The Apple Vision Pro goes on sale in the US on February 2 for $3,499

Doesn't look like the Vision Pro is selling well after all. Ain't the only thing falling sharply for Apple recently.
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/04/23/apple-cuts-vision-pro-shipments/

"Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a result, Apple is expected to take a "conservative view" of headset demand when the Vision Pro launches in additional countries."
 
Doesn't look like the Vision Pro is selling well after all. Ain't the only thing falling sharply for Apple recently.
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/04/23/apple-cuts-vision-pro-shipments/

"Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a result, Apple is expected to take a "conservative view" of headset demand when the Vision Pro launches in additional countries."
The lack of hand controllers for it and leaving no option for games other than 2D iPhone games is stupid. Even though it's an amazing device, the cold hard truth is that video games and porn are what drive VR tech. The former is severely lacking in any real capacity on Apple's goggles, and Apple doesn't allow the latter.
 
That around 1.5 billion in sales for a dev kit prototype... I thought it was always the estimate if things went really well (or maybe it was just for the us, quick search was around a billion for the US market).
 
The lack of hand controllers for it and leaving no option for games other than 2D iPhone games is stupid. Even though it's an amazing device, the cold hard truth is that video games and porn are what drive VR tech. The former is severely lacking in any real capacity on Apple's goggles, and Apple doesn't allow the latter.
From a really recent review, it has a lot of problems. Mutahar explains some things that reviewers seem to have left out. Like there's no multi-monitor while using the Vision Pro, without paying extra for an app that does this. It also doesn't feed the Macbooks audio to the headsets speakers, which means you're not hearing anything using use the Vision Pro to see the Macbook. He also points out that the device needs a Macbook for use for productivity, while it should be able to do it alone. It does have an M2 after all. The death of the Vision Pro is that it doesn't support games from Steam and etc. The Meta Quest 3 gets mentioned a lot because it's open and does support multiple VR standards.

View: https://youtu.be/gSJ8XdoiGzY?si=ZToDiiOQWvbfUSxY
 
From a really recent review, it has a lot of problems. Mutahar explains some things that reviewers seem to have left out. Like there's no multi-monitor while using the Vision Pro, without paying extra for an app that does this. It also doesn't feed the Macbooks audio to the headsets speakers, which means you're not hearing anything using use the Vision Pro to see the Macbook. He also points out that the device needs a Macbook for use for productivity, while it should be able to do it alone. It does have an M2 after all. The death of the Vision Pro is that it doesn't support games from Steam and etc. The Meta Quest 3 gets mentioned a lot because it's open and does support multiple VR standards.

View: https://youtu.be/gSJ8XdoiGzY?si=ZToDiiOQWvbfUSxY


I really don't think the Vision Pro suffers because of one virtual Mac monitor, or because it doesn't have Steam games. Rather, it's that it's $3,500, visionOS is still rudimentary, and the reliance on gesture control means that you don't get physical controllers that would be helpful for some games.

Apple mainly needs to produce a lower-cost model, reduce the weight, and flesh out visionOS so that it's more useful for productivity. It'd be a much easier sell if it was $1,500 (or even $2,000) and comfortable to wear for long periods.
 
I really don't think the Vision Pro suffers because of one virtual Mac monitor, or because it doesn't have Steam games. Rather, it's that it's $3,500, visionOS is still rudimentary, and the reliance on gesture control means that you don't get physical controllers that would be helpful for some games.

Apple mainly needs to produce a lower-cost model, reduce the weight, and flesh out visionOS so that it's more useful for productivity. It'd be a much easier sell if it was $1,500 (or even $2,000) and comfortable to wear for long periods.
I've said it above and I'll say it here, this device is a competitor to the Hololense 2, this is not a consumer product.
Consumers who purchased the Vision Pro fall under the same category as general consumers who purchased the Apple Studio Display.
 
He also points out that the device needs a Macbook for use for productivity, while it should be able to do it alone. It does have an M2 after all.
I really thought you were walking around with a powerful computer on your face with a access to full MacOS VM possible, but no:
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/119607

For example, it does not seem to be able to run FInal Cut pro, you need to have an Intel cpu that can run steamVR, in 2023 there was a lot of rumors that it would be able to run it...

