Apple Vision Pro

When Apple says that the Vision Pro is a glimpse of the future, they are not kidding. I've had the headset for nearly three years, and it still feels next-generation compared with all other headsets.

The resolution is much higher than most headsets. The pass-through video is actually usable day to day as a substitute for viewing things directly. It works in the darkness. It works in daylight. People's faces poke through when you're talking to them. It's an incredible monitor replacement, and it can even handle PCVR gaming.

Software

The most interesting thing about the Apple Vision Pro is not the hardware. It is the software. visionOS is Apple's best operating system. It is so good that it is difficult to describe, and it frustrates me that so few people have ever experienced it. The polish is incredible. The highlights on the edge of the window interact with the room’s lighting.

There is no need for any sort of room setup. Basic features like screen recording, widgets, and Safari are well designed. A flick of your wrist and a pinch let you change the volume. It feels unbelievably fluid. It almost never lags or breaks immersion. It’s a remarkable achievement.

Hardware

The comfort of the hardware is the biggest downside to the Apple Vision Pro. It is a very heavy headset. Early in my usage, when it rested on my face, I found it extremely unpleasant after short periods of time.

Eventually, I got the M5 dual-knit strap and found it to be reasonably comfortable day-to-day. It is still quite noticeable on your head and truly not a good ergonomic experience.

I don't enjoy managing the battery puck. It's usually on a desk or in my hoodie pocket, but my biggest grip with it, is actually just winding up the cable and placing the headset on the desk. It always feels messy and inelegant.

Input

While I appreciate the commitment to hand and eye tracking for inputs, they are significantly slower than using a mouse and keyboard in many situations.

The gaze input is fantastic in unique ways. When using the Vision Pro with a Mac, you can look where you need to interact and start to use your trackpad or mouse, and the cursor spawns from that point. That’s a lovely interaction.

On the downside, the gaze focus is distracting. Every little element you look at lifts up and reacts. It’s kind of a tense experience sometimes and makes you hyperaware of where you are looking. It’s not always as natural as it should be.

For example, I found I tend to look away from something once I have started an interaction, but that focus point can sometimes change and create an unexpected interaction.

I’m sure over the course of time these interactions will be ironed out more, but it’s a special system and overall the best in virtual reality software.

Final thoughts

The software ecosystem hasn’t exactly grown in the way I would have hoped. I think developers were limited early on with the APIs that were available. It’s gotten so much better, but I fear interest in the ecosystem died down a bit in the meantime.

I really look forward to future headsets from Apple that use this operating system and will hopefully be more accessible to a wider audience. This really is a special headset with a unique point of view in the space.