Using Apple Vision Pro: What It’s Actually Like!

Summary

Marques Brownlee provides an in-depth hands-on review of using the new Apple Vision Pro VR headset. He explores the hardware, comfort, eyes tracking, hand controls, passthrough AR, spatial audio, ecosystem integration, apps, battery life, and more. Marques is impressed by the immersion, spatial placement, eye tracking, and ecosystem integration, but notes downsides like weight, limited battery life, and high price. He teases an upcoming more philosophical review video as well.

Takeaways

• 😀 It's a detailed hands-on review of using the new Apple Vision Pro VR headset
• 🤓 It has impressive placement lock so virtual objects stay fixed in real space
• 👀 Eye tracking is very responsive for UI control and showing your eyes to others
• 👌🏾 Passthrough AR is the best of any VR headset for seeing the real world
• 💻 Ecosystem integration with iPhone, Mac, iMessage is a big advantage
• 🎧 Spatial audio with directional sound is very well implemented
• 😕 Battery life is only 2-4 hours and it's front heavy
• 😨 The external eyes are a bit weird and don't always work great
• 📱 App selection is limited at launch, with some big names opting out
• 💸 The price starts at $3499 so it's very expensive

Q & A

What are some of the unique hardware features of the Apple Vision Pro?

The Apple Vision Pro has a metal and glass construction with fans and vents for cooling. It has a digital crown and button like the Apple Watch. It also has outward-facing cameras and sensors to enable passthrough AR and hand tracking.

How does text input work on the Vision Pro?

There are three main ways - hunt and peck typing by poking a virtual keyboard, looking at keys and pinching to type, and speech recognition to enter URLs and text.

What is the battery life of the Apple Vision Pro?

The built-in battery lasts 2-4 hours. You can connect the battery pack to power for unlimited usage.

What ecosystem features make the Vision Pro compelling for Apple users?

It integrates tightly with iPhone and Mac, bringing over iMessage, photos, notes and more. You can also use it as a Mac display.

What are some notable apps missing from the Vision Pro?

At launch, there are no Netflix, YouTube or Spotify apps available.

How does the Vision Pro track your eyes?

It uses internal sensors to track your eyes at 90fps. This enables features like optic ID and eye control.

What is passthrough AR and how does it work?

Passthrough AR uses the outward-facing cameras to display the real world. The Vision Pro has the best passthrough quality, with 12ms latency.

What are Personas and how are they used?

Personas are digital avatars created by scanning your face. They are used for social features like showing your eyes on the outside of the headset.

Does the Vision Pro have its own operating system?

Yes, it runs Vision OS which is similar to iPadOS with 3D space and immersive environments.

What are some of the best use cases and apps for the Vision Pro?

Apps like Sky Guide and 3D modeling apps showcase the strengths of environmental immersion and precise spatial positioning.