Apple Vision Pro
It’s been a week since I purchased my own Apple Vision Pro. I went to the store sitting on the fence, undecided as to whether I would walk out of the Apple Store with one. A thirty minute demo later, and I was hooked. It was beyond even what my expectations could muster.
So what is it, and why do I have one even though I already own the HTC Vive XR Elite?
Well the Vive is basically my Steam/Oculus gaming device. It can run stand alone apps, or tether to my Windows PC via WiFi or cable. It’s basically my gaming headset. And while it can do some productivity and entertainment apps, it’s always a struggle (similar in that the Vision Pro can do gaming, but isn’t there yet). So that answers the second question. Now back to the first question, what is the Vision Pro?
Apple Vision Pro or HTC Vive XR Elite? Why not both?
Productivity is increased with the Vision Pro
It’s a piece of the most amazing technology you will ever bear witness to in 2024. Technically, it’s two 8K displays (16 times the resolution of 1080p) that run at 90Hz and deliver HDR content directly into your eye holes. When watching immersive content (3D video at 8K HDR that wraps 180º around you), you feel like you’re sitting right there in the location it was recorded.
Productivity is expanded, taking my little 13” MacBook Air display and giving me a higher resolution screen with expanded real estate floating in front of me. This is actually how I’m typing this all out right now.
So far I’ve used this headset every day to
watch content on YouTube in an Imax movie theatre, or
immersive Apple TV+ content, or
edit my astrophotography photos, or
just sit and watch the twin suns of Tatooine from my landspeeder while Banthas call out in the distance.
At $A6000, it’s not for the faint of heart and requires real commitment. Do I think it’s worth the money? No, I don’t. But when I compare it to my Vive headset of just 18 months ago, it feels like a 5 year leap. Think how amazing the original iPhone was next to Nokia and Motorola at the time. The iPhone didn’t have an app store, or copy/paste, or even a proper 3G data connection (remember those?). What it had was a whole lot of potential, and the most amazing screen that made you go “woah” like Keanu the first time you slid to unlock. I still remember that day 17 years later.
The Vision Pro does have an app store, it does have copy/paste, and it makes me go “woah” when I put it on and my surroundings look like I’m not viewing them through a headset. But this is a 1.0 product, and damn it’s a bloody good one. Do yourself a favour, book a 30 minute session to see what this is all about. You don’t need to buy one, but you at least owe it to yourself to see it for yourself, because words only can convey so much.
