It’s been the subject of rumors and whispered about for years, and Apple finally brought it to the stage on Monday during the WWDC 2023 keynote. Apple’s Vision Pro headset, its first mixed-reality headset device, finally exists and is powered by visionOS, the company’s new operating system for the device.
Apple describes the Vision Pro headset as “a revolutionary spatial computer that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world.” The device features an all-new operating system that features a three-dimensional interface. Experiences in Vision Pro aren’t constrained to the boundaries of a display, users can make apps at any scale, and place apps wherever they wish. Users use a combination of their eyes, hands, and voice to control the device.
The headset starts at a $3,499 price point and will be available in early 2024. It will be available in Apple retail stores in the U.S. only.
The headset itself will be made of polished glass that flows into a lightweight aluminum frame. The unit also features a button and a Digital Crown that lets a user control how present or immersed they are in an environment.
The headset has a modular system to achieve an optimal fit. Its battery is separate and links via a magnetic connection to the side of the headset.
The Vision Pro incorporates a wide array of cameras and sensors that combine the physical world with digital content. The Light Seal, which connects to the user’s face, is made of a soft textile, and comes in a range of shapes and sizes, flexing to conform to a user’s face for a precise fit. A series of flexible straps ensure audio remains close to the user’s ears, while a Head Band, which is available in multiple sizes, is three-dimensionally knitted as a single piece to provide cushioning, breathability, and stretch. The band is secured with a simple mechanism, making it easy to change to another size or style of band.
For users wearing glasses, a set of magnetic prescription ZEISS glass inserts must be used with the Vision Pro headset.
The hardware itself features an ultra-high-resolution display system with 23 million pixels across two micro-OLED displays – more than a 4K for TV for each eye. A group of high-speed cameras combines with a ring of LEDs that project invisible light patterns onto the user’s eyes to track gaze. The headset also contains the M2 chip paired with a new “R1” chip, dedicated toward real-time sensor processing. The unit is powered by a unique dual-chip M2 system, while the new R1 chip processes input data from 12 cameras, five sensors, and six microphones to ensure that content feels like it is appearing right in front of the user’s eyes, in real-time. The R1 processor streams new images to the displays within 12 milliseconds. The entire headset is designed for all-day use when plugged in, and up to two hours of use with its external, high-performance battery.
From an acoustic perspective, the device uses a new Spatial Audio system with two individually amplified drivers inside each audio pod, which delivers Personalized Spatial Audio based on the user’s own head and ear geometry. It can match the sound to an environment using audio ray-tracing.
The headset can be controlled by a user’s eyes, hands, and voice, and users can browse through apps by simply looking at them, tapping their fingers to select, flicking their wrist to scroll, or using voice to dictate. It also supports Apple’s Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad devices. The unit also offers passthrough video of a wearer’s eye via a feature known as “EyeSight,” which displays the user’s eyes to surrounding people. It uses a lenticular OLED display to show the correct perspective to anyone viewing the wearer.
Other neat features include Environments, which allows users to connect to their Mac and expand its display in a virtual space, including alongside apps running on Vision Pro itself. The device’s Optic ID feature uses a wearer’s iris to authenticate users and unlock the Vision Pro headset. Vision Pro is also “Apple’s first 3D camera,” showing depth in video with Spatial Audio.
For developers, the visionOS can import iPhone and iPad apps to run on the vision device. A new App Store segment will also be built to discover apps built for visionOS as well as compatible iPhone and iPad apps.
Other interesting tidbits include the Vision Pro’s age requirement, which is for users 13 years and older. It’s unknown how Apple might enforce this.
Vision correct accessories are sold separately, Apple says, which should explain the $3499 starting price. However, and this is a big but, Apple adds that “not all prescriptions are supported.”
Finally, Apple has published a hardware preview of Vision AR for the iPhone and iPad. While this isn’t the equivalent of a hands-on demo, it’ll give you an idea of what to expect should you snag one next year.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.