The Vision Pro: Apple’s New Magnum Opus
Written by: Lily Choi
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2023 brought forth an array of exciting announcements, and of course they had to save the best for last. In the midst of new releases—the Macbook Air’s latest skinny sister, an IOS update promising an easier way to stalk your neighbors, and an iPad OS lock screen reform (you can now use multiple timers at once, instead of just one!)—the cherry on top of Apple’s elaborate cake was the release of its rumored AR headset: the Vision Pro. After several years of speculation, disbelief, and downright myth, the Vision Pro is finally being brought out of Apple’s basement and presented as the company’s latest technological magnum opus. So what does this new innovation have in store?
The Apple Vision Pro boasts of a built-from-scratch interface that will take augmented reality to a whole new level, making virtual elements blend seamlessly with the real world. The new visionOS system ensures that virtual objects interact realistically with real-world surfaces and objects. For the average consumer, this means seeing your computer screen hover before your eyes while you’re sitting in your living room, and using simple hand motions (without the need for haptic gloves or sensory accessories) to interact with your virtual environment. Forget your triple-monitor setup; the Vision Pro allows you to see and use as many different screens and apps as you like, regardless of if your Manhattan apartment is no larger than a shoe box. In fact, forget the shoe box altogether. You can be anywhere when you put on the Vision Pro: the mountain ranges, a beach on the coast, a tourist city in Europe. The headset’s immersive visual displays coupled with a spatial audio system mean that your brain won’t be able to tell the difference between fact and fiction—theoretically, at least.
There are some oddball elements to the Vision Pro, too. ‘EyeSight,’ which allows outsiders to see on your visor when you’re engaged in virtual activity (plus a neat googly-eyed version of your face, a feature that couldn’t be considered welcomed but was somehow inevitably expected); an Optic ID iris-scanning unlock mechanism, which will make you feel like you’re a character in Men in Black; and not to mention, a funky little external battery to tuck into your back pocket (unless you’re wearing leggings, or a skirt, or are, generally speaking, a woman).
Nevertheless, despite its funny, futuristic elements, the Apple Vision Pro will bring the future of visual technology into the hands of the average consumer. (Or, maybe not-so-average, with a price ceiling of $3499…) Certainly, this new development brings us one step closer to the hyper advanced technological age that dreamers have been fantasizing about for ages. Now all we need is a global online RPG, the death of a famous billionaire, and the mass distribution of these Vision Pros to turn our world into a Ready Player One-type fantasy.