apple vision pro

Meta’s XR Revenue Down 39% “due to lower Quest 2 sales,” as Quest 3 & Vision Pro Loom

apple vision pro, Meta, Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest Pro, meta reality labs, meta revenue, meta xr revenue, News, Quest 2, quest 3, reality labs, reality labs q2 2023, reality labs revenue, VR Industry / Mike M. / July 28, 2023

Meta’s latest quarterly results show its Reality Labs XR division is again reporting an operating loss just south of $4 billion. Now, for its Q2 2023 results, the company says Reality Labs’ revenue was down by 39% due to lower Quest 2 sales, making for the worst quarterly performance in the past two years.

Meta has been clear about its plan to spend aggressively on XR over the next several years, so it’s again no surprise we’re seeing operating budgets in the billions with only a fraction of that coming back in via Quest 2 hardware and software sales.

In fact, Quest 2 sales play such an important role in Reality Labs’ quarterly performance that Meta has reported $276 million in revenue in Q2 2023, or 39% lower than last quarter.

Meta reported that Reality Labs expenses were $4 billion, which was up 23% since the same period last year. The company says this was due to lapping a reduction in Reality Labs loss reserves and growth in employee-related costs, bringing the XR division’s operating loss to $3.7 billion for Q2 2023.

Meta says it expects continued operating losses in the future, saying losses will likely “increase meaningfully year-over-year due to our ongoing product development efforts in AR/VR and our investments to further scale our ecosystem.”

Meanwhile, the company is preparing to launch Quest 3 in late 2023, the $500 follow-up headset that integrates many of Quest Pro’s mixed reality capabilities. Meta’s $1,000 Quest Pro has also reportedly been discontinued, however (without substantiating that particular claim) Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth implied earlier this month that a Quest Pro 2 isn’t off the table.

Apple’s Vision Pro is also looming, set to launch sometime next year. As rising tides lift all boats, hype around Vision Pro could actually benefit Meta in the short term. Apple’s $3,500 XR headset has attracted new attention to the space, however Meta’s consumer-friendly pricing and extensive game catalogue for Quest 3 may be well positioned this holiday to capitalize on that Apple-adjacent cachet.

Meta’s XR Revenue Down 39% “due to lower Quest 2 sales,” as Quest 3 & Vision Pro Loom Read More »

Apple Now Accepting Applications for Vision Pro Developer Kits

Apple, Apple AR, apple vision pro, apple vision pro dev kit, apple vision pro developer, Apple VR, News, vision pro, vision pro dev kit, vision pro devekoper / Rejus Almole / July 28, 2023

Apple has now opened applications for Vision Pro developer kits, which it’s sending out to app developers in effort to kickstart its first XR-specific App Store.

Vision Pro is set to launch sometime in early 2024, coming part and parcel with a load of first-party apps originally developed for iPad. This includes basic things like Safari, Photos, Music, Messages, and even an avatar support for Facetime.

Apple has been fairly mum on its list of third-party apps, listing only a few during its WWDC unveiling in June, including Word, Excel, Teams, Disney+, Zoom, WebEX, and Rec Room, its only VR game to be featured during the keynote.

Apple is couching the headset as a general computing device capable of doing most of what a laptop can do, however the $3,500 prosumer headset will need a lot more than a smattering of compatible 2D apps if it wants its first XR device to set the stage for generations of cheaper follow-ups, which will likely be aimed more squarely at regular consumers.

And while the headset emulator and software development tools have been out for a few weeks now, the Cupertino tech giant says developers looking to start creating apps with actual Vision Pro hardware can apply now.

Apple says the dev kit also includes help setting up the device and onboarding, check-ins with Apple experts for UI design and development guidance, and two additional code-level support requests so Apple can help troubleshoot issues.

Like with many hardware developer kits, there are some fairly stringent (if not entirely standard) caveats. The Vision Pro dev kit needs to be returned upon request, and also has to be stored in a private, secure workspace that unauthorized persons don’t have access to view, handle, or use. The dev kit also needs to be passcode protected and never left unattended, or removed from its home address without Apple’s prior written consent.

Again, that’s all pretty standard stuff so developers don’t lose, leak, or strip the headset down to its component parts for the glee of XR publications everywhere. We’ll likely be waiting for that last bit when it finally launches sometime in early 2024.

