Five things to know about “Vision Pro”, Apple’s first virtual and augmented reality headset

16 years ago, the emblematic boss of Apple Steve Jobs presented the first iPhone as a “revolution”. A term that the apple brand has not used much since but that its current CEO Tim Cook intends to impose on the virtual and augmented reality market. Expected for several years in this sector, Apple took advantage of its annual international conference dedicated to developers (WWDC) to launch its first “mixed” reality headset. Called “Vision Pro”, it was presented on Monday June 5 in Cupertino as a “space computer” which should allow “mixing digital content with the real world to create new experiences”, said Tim Cook. With this “revolutionary new product”the American giant is finally venturing into a market that embodies the future, as its current players – such as Meta, Microsoft or Sony – are still struggling to convince the general public about the concrete applications of this technology.

A headset controllable with eyes, voice and hands

For nearly an hour at its Apple Park in California, the Apple brand broadcast images of its “Vision Pro” to developers and the international media – whose design is close to a high-end ski goggle. range thanks to its transparent visor. Combining virtual reality technologies (allowing to digitally simulate a universe) and augmented reality (which superimposes 3D graphic elements on reality), it will be fully controllable without joystick or remote control, only with voice, hands and fingers. eyes. Apple is taking a step further to adapt its Face ID system (which secures the iPhone with face detection) to its helmet with new Optic ID technology, which detects eye movements. Concretely, under his helmet, the user can choose to launch this or that application only by looking in his direction. He can also enlarge or reduce the size of the screen he will view with a simple movement of the hand, or even make a video call by the sound of his voice.

An immersive computer that does not cut off from the real world

With the Vision Pro, Apple intends to break the image of the “gadget” often associated with virtual reality. By presenting its headset as a computer as well designed for professional use as for leisure, the Californian brand capitalizes on the know-how accumulated on its flagship products (iPhone, Mac, Apple TV, etc.) to transpose it to a tool that will put it all together. Equipped with the headset, the user will be able to display his work screens, create a videoconference space, watch a film or series by adjusting the size of his screen, but also play video games in a 360-degree environment. , go to parallel universes (meditative landscapes, personal videos, 3D experiences) and choose the degree of immersion. A button on the helmet will adjust the screen from augmented reality to virtual reality. But unlike some of its competitors like Meta’s Quest 2, the Vision Pro promises not to “cut off from the real world”. Thus, anyone entering the user’s field of vision will be automatically integrated into their digital environment, appearing between the different elements displayed on the screen.

State-of-the-art image and sound technology

The curved dual screen (interior and exterior) benefits from micro-OLED technology, for an ultra-high resolution display of 23 million pixels, more than a 4K TV in each eye. Equipped with two chips, including an R1 newly developed by the brand, the headset will carry 12 cameras, five sensors and six microphones, and will have a “spatial audio 3D” sound presented as completely enveloping. “If you were buying a new, state-of-the-art television, powerful speakers, a powerful computer with multiple high-definition screens, a sophisticated camera and more, you wouldn’t come close to what the Vision Pro brings”assures Richard Howarth, the vice-president of the group in charge of design. On the other hand, it will not be completely wireless since it will be connected to a battery (the size of a large iPhone) for a two-hour autonomy. It will also be possible to connect the Vision Pro directly to the mains.

A price of 3,500 dollars, higher than the competition

The Vision Pro will clearly not be accessible to all budgets since its launch price for the American market is displayed at 3,499 dollars. As with the brand’s other devices, the price in euros could exceed this amount, although it has not yet been communicated. If the brand’s applications and positioning differ from those of its competitors, its price would therefore exceed that of Microsoft’s Hololens 2 (around 3,200 euros) and those of Meta, whose Quest Pro model is sold around 1 199 euros.

A release in 2024, first in the United States

With this highly anticipated announcement, Apple intends to take control of a market that is still struggling to hatch with the general public. But we will still have to wait to enter the world of mixed reality from the apple brand: the product is announced for the beginning of 2024, but its precise date of marketing has not yet been revealed. The choice to present the product at its traditional developer conference (WWDC for Worldwide Developers Conference) is not insignificant: it should allow virtual and augmented reality professionals to position themselves on the creation of applications that will make the experience tangible. and will open it up to possibilities that go beyond what is currently possible through the Apple ecosystem, on iPhone, iPad or Mac. An operating system specific to the Vision Pro helmet, called VisionOS, was also announced on Monday. In addition, the helmet will only be available in the United States initially, before being offered “in other countries later next year”specifies the Californian company.