Is the Vision Pro Too Heavy?

Summary

This conversational video discusses Anthropic's Claude AI assistant having a chat with a human about their experience trying out Apple's new Vision Pro headset. They detail their evolving impressions over multiple demos, from initial amazement at the crisp visuals and seamless eye tracking, to frustration over its heavyweight build. They recount using the virtual keyboard, Safari, and 3D modeling apps. While impressive technology, its heaviness limits prolonged use cases. Overall a magical yet expensive first-generation device, with gen 2 likely being lighter, cheaper and more durable.

Takeaways

• 😀 This was MKBHD's 4th time trying the Apple Vision Pro headset
• 😃 The headset is very heavy and puts pressure on the cheekbones
• 🤓 The eye tracking and 'look to select' features worked well
• 📱 Typing was possible in two ways - poking a virtual keyboard or looking at keys
• 🎥 Watching spatial media was the most impressive use case so far
• 👀 The 'eyesight' feature looked silly and blurry in person
• 💸 The $3500 price limits the addressable market to developers & enthusiasts
• 🤔 There are no killer 1st party apps yet that justify the high price
• 🎮 Simple games and experiences worked well due to precise hand tracking
• 🔋 Battery life is only 2 hours - real world use will be very intermittent

Q & A

How many times has David tried the Vision Pro headset?

David has tried the Vision Pro headset 4 times.

What are some of the new features David and his friend got to try with the Vision Pro?

Some of the new features they got to try included the keyboard, Safari, third party apps, the new headstrap, and the dual band headstrap.

How does David describe his first impression of the Vision Pro headset?

David's first impression was that it was easily the most impressive VR headset he's ever worn. He said it was incredibly crisp and clear, very immersive, with amazing screens and phenomenal eye tracking.

What does David think is the killer app or use case for the Vision Pro based on his experience so far?

Based on his experience, David thinks the killer app/use case is media - watching videos, photos, Apple TV, and browsing websites like YouTube in theater mode.

How does David describe trying to type on the virtual keyboard?

David says typing on the virtual keyboard is extremely slow and inaccurate compared to normal typing. But using the eye tracking method to type letter by letter was much faster for him.

How heavy is the Vision Pro headset compared to other headsets?

David says the Vision Pro is the heaviest VR headset he has ever worn. He compares it to wearing heavy over-ear headphones versus light plastic headphones.

What was David's impression after wearing the Vision Pro for 20-25 minutes?

After wearing it for 20-25 minutes, David said his head hurt for a while afterwards. He also felt the weight made it restrictive in terms of what activities he'd want to use it for.

Who does David think the target customer is for the $3,500 Vision Pro headset?

David believes Apple is targeting developers and early adopters willing to spend a lot of money to try new technology. He doesn't think average consumers are the target customer.

What improvements does David predict for the second generation Vision Pro?

David predicts gen 2 will be 20-30% lighter, 30% cheaper, more durable, have user profiles, and overall be more of a mainstream consumer product.

What is David's overall impression of the Vision Pro?

David says it's one of the most advanced and magical pieces of tech he's ever used, but he's unsure if he actually wants to use it regularly due to the weight and wearing discomfort issues.