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A Tech Investor’s Take on the Apple Vision Pro

Apple Inc., apple vision pro, AR glasses, featured, Hardware, MR glasses, XR Talks / Rejus Almole / July 21, 2023

Apple’s entrance into the XR space via their announcement of the Apple Vision Pro was one of the most anticipated events in recent XR history. After years of hype build-up and frequent delays and rumors, the device itself left a lot of questions to be answered. I mulled over those questions with Neso Brands CTO Paulo Almeida in the 10th episode of the XR Talks podcast.

Years of Watching Apple

Neso Brands is an investment company specializing in tech-augmented eyewear. Naturally, their Chief Technical Officer has been carefully watching the Apple Vision Pro rumors for longer than many companies have been involved in XR at all.

“Somehow I’ve been following it for the last seven years,” said Almeida. “The job descriptions first showed up across the internet and that started the rumors, I’m going to say back in 2014, 2015.”

However, Almeida said that he had been waiting for something like an Apple headset for even longer than that – ever since he was, like so many others, disenchanted by the Google Glass device that launched in 2013. While this device first piqued Almeida’s interest in the future of XR wearables, he doesn’t think that it’s the real spiritual predecessor of consumer XR.

“The real pioneers of this are definitely Magic Leap and their waveguide lens is the future that I was expecting Apple to actually achieve some kind of breakthrough on,” said Almeida. “Magic Leap have been the true pioneers of trying to miniaturize all of these components and to make it into something that we could call smart glasses… not over-the-head displays.”

A Difference of Displays

Waveguide displays use a light engine and specialized lenses to project virtual content in front of the eye. Depending on the application, the wearer then looks at that content for a virtual screen application or through the lens to see their physical surroundings augmented by the virtual elements. It’s currently the dominant approach in lighter-weight, lower-cost AR devices.

As far as something like smart glasses go, Magic Leap is still pretty big and pretty expensive – and a fairly exclusive enterprise device. Campfire, also an enterprise-focused company, offers a smaller and lightweight headset that can offer VR as well as MR via the addition of a magnetic plate over the normally transparent lenses.

Micro-OLED displays essentially just put a screen in front of the wearer’s eyes. This approach has clear benefits in terms of image quality, brightness, field-of-view, and some other considerations at the trade-off of being more expensive and much heavier than waveguide displays. This is currently the dominant approach in VR devices – including the Apple Vision Pro.

Because the wearer can’t see through an OLED screen, AR and MR experiences are enabled through passthrough – which displays a video feed of the wearer’s surroundings which can then be augmented with virtual content. This is how virtually all AR/VR headsets – including the Apple Vision Pro – are able to offer both of those experiences on the same opaque screen.

An Extra Screen

There is one place where the benefits of a Micro-OLED display just don’t seem to justify the tradeoffs in terms of weight, cost, and power usage. That’s the giant screen on the front of the Apple Vision Pro that shows a virtual reproduction of the wearer’s eyes.

“I think it’s quite a useless feature, per se. Let’s put it this way: I think Apple just needed to put something there that would make the wow effect,” said Almeida. “They’re taking what I would call ‘The Tesla Approach’ of showing what they’re capable of and then saying ‘now wait a few more years, we’re now going to go into mass production, design something simple.’”

The fact that the headset is called “Pro” has led many to the conclusion that Apple is going to release a standard version of the headset, which might well do without some bells and whistles – like the virtual eyes.

“I definitely think that they should offer options with and without the front feature and I can almost guarantee most people would go without because it would probably be a good $500 or $600 cheaper, the battery would probably last a little bit longer,” said Almeida. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a version called the ‘Apple Vision Mini’ or ‘Apple Vision S’.”

Controller-Free Design

While the Apple Vision Pro has more screens than most VR headsets, it has fewer controllers. In fact, Apple is adamant about the Pro not having or needing controllers but getting along with eye and hand tracking as its only inputs.

“That’s one of the points where they’re definitely innovating,” said Almeida. “If there are a few hidden gems on the Apple Vision Pro, eye tracking and hand tracking are among them.”

I specifically brought up gaming as one use case where I feel that a controller is still necessary. Almeida had his perspective but toward the end of the episode, I also invited 3lbXR and 3lb Games founder and CEO Robin Moulder up from the audience knowing that she has an interesting perspective on game input.