I've said it above and I'll say it here, this device is a competitor to the Hololense 2, this is not a consumer product.
Apple want it to be too, Disney+ had a visionOS APP on launch for a reason:
https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/16/24039960/apple-vision-pro-3d-movies-disney-plus
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024...-experiences-launching-with-apple-vision-pro/
Apple Vision Pro is the ultimate entertainment device,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

This is almost a dev kit like the first Oculus rifts people bought, but there is a future consumer one aimed to be and this being its ancestor., there will be a non-pro version if things goes well I feel like, has a very expensive pro-line for industrial-medical-military-commercial use continue to exist.
 
I really thought you were walking around with a powerful computer on your face with a access to full MacOS VM possible, but no:
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/119607

For example, it does not seem to be able to run FInal Cut pro, you need to have an Intel cpu that can run steamVR, in 2023 there was a lot of rumors that it would be able to run it...


Apple want it to be too, Disney+ had a visionOS APP on launch for a reason:
https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/16/24039960/apple-vision-pro-3d-movies-disney-plus
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024...-experiences-launching-with-apple-vision-pro/
Apple Vision Pro is the ultimate entertainment device,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

This is almost a dev kit like the first Oculus rifts people bought, but there is a future consumer one aimed to be and this being its ancestor., there will be a non-pro version if things goes well I feel like.
Disney purchased a crapload of them for their sets, if you've seen their behind-the-scenes filming stuff on their TV shows they are using virtual stages and to build the scenes they have people walking around with iPads to their faces as an AR display, while they give directions to artists to move things or change colors and whatnot.
A huge safety issue not having your hands free walking around a busy set with a 2-3s visual input lag, so they use the Vision Pro's now problem mostly solved...
I also understand they are working on virtual rides for the devices and stuff like that, but this is very much more akin to a dev kit or at the very least a prosumer tool.
A consumer version will come later I am sure, but this is certainly not it.
 
I really thought you were walking around with a powerful computer on your face with a access to full MacOS VM possible, but no:
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/119607

For example, it does not seem to be able to run FInal Cut pro, you need to have an Intel cpu that can run steamVR, in 2023 there was a lot of rumors that it would be able to run it...
Why an Intel and not an M-Series based machine? Someone at Apple screwed up.
 
Why an Intel and not an M-Series based machine? Someone at Apple screwed up.
No it works on any of the M series ones using Screen Mirroring, not sure what’s up there unless it’s some specific feature that is lacking…
 
I've said it above and I'll say it here, this device is a competitor to the Hololense 2, this is not a consumer product.
Consumers who purchased the Vision Pro fall under the same category as general consumers who purchased the Apple Studio Display.
Which would have been fine... if Apple had sold it as such. If this was a "hey here's a dev kit/industrial product for people to start working with," it would be hard to give them crap. The price is in line with that and ya, this stuff has to start somewhere. But that wasn't how it was sold, it was sold as a consumer device, that you'd want to use while you did face time, and cooked things and so on and so forth. It was "hey everyone, buy this and use it for your ever day!" Hence, people (like me) shit on it.

As a consumer device it wasn't going to make waves because it lacks a killer app. Price aside, there's just no reason to use one. All their marketing was "do what you do with your phone or tablet... but IN AR!!!!" Ya well, nobody is going to do that shit long term, it is too annoying. While having your recipe just floating in your vision may sound cool and cyberpunk, in real life you are going to find it to be way more work and less comfort to put on the headset so what you'll end up doing is just tossing your tablet (or cookbook) on the counter and using that instead.

They need to have something that you can ONLY do in AR/VR, or at least that is way better, and that people are interested in. Then and only then do we see these take off on a consumer scale. Otherwise, it remains a toy like the other VR headsets out there and something that only some people are interested in. Particularly at the price.


As for industrial/commercial uses, while I've no doubt Hollywood will use them since they seem to be all super machead types, I have to wonder in other areas given their supposed fragility. It sounds like they crack and scratch fairly easy, which isn't going to be so great on a job site or in a factory.
 
