During WWDC 2023, Apple finally and officially announced its augmented reality headset, The company is calling it the Apple Vision Pro and it will allow owners to interact with apps on its screens, while also viewing the real world at the same time.
During the WWDC keynote video, Apple stated the Vision Pro can switch between being a full virtual reality headset and an AR headset thanks to a physical dial. The headset, unlike many other AR and VR devices, does not include hand controllers. Instead, the Vision Pro uses both gestures and voice commands to go through the apps on the displays.
The two Micro OLED displays have a total of 23 million pixels, which should make watching content on the Vision Pro extremely sharp and realistic. That"s more pixels for each eye than you will find on a big-screen TV.
Apple added:
This technological breakthrough, combined with custom catadioptric lenses that enable incredible sharpness and clarity, delivers jaw-dropping experiences. Users with vision correction needs will use ZEISS Optical Inserts to ensure visual fidelity and eye tracking accuracy.
Inside the device, there will be two Apple-designed chips, The company stated:
M2 delivers unparalleled standalone performance, while the brand-new R1 chip processes input from 12 cameras, five sensors, and six microphones to ensure that content feels like it is appearing right in front of the user’s eyes, in real time. R1 streams new images to the displays within 12 milliseconds — 8x faster than the blink of an eye.
The device will come with a battery pack which Apple says will last up to two hours on a single charge. You can also connect it to a power supply.
The device will use the visionOS operating system. Apple stated:
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.
Some of the apps that are being developed for visionOS include one that shows a beating human heart in 3D for medical and educational use, and Microsoft will offer its Word, Excel, and Teams apps that will work while viewed in the headset.
Apple will also be a gaming device, with the company stating there will be over 100 Apple Arcade games available to play on the Vision Pro on the first day it launches. Disney CEO Bob Iger also showed off some future plans the entertainment company has for the device. That includes watching Disney Plus with some extra features, watching games on ESPN in full 3D virtual environments, and more.
Apple claims it has filed over 5,000 patents based on its development of the Vision Pro. It will launch in early 2024, for a starting price of $3,499.