Hardware Integrations and Third-Party Companies

A recurring point in the conversation was the room around the Apple Vision Pro itself for accessories, whether from Apple or from 3rd party developers. Almeida sees gaming and input in general as one of these opportunities.

“To play a game, having the feeling of a real-life controller in your hand is something that you need,” said Almeida. “I also think that they’re opening a path for haptic gloves.”

Almeida envisions a whole collection of different controllers for different kinds of games and interactions similar to that for headsets like VIVE. Earlier in the conversation, he had also mentioned the Apple Vision Pro’s battery life as one area that could be expanded through partnerships.

“If Apple is smart, they’re going to open the market to third-party companies for the existing hardware to expand over the existing options,” said Almeida. “In order to achieve more market and to grow as a company, Apple needs to invest in breakthrough technology and for that, they need to let third-party partners come to complement the ecosystem.”

Calling on Developers

Moulder had a different perspective on the Apple Vision Pro and seemed eager for the opportunity to develop controller-free applications.

“I am super stoked about Apple and from my perspective, there’s a whole lot to unpack,” said Moulder. “On the input side, the thing that I keep bringing up to people is that video showed the woman with her hand in her lap. (…) I’m looking at that thinking ‘If I could move my hands around in that kind of field-of-view, hand-tracking works a lot better.’”

Here we’re not talking about field-of-view in terms of what the wearer sees in the headset, we’re talking about what the headset sees around the wearer. Headsets have the ability to track the location of controllers no matter where they are but can only track the hands when the hands are in view of the cameras, which puts huge limitations on how effective hand-tracking can be.

“I don’t have to predict the location of where the hands are going to be in a bunch of nonsensical math just to make up for that limitation of the technology now,” said Moulder. “That’s really nice for us from the gaming perspective because that means we can lean into hand-tracking even more than we’re doing right now.”

Moulder said that this would mean “working with the user to train them” on more nuanced hand interactions, but it also sounds very optimistic for a controller-free headset that doesn’t feel like the 3DoF models of yesteryear. The wide range of the Apple Vision Pro does require a huge number of cameras, so it’s likely that other makers won’t emulate the move any time soon.

Parting Thoughts on the Apple Vision Pro

The Apple Vision Pro still remains something of a mystery to me. But, I have another perspective on where Apple might be going with a potential future product line built around it, and that’s exciting. I also have a whole new perspective on controller-free headsets in general, and that’s very exciting.

You can listen to the whole “XR Talks with ARPost: Episode 10 – Another Take on Apple’s Entrance” below, or on Spotify.

A Tech Investor’s Take on the Apple Vision Pro Read More »

Apple Reportedly Departs from Tradition with Creation of Dedicated XR Product Team

Apple, Apple AR, apple mr, apple vision pro, Apple VR, apple xr, News, vision pro / Paul Patrick / July 17, 2023

According to a Bloomberg report from Mark Gurman, Apple is changing things up with the creation of a new Vision Products Group (VPG), which is tasked with developing the company’s recently unveiled mixed reality headset, Vision Pro.

The report maintains that with the creation of VPG, Apple is departing from its “functional” management structure, which was introduced by Steve Jobs in the early ’90s.

Effectively, Jobs distributed the company’s product development efforts across more general departments, such as hardware, software, design, services, etc, instead of sectionalizing hardware development into individual product teams, like Mac, Watch, iPad, iPhone, etc.

The so-called Vision Products Group is reportedly independent from Apple’s main software and hardware engineering and other departments, including its own internal versions of those teams which report to unit head Mike Rockwell.

Gurman maintains that VPG still collaborates with other parts of Apple though, including design and operations teams overseen by COO Jeff Williams, Johny Srouji’s chip unit known for the company’s M2 and R1 processors, and iOS/macOS frameworks headed Craig Federighi’s software engineering group.

Some reportedly believed the dedicated group would be disbanded, making it follow the company’s functional management structure. It has however both persisted beyond the Vision Pro’s June unveiling at WWDC and was branded to reflect that the group is tasked with creation of Vision Products, implying the team will be sticking around for multiple product cycles yet to come.

Apple Reportedly Departs from Tradition with Creation of Dedicated XR Product Team Read More »

Meta CTO Says Quest 3 Announcement Timing Had ‘Nothing to do with Vision Pro’

andrew bosworth, apple vision pro, boz, Meta, News, quest 3, VR Industry / Mike M. / July 13, 2023

Meta CTO Andrew “Boz” Bosworth said this week that the announcement of Quest 3, which came just days ahead of Vision Pro reveal, had nothing to do with the timing of Apple’s first public foray into XR.