Which would have been fine... if Apple had sold it as such. If this was a "hey here's a dev kit/industrial product for people to start working with," it would be hard to give them crap. The price is in line with that and ya, this stuff has to start somewhere. But that wasn't how it was sold, it was sold as a consumer device, that you'd want to use while you did face time, and cooked things and so on and so forth. It was "hey everyone, buy this and use it for your ever day!" Hence, people (like me) shit on it.

As a consumer device it wasn't going to make waves because it lacks a killer app. Price aside, there's just no reason to use one. All their marketing was "do what you do with your phone or tablet... but IN AR!!!!" Ya well, nobody is going to do that shit long term, it is too annoying. While having your recipe just floating in your vision may sound cool and cyberpunk, in real life you are going to find it to be way more work and less comfort to put on the headset so what you'll end up doing is just tossing your tablet (or cookbook) on the counter and using that instead.

They need to have something that you can ONLY do in AR/VR, or at least that is way better, and that people are interested in. Then and only then do we see these take off on a consumer scale. Otherwise, it remains a toy like the other VR headsets out there and something that only some people are interested in. Particularly at the price.


As for industrial/commercial uses, while I've no doubt Hollywood will use them since they seem to be all super machead types, I have to wonder in other areas given their supposed fragility. It sounds like they crack and scratch fairly easy, which isn't going to be so great on a job site or in a factory.
They aren’t any more or less fragile than the others, but I have no clue what Apple was thinking with the launch of these things, it’s very half-assed.
All substance but no show.
But in the case of Hollywood none of the other AR units have the screen quality and color accuracy they need so that’s where the iPads came in. Unreal has their app for them so you can use it with their virtual stage setups like what is used for The Mandalorian and most of the new Disney+ shows.
 
They aren’t any more or less fragile than the others, but I have no clue what Apple was thinking with the launch of these things, it’s very half-assed.
How do they compare to the Hololens? As you said, that's the real competition for it.
 
I'll again say it - AR/VR is dead on the mass-market consumer side for as long as it requires giant goggles. Anyone who thinks this will ever take off is just wrong. It's been demonstrated historically for almost 30 years now. You can improve the goggle technology as much as you want. It's irrelevant. People don't want to have to constantly be wearing goggles.
 
I'll again say it - AR/VR is dead on the mass-market consumer side for as long as it requires giant goggles. Anyone who thinks this will ever take off is just wrong. It's been demonstrated historically for almost 30 years now. You can improve the goggle technology as much as you want. It's irrelevant. People don't want to have to constantly be wearing goggles.
That really isn’t the main issue. It weighs the same as other VR and AR headsets. The problem is, despite Apple’s 8 million patents for this thing, none of them appear to be for comfort. It is the most uncomfortable of all the headsets as the weight is distributed almost entirely on the face, and then there’s the comically bad battery life on top of it (with the obnoxiously proprietary connector).

It also doesn’t yet appear to have any meaningful apps for it yet, at least not anything that screams “augmented reality.” Not even Apple has their own killer app to show it off. It’s like they 100% relied on other developers to do it for them and nobody has delivered. So far, this thing is turning out to be an astronomically expensive paperweight.

At least other headsets serve a purpose; VR for games (and sadly porn), and HoloLens for the military and other industries.
 
That really isn’t the main issue. It weighs the same as other VR and AR headsets. The problem is, despite Apple’s 8 million patents for this thing, none of them appear to be for comfort. It is the most uncomfortable of all the headsets as the weight is distributed almost entirely on the face, and then there’s the comically bad battery life on top of it (with the obnoxiously proprietary connector).

It also doesn’t yet appear to have any meaningful apps for it yet, at least not anything that screams “augmented reality.” Not even Apple has their own killer app to show it off. It’s like they 100% relied on other developers to do it for them and nobody has delivered. So far, this thing is turning out to be an astronomically expensive paperweight.

At least other headsets serve a purpose; VR for games (and sadly porn), and HoloLens fit the military and other fields.
I broadly think what I've bolded describes any VR headset for the mass majority of consumers. Unless you're using it some professional purpose or you're really into some sort of space/flight sim - They're pretty useless because having to wear goggles fundamentally compromises the experience.
 
