Is Apple’s spatial computing headset worth the price? Can you try it before buying it? ZDNET answers all your burning questions.
An Apple VR/AR headset had been rumored for more than six years, and now it is finally here. Eight months after Apple announced the Vision Pro at WWDC, the headset is shipping to customers.
The highly anticipated headset is meant to take mixed reality experiences to the next level. Apple has gone as far as claiming that the Vision Pro is the «most advanced personal electronic device ever.»
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How does the Vision Pro look and feel?
The design of the Vision Pro differs from many existing AR/VR headsets. For example, the device has an external battery pack that resembles the size of an iPhone and connects to the headset via a cable.
Therefore, a user has to place the battery in their pocket and deal with a dangling cable when using the Vision Pro.
By having a tethered battery system, Apple has been able to reduce the weight of the Vision Pro headset to make it noticeably lighter than the competition. This setup, according to Apple, should solve one of the biggest issues with VR headsets: discomfort after extended use.
The look of the Vision Pro itself resembles ski goggles, and its curved front has an external screen that allows the wearer’s eyes to be seen when approached by others through a feature called EyeSight.
The front of the headset is made from three-dimensionally formed, laminated glass that connects to a custom aluminum alloy frame. The Light Seal, made of soft textile, and the three-dimensionally knitted HeadBand come in a range of sizes to provide maximum comfort.
The headset has two individually amplified drivers inside each audio pad to power its Personalized Spatial Audio, which personalizes sound for a user based on their head and geometry.
To switch between AR and VR, the headset has a crown similar to the one found on the Apple Watch. There is also a knob that will allow users to easily customize the fit and a button on top of the headset to take photos.
Users can control the headset with eye and hand tracking, a feature that’s slowly being adopted by other headsets on the market, as well as voice commands. For example, users can pinch to select and flick to scroll.
Vision Pro runs on a new Apple operating system, VisionOS, which resembles the iPadOS interface, bringing the continuity of Apple’s apps and services ecosystem to the headset.
