*Due to concerns of potential termination of employment, the interviewee wished to remain anonymous
In June 2023, Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, said, “One more thing” at the World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC 23). Soon after, the tech giant dropped Apple Vision Pro – their most ambitious project yet. The Vision Pro comes with features never seen in previous products such as Meta’s Quest headsets and XREAL’ AR glasses – quality audio, a 4K display, and simple controls.
The release of this futuristic gadget attracted enthusiasm worldwide as it closely resembled Ready Player One’s virtual headset. Before long, Vision Pro users were everywhere—in the subway, planes, and even out on the streets. Eventually, I joined in on the hype and visited the Apple Park Visitor Center in Cupertino, California to get a taste of the latest digital revolution.
In the demo session, I received a one-on-one walkthrough of the gadget with the employee, who helped me calibrate and adjust to the controls. First, I looked at each dot that appeared on the screen and tapped my index finger and thumb to select the desired points. Then, I positioned my hands in front of the camera, aligning them within the designated frame for the headset to recognize.
With the controls set up, I began to explore the features of the headset with only my hands and eyes. Many navigational features such as the swipe-up and down motions resembled previous iOS products, which made it easy to adapt to quickly.
Next, the specialist showcased various videos to test the headset’s audio capabilities. I entered Alicia Keys’ Rehearsal Room – an immersive video that perfectly captured the Vision Pro’s performance. Thanks to the 68 speakers around my head, Keys’ song, “If I ain’t got you”, filled the space around me. The audio continuously adjusted as it responded to my movement, which made it impossible to stop myself from singing along.
Following the spatial audio session, I watched Submerged – a short 3D film dedicated to the Apple Vision Pro – for another run focused on visual performance. This movie featured scenes shot with a special camera designed to film clips for the Vision Pro. This added to the already hyper-realistic experience and perfectly captured the intense moment of drowning underwater. By this point, I was truly submerged in the cinematic magic of the Vision Pro.
The headset also featured crisp and clear visuals when taken with a regular camera. Its three-dimensional depth impressed me – I especially enjoyed the video of a girl playing piano with her grandpa. For a brief moment, it felt as if I had stepped into the very room to film the precious moment.
Taking immersion a step further, the headset also implements a unique eye-tracking system that further enhances the visual display. This feature replicates how your peripheral vision disappears as you concentrate on a particular object.
Although I was spellbound when I first put the headset over my eyes, I slowly began to recognize some of the flaws as time passed. After prolonged usage, my head hurt due to the device’s weight. Multiple YouTubers experienced this as well. MyReviewRoom (방구석 리뷰룸) said, “While the technology in Vision Pro is revolutionary, it missed the mark due to lack of portability and weight.”
The criticism didn’t just stop with YouTubers or other influencers on social media either. An Apple employee also commented on the Vision Pro – “I would rather use the Meta Quest 3 than the Vision Pro due to its pain after prolonged usage,” she said.
He further commented that the many paywalls set a limit on fully experiencing the potential of the device as “many spatial movies require subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Disney Plus.”
These flaws lend weight to the argument that Apple came to the game too late. While the Apple Vision Pro excels in its computing, Meta has already dominated the augmented reality market during the pandemic (Quest 2).
While Apple Vision Pro provided a fantastic experience for a first-generation product, it also missed the mark compared to other early iterations of different products. While past products like the iPhone, Airpod, and Apple Watch succeeded through subsequent refinements, it seems that Apple has no more tricks up its sleeves to redeem the Vision Pro at the moment. The company stopped its production after an increase in refunds and low demand. Though a cheaper version of the headset is in Apple’s pipeline, the future of the headset’s lineup remains unclear.