I broadly think what I've bolded describes any VR headset for the mass majority of consumers. Unless you're using it some professional purpose or you're really into some sort of space/flight sim - They're pretty useless because having to wear goggles fundamentally compromises the experience.
I agree with you there. I’m just saying Apple’s take appears to have all the negatives of existing headsets while offering none of the benefits. I guess the only positive here is that Apple can afford to make such blundering mistakes. Also, to release something so niche, so expensive, and so non-consumer in this current economic climate seems so astronomically short-sighted. It’s honestly so stupid that it’s impressive.
 
I'll again say it - AR/VR is dead on the mass-market consumer side for as long as it requires giant goggles. Anyone who thinks this will ever take off is just wrong. It's been demonstrated historically for almost 30 years now. You can improve the goggle technology as much as you want. It's irrelevant. People don't want to have to constantly be wearing goggles.
What do you consider mass market? Quests already outsell Xbox.
 
I'll again say it - AR/VR is dead on the mass-market consumer side for as long as it requires giant goggles. Anyone who thinks this will ever take off is just wrong. It's been demonstrated historically for almost 30 years now. You can improve the goggle technology as much as you want. It's irrelevant. People don't want to have to constantly be wearing goggles.
Agreed. Have owned 5x VR headsets, all fun for about 1-2 months, then collect dust. Even with wireless, or single wired headsets now its just too much of an annoyance for no real benefit other than a few minutes of "Oh this is cool". Still no killer app/games making extremely compelling reasons to move to VR. I feel like i actually have to plan and make time out of my normal usage and intentionally use VR versus wanting to use it.

The nreal(xreal) AR glasses are closet thing ive used to be like, OK, now this is getting there, but still way off. I do get excited for the tech, and apple jumping in helps, but we just aren't remotely there yet.
 
Agreed. Have owned 5x VR headsets, all fun for about 1-2 months, then collect dust. Even with wireless, or single wired headsets now its just too much of an annoyance for no real benefit other than a few minutes of "Oh this is cool". Still no killer app/games making extremely compelling reasons to move to VR. I feel like i actually have to plan and make time out of my normal usage and intentionally use VR versus wanting to use it.
I've said this out loud and I'm immediately an old crotchety boomer for saying it. VR is like 3d movies. Anytime you need to put something on your face to enjoy it the appeal will diminish quickly.

I'm so effing tired of people always jumping on the new fad and thinking it's going to change the world. Allow yourself to just sit back and watch other people burn 4000 bucks and then see over time if it actually pans out.
 
How do they compare to the Hololens? As you said, that's the real competition for it.
Crushes it in every measurable fashion and is supposedly even better than what was leaked as the Hololense 3 while being significantly cheaper, as the Hololense 2 can reach $6k each.
 
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I agree with you there. I’m just saying Apple’s take appears to have all the negatives of existing headsets while offering none of the benefits. I guess the only positive here is that Apple can afford to make such blundering mistakes. Also, to release something so niche, so expensive, and so non-consumer in this current economic climate seems so astronomically short-sighted. It’s honestly so stupid that it’s impressive.
I see the Vision Pro as an investment on Apple's part. It's not trying to have an instant success like the iPhone, or even the iPad; it's about putting everything the company has learned so far into a shipping product so that it can learn from real-world experiences before it really tries to go mainstream.

I suspect the long game involves mixed reality glasses that are practically frictionless — you put them on to accomplish a task without much thought. In between, I can see the 'plain' Vision being thinner, lighter, and considerably more affordable if and when it arrives in a few years.
 
I wonder what the first tvs cost and how that was received by people not targeted by its price point. A new entertainment requiring sitting and staring at a box instead of listening to music/shows anywhere you want.
 
What do you consider mass market? Quests already outsell Xbox.
You can sell them at really good price ($200) because you think you will sell the apps-ecosystem, but how many people who bought them use them just once a week after the first 90 days ?

