details are still unknown.
Now that the software developers kit (SDK) is available, coders are digging in and uncovering more about Apple’s first mixed-reality headset. Here are some of the best finds so far.Limited VR range
A surprising fact revealed in the visionOS SDK is what seems to be an arbitrary limitation of movement while using VR. When you turn the dial to enter a fully immersive space that obscures your surroundings, you’re restricted to a 3-by-3 meter area. When seated, as shown above, that’s not a problem. However, if you are playing a game, you might want to walk around to explore.
Hans O. Karlsson’s tweet about this discovery shocked some people, who felt it was unnecessarily restrictive. Others praised Apple’s limitation.
I just learned that Apple has crippled VR so that it stops when you move more than 1,5 meters. So Apple VR is for coach potatoes. No real volumetric video possible then outside the coach zone. No table tennis, nothing that makes you move outside a small box. Super bummer. ????
— Hans O. Karlsson ???????????????????????? (@VRmaninJapan) June 22, 2023
In more familiar terms, that’s a 10-by-10-foot space, which is more than enough for most VR games. Still, it’s strange to place a hard limit on the area.