The Vision Pro is an absolute breakthrough in the world of mixed-reality headsets...but it's still a mixed-reality headset. That's what's been going through my mind as I watch the product launch in a ton of new countries today.
The Vision Pro has been on sale in the United States (where I live) since February. Just weeks after Apple hosted WWDC 2024 and announced visionOS 2, the company today launched the headset in four more countries in Asia.
Customers in mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore can now get their hands on the Vision Pro, and Apple — in usual product launch fashion — covered the event by sharing tons of photos of customers trying on the headset for the first time at the company's Apple Stores.
It's definitely the most capable mixed-reality headset
While I'm certainly excited for anyone who bought their Vision Pro headset today and is having a blast, I'm reminded each time that I hear about the headset that it's not for me yet.
I remember when Apple unveiled the Vision Pro at WWDC 2023. Even though it's over a year later since we first saw it, the product is by far the most technically advanced mixed-reality headset on the market. From the resolution to the power and capabilities, there isn't another consumer or prosumer-focused headset that comes close to what this thing can do.
I've watched videos of people cutting everyone else out on a plane and watching a movie on a 100-foot screen, playing games from Apple Arcade on a huge virtual screen, and the immersive videos that make you feel like you're in the action.
It's technically unmatched in technical achievements. With all of that in mind, however, I'm still holding out.
It's still a mixed-reality headset
While the Vision Pro is undeniably the most technically impressive mixed-reality headset on the market right now, it's still a mixed-reality headset — and that means you still experience all of the problems that a mixed-reality headset has.
I owned the Meta Quest 3 for a while and, while you can hang out in there for some amount of time, I certainly can't hang out in there for long for the simple fact that it's eventually uncomfortable to wear a headset for a while. I just don't want to use it for that long until I'm tired of wearing it, and that's still a problem with every headset out there.
There's also the battery life which, as everyone pokes at, still comes in at up to 2 hours, making this a headset that you're better off wearing on the couch than walking around with. And, if I'm going to sit down on the couch anyway, I might as well watch my TV.
Of course, there's also the price. The Vision Pro costs a whopping $3,500, and that's for the base price. That doesn't count the travel case, extra batteries, or any accessories. You can quickly surpass $4,000 easily when buying this thing, and for something that isn't an integral part of our lives yet, that's a hefty price to pay.
Then there's something that I've experienced when wearing these headsets that's harder to tabulate: the feeling of loneliness. While companies like Meta and Apple are working to utilize this technology to make things feel more real when you're far away from each other, I can't help but feel lonely when the experience is over.
I'll talk with someone as if they are there and then, when I take the headset off, I remember that I'm sitting in my apartment, alone. It's just weird. It's like movies where someone comes back from the dead and then dissipates. I don't know how to shake that feeling, so I hope Apple figures it out.
I'm waiting for the Apple Vision (non pro)
While all of the above are reasons I'm holding off on buying an Apple Vision Pro right now, these are all things that Apple has a chance to address. They can make the battery life better, make the device lighter and more comfortable over time (like Meta did with the Quest), and most importantly, make it more affordable.
There are rumors running around right now that Apple is shelving the Vision Pro 2 for now to focus on a more affordable model which would likely be the Apple Vision — the Vision Pro for the rest of us. If that product comes out and comes in at a much more compelling price, I could get interested fast.
We'll have to wait and see and the future of this space is so interesting but, at least for now, the Vision Pro will have to spread across the globe without me buying one. I'm sure Apple will do just fine without me.
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