I feel the experience, the magic of the first time you play Elite Dangerous on this, holy mother of god that the new way to game (or do X,Y,Z) burn off and the inconvenience/trouble is not worth it for a lot of people (I did not go through resetuping it on my latest build, yet 12 years old me in the 90s would have done a lot to play Elite Dangerous on VR...).

Plus the kind of anti-social behavior of shutting your world tend to be be ok for someone that go all-in long dedicated gaming session in a room, car-sim flight-sim the valve type of experience, but for the casual user being sold, for casual quick task ?
 
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You can sell them at really good price ($200) because you think you will sell the apps-ecosystem, but how many people who bought them use them just once a week after the first 90 days ?

I feel the experience, the magic of the first time you play Elite Dangerous on this, holy mother of god that the new way to game (or do X,Y,Z) burn off and the inconvenience/trouble is not worth it for a lot of people.

Plus the kind of anti-social behavior of shutting your world tend to be be ok for someone that go all-in long dedicated gaming session in a room, car-sim flight-sim the valve type of experience, but for the casual user being sold, for casual quick task ?
The Python 2, has me reinterested in the game, and my Rift S is old... and the Display port requirement is annoying as finding a good laptop that has one that is actually wired through something other than the tiny onboard GPU is tough.
 
I see the Vision Pro as an investment on Apple's part. It's not trying to have an instant success like the iPhone, or even the iPad; it's about putting everything the company has learned so far into a shipping product so that it can learn from real-world experiences before it really tries to go mainstream.

I suspect the long game involves mixed reality glasses that are practically frictionless — you put them on to accomplish a task without much thought. In between, I can see the 'plain' Vision being thinner, lighter, and considerably more affordable if and when it arrives in a few years.
At least they have the money to play around with these ideas. Having said that, Apple takes an infamously long time to address issues for even their most popular products.
 
I wonder what the first tvs cost and how that was received by people not targeted by its price point. A new entertainment requiring sitting and staring at a box instead of listening to music/shows anywhere you want.
Living room radio that were not portable (popular handled radio that started in Nazi germany I think), living room record player /phonograph, would have existed before the TV

logog.jpg
 
Living room radio that were not portable (popular handled radio that started in Nazi germany I think), living room record player /phonograph, would have existed before the TV

View attachment 650036
Oh i was still in the mindset that the radio was stationary, god thats huge, but more so that you didnt have to be in a single spot the whole time, but maybe at least within the room.
 
god thats huge,
I imagine a lot of it was for the look and they already had smaller one by then, but for a while sitting around the radio, kids on the floor to listen to the soap or the game could have been already 'normal', for the type that bought TVs in the 50s and not seen has particularly strange.

there must have been some, movie theater have nothing to fear type TV will not work, but TV exploded so fast, it was from less than 10% to 85% of house with a tv in the 50s in a short time, the debate would not have been long.

Movie studio/theater rapidly shifted their 4:3 aspect ratio to create a difference from the TV
 
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I imagine a lot of it was for the look and they already had smaller one by then, but for a while sitting around the radio, kids on the floor to listen to the soap or the game could have been already 'normal', for the type that bought TVs in the 50s and not seen has particularly strange.

there must have been some, movie theater have nothing to fear type, but TV exploded so fast, it was from less than 10% to 85% of house with a tv in the 50s in a short time, the debate would not have been long.

Movie studio/theater rapidly shifted their 4:3 aspect ratio to create a difference from the TV
Thats fair. More of an apples and oranges comparison than I originally thought. Very interesting, thank you.

I feel like a big part of vr is marketing, no one has figured out how to make people want this badly. Might be because you can't show it, you have to experience it, but how do you get someone to want to try it? You always see videos of people playing it or streaming what they see but neither conveys the experience at all.

I have a vive myself. Love it (arizona sunshin, beatsaber, gorn are my faves) but since i moved my pc out of my basement (lots of space), now i gotta bring the case downstairs and plug everything in to play it, makes me go 'naaah' Plus i didnt have cats when i first got it, its a different experience when you have cats that think its funny to attack you when you arent paying attention lol.
 