“People won’t believe me, I don’t care—I’m telling the truth, you can believe me or not, that’s up to you […],” Bosworth began in a Q&A hosted on Instagram this week in response to a question about the curious timing of Quest 3’s announcement, which came just days ahead of the reveal of Apple Vision Pro. He continued:

What we found out… especially last year… is that when we announce a new headset in September/October, a lot of people—especially when you already have headsets out in market—a lot of people have already made buying decisions in the summertime, or they’re kind of committed to a path, so you’re not capturing the full holiday season.

So we sent a note to [Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg] long before we even knew about WWDC timing or substance, saying ‘hey for Quest 3 we want to announce it early, so that people know it’s coming, so they can plan well in advance of the holiday season what they want to do’.

So that was our plan from a long time ago, and the timing worked out unbelievably well [laughs]. I’m not mad about it… I’m not saying I’m mad about it, I’m just saying that was the plan that we developed in terms of go-to-market, and it had nothing to do with [Vision Pro].

The announcement of Quest 3—which came four days before Apple’s Vision Pro reveal—was certainly curious as far as the company’s prior patterns. Compared to the kind of formal announcement we’ve seen, the new headset was first teased and then revealed on social media through Mark Zuckerberg’s feeds. Even when more formal information was shared shortly thereafter, the company didn’t share the headset’s full specs, instead promising more details to come at the annual XR event, Meta Connect, which wouldn’t be held for nearly four more months.

Regardless, Bosworth maintains the Quest 3 announcement was decided well before the company knew what Apple would reveal or when.

Bosworth, who heads Meta’s XR division, Reality Labs, also answered some other questions about Apple Vision Pro during the Q&A.

Q: Thoughts on Apple’s decision to have attached battery pack rather than all-in-one headset?

A: At some point these headsets are a physics problem. You can spend your thermals and your weight one way, or another way, but at some point the equation has to square. [Apple’s] headset, I think, is roughly in the same ballpark of weight as our headsets, and they wanted to have this battery life, so they wanted to go external with [the battery]. It doesn’t matter who you are, what company you are, who you work for… physics is a uniform belligerent to this space. We’re making progress hand-over-fist as an industry; I think Apple’s entry is going to help with that a lot. But yeah, you have to square the circle somehow, and they had to do it with an external battery pack and a cord.

Q: How does the Vision Pro change Meta’s roadmap?

A: Andy Grove—famous Intel CEO and kind of godfather of Silicon Valley—always used to say “only the paranoid survive,” and we try to embody that. You try to approach your work with a lot of humility. Whenever a great competitor comes out, whether it be the Pico, whether it be Apple Vision Pro, certainly; you’re trying to look and see, what did they do differently, and why? What did we miss? Did we get it wrong, or did they figure something out? So you try to learn from it. And then be humble about it. At the same time, you can’t constantly be chasing every competitor because then you’re getting thrown off your own game. You’re getting thrown off what you can uniquely do and what you’ve done right, and that they need to learn from. In our case I think we’ve got a great ecosystem, we’ve got a great set of devices, we’ve got a great price point. So it’s a balance to try to learn from them and not over-rotate on that. Nothing that we hadn’t looked at before […] we were focusing on gaze and touch for AR as well—it’s a natural AR interaction—is that something that needs to get more priority in VR? Not sure yet. So we’re looking at it… we’re not sure yet.

Meta CTO Says Quest 3 Announcement Timing Had ‘Nothing to do with Vision Pro’ Read More »

Report: Samsung Delays XR Headset Due to Stiff Competition from Apple Vision Pro

apple vision pro, News, samsung, samsung mixed reality, samsung mr, samsung xr / Rejus Almole / July 6, 2023

Samsung’s upcoming XR headset, which is meant to compete with Apple Vision Pro, has been delayed by “one to two quarters” from its reported early 2024 release target, according to an SBS Biz (Korean) report.

Samsung announced in February it was developing an XR headset in partnership with Qualcomm and Google, the former supplying the device’s chipset and the latter the headset’s operating system.

The report maintains that Samsung Electronics recently notified its display manufacturing partners Samsung Display and China’s BOE that it’s postponing the release of “existing XR devices.”

