The Apple Vision Pro was just announced, and here are what reviewers at various publications had to say after they tested it out.
Nilay Patel at The Verge: I wore the Apple Vision Pro. It’s the best headset demo ever.
“Apple’s ability to do mixed reality is seriously impressive. At one point in a full VR Avatar demo I raised my hands to gesture at something, and the headset automatically detected my hands and overlaid them on the screen, then noticed I was talking to someone and had them appear as well. Reader, I gasped.”
“Was all this made better by the wildly superior Vision Pro hardware? Without question. But was it made more compelling? I don’t know, and I’m not sure I can know with just a short time wearing the headset. I do know that wearing this thing felt oddly lonely.”
“Whether Apple’s famed developer community can generate a killer app for the Vision Pro is still up in the air.”
Samuel Axon at Ars Technica: Hands-on with Apple Vision Pro: This is not a VR headset
“it’s the first time I’ve tried an AR demo and thought, ‘Yep, what they showed in the promo video was pretty much how it really works.’ “
“I’ve used headsets that required hand gestures, but it never felt very natural. With Vision Pro, it feels just right. The fact that your hand can go anywhere, and that you can pinch subtly instead of making some kind of dramatic gesture, goes a long way.”
“Even having used dozens of VR and AR headsets over the years, it was truly something I had never seen before. It’s been a while since we’ve gotten that from Apple.”
Brian X Chen at the New York Times, A First Try of Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro Headset
“I walked away with mixed feelings, including a nagging sense of skepticism.”
“After three years of my being mostly isolated during the pandemic, Apple wanted me to engage with what was essentially a deepfake video of a real person. I could feel myself shutting down. My ‘ick’ sensation was probably what technologists have long described as uncanny valley, a feeling of unease when a human sees a machine creation that looks too human.”
“A technological feat? Yes. A feature I would want to use with others every day? Probably not anytime soon.”
Lauren Goode at Wired, Hands on With Apple’s Vision Pro: The Opposite of Disappearing
“This is what Apple seems to think is the essence of making this a platform versus a product: You don’t have to choose between AR and VR. Your app can be anything you want it to be.”
“But the Vision Pro is also unlike almost every other modern Apple product in one crucial way: It doesn’t disappear. In fact, it does the opposite. It rests on your face and shields your eyes, sensory organs that are a crucial part of the lived human experience. The same is true of every other heads-up display in the world, whether it’s a pair of AR glasses, an industrial-focused headset, or fully immersive VR goggles. The experience can be remarkable and surreal, for sure; but it requires a suspension of disbelief and a sacrifice of autonomy. Even Apple can’t out-design its way out of what is fundamentally an obtrusive technology. “
Geoffrey A. Fowler and Chris Velazco at the Washington Post, We tried Apple Vision Pro: Intuitive as a touch screen but awkward to wear
“Despite different experiences with comfort, neither of us felt queasy. But one question remained for us both: Why would you want to use one on a regular basis? We wouldn’t — but it’s early days for Apple’s biggest new product in nearly a decade.”
“Apple’s ‘what’s it good for’ answer boils down to: This is an improved reality, not some other-world ‘metaverse.’ The Vision Pro layers apps, movies, scenic vistas and other experiences on top of a representation of the world in front of you.”
Krista Jones at Esquire, I Tried Apple’s Vision Pro. Here’s What I Think It Really Means for Us.
“The Vision Pro’s killer feature is that it makes a non-techy, normal person like myself actually want to use AR.”
“Is the $3,499 price tag really worth it? As we enter a new era of tech that feels more scary than exciting, I felt skeptical and still do. But a quick session using the Vision Pro really did change my perspective. You don’t need to be a techie to enjoy the Vision Pro, and that’s where it stands out. It’s not about being a gamer or improving your work life, it’s about improving your own life. And for some, that’s worth it.”