Impossible to show is one, but a lot of people literally have a kit in a box, so it is not like say a Tesla, until you tried it you do not know but once you do you want and use one type of affair.

There 2 second step has well, how easy it is to use and what can it be used for, they sold enough by now for word of mouth to work, workplace to use them, etc... would it be worth it in the current state to do so, I feel most buyer tell people, it look magical at first but you do not use it real quick (if you are not into car sim and not feel sick when using them, say, or other use case where the tech is already quite ready and good to use for).

The Apple pro has some of the necessary steps made where the tech work good enough, need to be smaller/comfortable and even easier to use in every way a little bit and a killer app, youtube tutorial video and fuse other chart floating above your cars has you work on it is already quite nice (apply that to every case you look at youtube tutorial or chart when working on smething), but not $3500 buying it for that nice.
 
You can sell them at really good price ($200) because you think you will sell the apps-ecosystem, but how many people who bought them use them just once a week after the first 90 days ?

I feel the experience, the magic of the first time you play Elite Dangerous on this, holy mother of god that the new way to game (or do X,Y,Z) burn off and the inconvenience/trouble is not worth it for a lot of people (I did not go through resetuping it on my latest build, yet 12 years old me in the 90s would have done a lot to play Elite Dangerous on VR...).

Plus the kind of anti-social behavior of shutting your world tend to be be ok for someone that go all-in long dedicated gaming session in a room, car-sim flight-sim the valve type of experience, but for the casual user being sold, for casual quick task ?
Well, Quests are extremely popular and heavily played by 12 year olds.

It's just not the games you would probably play or even think of. The most popular games are very physical and social and not as appealing to old men.

Right now Gorilla Tag is the most popular VR game. It has millions of players. It's a pure VR game that would not work on a flat screen. And it's multiplayer. All the 12 year olds get on and play with their friends for hours every night.

These are the kind of games that are going to be killer apps for VR. An entirely new experience that cannot be done sitting down using traditional inputs. Not some sort of old flat screen game slightly enhanced by wearing a headset.

Right now it's dominated by kids. But the games and technology are going to grow up with them.
 
I’ve been using mine daily for a while now. My primary use case has been as the ultimate portable media consumption device while doing chores. When I get home from work, usually an hour and change before my wife due to slightly different schedules, I put on the Vision Pro, start watching some show / video while doing laundry, washing dishes, vacuuming etc. It’s the best portable television screen I could ever hope for.

My second use case is during travel - I typically fly somewhere every other week and for me personally, the marketing was absolutely spot on about how nice this thing is on a plane.

My third and final use case is when I’m working on my MBP. The continuity feature works very well, and replacing my laptop screen with a ~ 40” rock steady high resolution floating display that’s at my eye level is ergonomically quite nice. This feels super awkward if anybody else is around. However if I’m by myself in some conference room doing 90 minutes of work, Vision Pro acts like a free large 4k screen I can drop right in front of me in an ergonomically optimal position.
 
I’ve been using mine daily for a while now. My primary use case has been as the ultimate portable media consumption device while doing chores. When I get home from work, usually an hour and change before my wife due to slightly different schedules, I put on the Vision Pro, start watching some show / video while doing laundry, washing dishes, vacuuming etc. It’s the best portable television screen I could ever hope for.
I can't see myself wearing a VR headset while doing chores. Especially the Vision Pro where it's really front heavy.
My second use case is during travel - I typically fly somewhere every other week and for me personally, the marketing was absolutely spot on about how nice this thing is on a plane.
I also wouldn't feel comfortable wearing a $3,500 headset in public, just because you're asking for someone to steal it.
My third and final use case is when I’m working on my MBP. The continuity feature works very well, and replacing my laptop screen with a ~ 40” rock steady high resolution floating display that’s at my eye level is ergonomically quite nice. This feels super awkward if anybody else is around. However if I’m by myself in some conference room doing 90 minutes of work, Vision Pro acts like a free large 4k screen I can drop right in front of me in an ergonomically optimal position.
Does it pass audio from the MBP to the Vision Pro? According to Mutahar this doesn't work. That would be really stupid if you can't hear audio from the laptop.
 
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