The Apple Vision Pro is, without a doubt, one of the most jaw-dropping pieces of technology I've ever tested. But, after the thrill wore off, I was left with an uncomfortable device that was just a little worse than my phone, laptop, and television.
Let's start with the positives. The hardware and build quality of the Apple Vision Pro are undeniably impressive. From the moment you pick it up, you can feel the craftsmanship and attention to detail that Apple is known for. The materials used are top-notch, and the image quality inside the device is stunning. The hand tracking is also unparalleled, making navigation a breeze for even the least tech-savvy users.
One of the standout features of the Vision Pro is its commitment to integrating seamlessly into your environment. With all the cameras on all the time, Apple encourages users to live in their surroundings while wearing the device. It's an ambitious concept that will be amazing one day, but I found the hardware isn't quite good enough to make this a reality today.
The initial eye strain and discomfort from wearing the device for extended periods quickly became apparent. And while the idea of using it for everyday tasks like folding laundry or cooking is intriguing, the device is too heavy, and its cameras are too low-res for me to want to do this.
Perhaps the most significant letdown for me was its performance as a gaming device. Without the ability to power this device with a Windows computer, users are forced to buy games from only a few Vision Pro games currently available on the App Store, and everything I tested felt like a quick tech demo.
Despite its shortcomings, the Vision Pro does have its moments of brilliance. Watching movies on its immersive screen and experiencing 3D content felt like glimpses into the future of entertainment. And there were moments where I truly felt like I was living in a sci-fi movie, controlling windows with my hands, not in a virtual world, but in the real world.
Yet, for all its promise, the Vision Pro still feels like a product in its infancy. The low-resolution cameras, size and weight, external battery pack, and lack of quality applications or video games make it difficult to envision widespread adoption—at least in its current form.
Everything I tried doing in the Vision Pro, like surfing the web, watching videos, playing games, or using it for work, were all easier, more comfortable, more fun, and more productive on my phone, TV, and laptop.
In so many ways, the Apple Vision Pro is better than I ever imagined, but it still isn't good enough for me to want to use it. But with just a few upgrades, I can totally see this type of technology being the future of computing. I'm just not sure if we're one, ten, or a hundred years away from that reality.
Join our current photography contest at: Fstoppers.com/Contests
Interesting review. The main problem is who is prepared to pay the asking price for a device that’s appears to be all seriously well made glitz but no real substance. Its a bit like that well tailored expensive outfit you may have that just hangs in the closet because you never go to places where wearing it would be appropriate. It’s all well and good designing a well made piece of tech but there needs to be a real world end use.
I wonder how many people bought these just to see what the hype is about and then return it.
Given the specs, apple could easily upgrade it with a basic set of 2 light towers. There is a reason why many VR headsets still use them, it is easier to process a single channel 2 bit video signal than it is to process full color and luminance. They can still use the color range tracking for slow but fine hand tracking, but the traditional light towers would allow for the fast movement tracking needed by many VR games.
Beyond that, they would need to add support for windows so that people will have access to a wider range of VR titles, as well as adding support for a variety of VR controllers since other brands allow you to purchase controllers separately.