In a dimly lit room, a man approaches his children who are playing with a dish of soap and wands to blow bubbles. He wears the Apple Vision Pro, a $3,499 headset designed to give users a new level of immersion in digital space. With the headset’s built-in cameras, users can interact with programs in 3-D space, play games, watch movies, and even use virtual objects in their real environment. One unique feature is a screen that faces outward, displaying a video of the user’s top face for others in the room. The headset enables users to stay connected to the real world while fully immersed in the digital environment.
The Apple Vision Pro has been marketed as a mixed reality device, a term that refers to the ability to interact with both digital and real environments. The device is designed to bridge the gap between the two, allowing users to enjoy the benefits of a computer screen while still being present in their surroundings. The headset may prove to be a game-changer for entertainment and productivity; however, it remains to be seen whether it will revolutionize the way people live their lives.
Alan Dye, the vice president of human-interface design at Apple, stated during the product announcement that the user is never isolated in the headset, but rather, it’s just the person and their content. The Vision Pro promises to extend the status quo rather than significantly change it. Despite the marketing, the device is, at its core, a form of screen technology that may further turn users inward into digital space. If the device can make virtual and augmented reality more accessible to the general public, its impact would be significant, but it may only accomplish this one thing.
