Oliver Haslam on June 5, 2023, 9:17 pm

Apple Announces Vision Pro, A Spatial Computer For Your Eyes

After years of rumors Apple has finally taken the wraps off its first special computer with the Vision Pro now official. But it’s going to cost a fortune and it won’t ship until early in 2024.

The headset was expected to be called Reality Pro, but Apple instead went with Vision Pro for a headset that will offer AR and VR capabilities.

The headset will be powered by visionOS and allow apps to be run in 3D space for the first time. Those apps will be specifically built for the headset, but there will also be support for running some existing apps as well.

visionOS features a brand-new three-dimensional interface that makes digital content look and feel present in a user’s physical world. By responding dynamically to natural light and casting shadows, it helps the user understand scale and distance. To enable user navigation and interaction with spatial content, Apple Vision Pro introduces an entirely new input system controlled by a person’s eyes, hands, and voice. Users can browse through apps by simply looking at them, tapping their fingers to select, flicking their wrist to scroll, or using voice to dictate.

The headset features two 4K displays and even has one on the outside of the headset itself. Dubbed EyeSight, the feature displays a wearer’s eyes when they want to be able to interact with people who are around them. Other times it will display an on-screen effect to make it clear to others that the wearer is looking at something else.

Apple Vision Pro also features EyeSight, an extraordinary innovation that helps users stay connected with those around them. When a person approaches someone wearing Vision Pro, the device feels transparent — letting the user see them while also displaying the user’s eyes. When a user is immersed in an environment or using an app, EyeSight gives visual cues to others about what the user is focused on.

The headset itself is said to be compact and light, while a battery pack can be connected via a cable for power. The headset is designed to run for two hours with the battery pack connected, but it can also run for the entire day when plugged in, Apple says.

The headset is powered by an Apple M2 chip paired with an all-new R1 chip that processes input from the headset’s 12 cameras, five sensors, and six microphones to create an immersive and real-time experience.

However, all of this comes at a cost. Vision Pro will start at $3,499 when it is made available next year. Even then, Apple says that it will be available in the United States with more countries coming later in 2024.