VR Headset will become an increasingly common sight, tech giant hopes.
Apple finally released their much-anticipated virtual reality headset, the Vision PRO, amidst much hype and long lines at Apple stores. The Vision PRO is the world’s first virtual/augmented reality headset designed for everyday usage, and relays video images to the wearer alongside real-time video of the surrounding environment.
It is also Apple’s first brand new product – not an upgrade of existing product – for 7 years, and naturally is being hyped as a game-changing revolution in mobile computing, Apple no doubt are banking (quite literally!) on this prestigious new release entering the annals of tech history alongside the PC and the mobile phone; devices once seen as being a niche for the well-heeled in society but have since become ubiquitous components of our daily lives.
But will it prove to be so? Let’s explore the pros and cons…
Advantages
The main selling point of the Vision PRO is undoubtedly its genuinely breathtaking high-resolution, stereoscopic images. Another is the ability to access and operate apps without need to carry around your laptop and, obviously, with a far greater degree of resolution and image size than a smartphone, with the wearer accessing apps simply by moving their eyes to the shortcut icon and tapping together thumb and forefinger to select.
The PRO certainly ups the game considerably in the field of spatial computing, enabling the user to multi-task multiple apps at once, view movies or other videos, take and view photos, and utilize other such features even while the viewscreen image never leaves you without a clear view of your immediate surroundings.
Disadvantages
As sophisticated it may be, the PRO headset is somewhat cumbersome, resembling, as it does, a pair of oversized scuba goggles. Admittedly, like all technological advances before it, the Vision PRO will inevitably get smaller as the tech itself develops, but for right now, the headset looks comically ostentatious.
The price is another major downside; with an RRP of some $3,500. There are also potential additional charges that push the overall expenditure for the PRO from high to stratospheric. If you wear glasses, you’ll need the accompanying ZEISS optical inserts ($99) and personalized prescription lenses ($149). If you’re traveling, then you’ll also require the PRO’s rather bulky carrying case, which comes in at a cool $199. At that overall final bill, you’d expect the PRO to have something really awesome up its sleeve to justify that expenditure – time travel capabilities, perhaps! – but alas not.
One final downside is its very limited battery life, which only enables a mere 2 hours of use before needing to recharge, and that’s not even getting into the potential need to purchase a battery holder, which will up your cost by another $49.
Conclusion
The Vision PRO is undoubtedly a prime piece of tech that combines the absolute cutting-edge of image resolution, spatial computing capabilities, and easiness of use, however it’s somewhat bulky frame, expensive price tag, and decided lack of need when other, far cheaper options for mobile devices exist, all add up to the Vision PRO being little more than an expensive-albeit-impressive novelty at present.
