The new Apple XR headset costs $3499 US Dollars, Yes it is expensive,
but it is the best device for watching what comes next on Apple and Disney Plus immersive
180 content. Yes, a different way to call VR180. More on that later, let's review what we have
learned so far on the Vision Pro. Packed with over 5,000 patents,
Vision OS use eye-tracking, hand-tracking, and voice command to interact, just like how you do
in the real world. With full-color passthought in both ways, thanks to the Dual passthrough cameras
and technology called EyeSight, you can interact with the virtual and real world together. It can
even see text on display as small as an Apple watch! It is a true sense of Mixed Reality.
It looks incredible with two Micro OLED 4K displays, per eye feature 23 million
pixels. Apple hints it supports HDR - so the color will look as vivid as Dolby
Vision. It is the ultimate movie-viewing machine that surpasses any TV or display,
both in SIZE and in COLOR. It will extend your laptop screen so you
can edit your 3D video in spatial - See this; Davinci Resolve will be supported.
It has built-in 3D Camera that also captures Spatial Audio. It also has
Lidar for 3D mapping - it understands depth that Meta Quest Pro fail to.
We know the Spatial Audio format for Apple is Dobly Atomos, not ambisonic. With Vision Pro,
the spatial audio uses AI and Lidar to take in real-world object spacing, using echo
and reverb to re-create the space to have an immersive audio experience to match the vision.
It supports panorama photos at launch, so we can safely assume it will support 360 photos and 360
videos - both monoscopic and stereoscopic 3D. Look at this demo; you can dial in the 360
video coverage. So you can choose from 180 to 270 to fully 360 immersion. It also supports
Fovated Render in the hardware level with the new R1 chip, so where ever you look,
the video will be clear and high resolution Disney Plus will be on Vision Pro with interactive
6DoF movies at launch, which is crazy!
Everything is powered by Apple M2 + new R1 chips. 6 DoF Inside-out
tracking via 12 integrated cameras and Lidar.
There is no VR game yet, only apple arcade games. But with the partnership with Unity,
we will see beautiful VR games created for Vision Pro very soon!
One very important thing that was not mentioned in the Keynote,
but only the private demo at WWDC 2023 will know, is the upcoming Apple TV+ service,
a new video format. If you follow this channel, you know what it is - Yes, you guessed it,
3D VR180. Apple don't call it VR180. They called it the immersive 180 formats. They
bought Next VR about 3 years ago. And now you know where that tech and content are going to
live. I heard a rumor, every Apple TV+ shows has a VR180 camera on set.
This immersive 180 format video, you are supported to sit on your couch and enjoy it, very much like
my VR180 production - the OnStage series, the dance series, and the Feature Film series like
Vivian Lily. And this is the most exciting thing for me and, hopefully, for you as well.
After the initial launch excitement, here is what I really think about the headset. It is
an amazing viewing device, 3DoF headset to the finest. I think this is gonna be a
game charger for 360 and VR180 filmmakers like us. Better image quality, higher resolution,
and the most important thing of all - true spatial audio with Dolby Atoms, LIDAR and AI.
The AR passthought feature, as you see here, forced to fade into reality
just the person's face - will be kinda weird if you are using the
Vision Pro to watch something narty narty and your mom walks right in...
It does have 6 DoF Inside-out tracking via 12 integrated cameras. But is this a 6DoF
VR headset? Well, we did not really see a clear message from Apple. To not complete
with Meta Quest 3 initially, I think this is a smart move for Apple. If you are a VR gamer,
you know this is NOT the device for you, just yet. There are no VR games on it.
Also, the price point stops most casual VR gamers anyway. $3499 USD is a lot of money.
Apple is clearly using the creators, developers, and the XR pioneers like us to develop the APPs
and contents ecosystem for them. So the next headset can go to the mass market.
But if anyone can make XR mainstream, that will be Apple. Look at iPhone,
which comes after the blackberry, is a huge success. I hope Vision
Pro is just like the Gen 1 iphone - to set the stage for what comes next.
There is a benefit to be among the first adapter. And it is the price to pay to
stay competitive. Apple knows that, and they have no shame in setting the price that high.
Hey I am one of the dummy guys who spent $1500 USD to buy the Meta Quest Pro when
it launched - just to find out 6 months later it worths only $900 dollars. And now,
with the Quest 3 launch, worth absolutely nothing. So the price is high. You better
find a damn good reason besides VR Pron to get the Vision Pro.
I want to know what you think, comment below and lets disscuss. Follow for more Apple Vision Pro
and Quest 3 content for XR filmmaking. Ciao!