Samsung was reportedly hoping to ready samples of the headset by year’s end, aiming to mass produce the device starting early next year. That’s apparently been delayed by about “one to two quarters,” or three to six months.

Quest 3 (left) and Apple Vision Pro (right) | Based on images courtesy Meta, Apple

SBS Biz cites an official familiar with Samsung’s internal affairs, maintaining the decision to delay was made in direct response to Apple Vision Pro, which was unveiled early last month during Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference.

“We decided to review all internal specifications and performance, such as the design and display of the new XR product,” the official told SBS Biz.

Provided the report holds true, it will be interesting to see Samsung shoot for the high-end, which is where Apple’s $3,500 mixed reality headset is undoubtedly headed when it launches sometime early next year. While it wasn’t clear when Samsung announced the headset earlier this year, it makes more sense the Korean tech giant would rather compete somewhere in the premium XR headset market with Apple than compete with Meta’s upcoming Quest 3 mixed reality headset, slated to launch in Fall 2023 for $500.

Report: Samsung Delays XR Headset Due to Stiff Competition from Apple Vision Pro Read More »

Apple Vision Pro: A Catalyst for the Growth of the XR Industry

Apple Inc., apple vision pro, extended reality, featured, MR glasses, MR headsets, Sponsored / Paul Patrick / July 4, 2023

A New Era in Immersive Technology

The Vision Pro’s unveiling at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) generated a buzz in the XR world. It has triggered both commendations and criticisms from the global XR community, with its future potential and implications for the broader XR landscape hotly debated.

Apple’s Vision Pro is a spatial computer that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world, marking a significant step forward in immersive technology.

Apple Vision Pro - headset

According to the company, it uses a “fully three-dimensional user interface controlled by the most natural and intuitive inputs possible – a user’s eyes, hands, and voice.” This marks a departure from traditional interaction methods, offering a more immersive experience for users.

A panel of global executives from the immersive tech industry weighed in on the device, discussing its potential use cases, and how it would impact the global XR community. The consensus was that the Vision Pro represented a significant leap forward in the development of XR technology, setting the stage for exciting advancements in the field.

The Potential of the Vision Pro

The Vision Pro’s introduction has been described as one of the “watershed moments” for the VR and AR industry. The device with enormous potential is poised to breathe new life into the XR space, with two of the world’s largest tech giants, Apple and Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook), now vying for market share.

The Vision Pro’s announcement has spurred conversations and expectations that “spatial computing” will become an integral part of everyday life, much like how other Apple devices have seamlessly integrated into our daily personal and professional lives.

Apple has a remarkable track record of introducing technology that resonates with individuals on a personal level. The company’s knack for creating products that enhance individuals’ lives, work, and well-being has been a crucial factor in their widespread adoption.

Vision Pro: Design and Features

The Vision Pro comes with a clean, sleek design, and high-quality features – a standard we’ve come to expect from Apple. The device is controlled using our hands, rather than external controllers, making it more intuitive and user-friendly.

Apple has prioritized its use cases within its existing ecosystem of apps and content. This strategic move sets Vision Pro apart from its competitors, providing a unique selling proposition.

The device’s hardware is impressive, but its real strength lies in the software experience it offers. Vision Pro introduces a new dimension to personal computing by transforming how users interact with their favorite apps, enhancing productivity and entertainment experiences.

The Impact on the XR Market

The Vision Pro’s introduction has the potential to reshape the XR market. Apple’s entry into the XR space is expected to boost confidence, incite competition, and accelerate advancements in other headsets. This would lead to more people using mixed reality headsets in their day-to-day lives, accelerating use cases for enterprises and industries.

On the other hand, the device’s high price point suggests that it will initially find more success among corporate entities and developers. Companies could use the Vision Pro to create immersive experiences at events, while developers could use it to build innovative apps and content for the device.

At VR Vision, for example, we see enormous potential in the application of virtual reality training for enterprise applications, and the Vision Pro will only enable further innovation in that sector.

It is much safer and cost-effective to operate heavy machinery in the virtual world than in the real world for training. This has applicability across a wide array of industries and use cases and it will be interesting to see just how impactful it truly becomes.

The Vision Pro’s Presentation

Apple’s presentation of the Vision Pro was impressive, ticking many boxes. It showcased significant advancements in hardware and software, demonstrating how the device could offer a hands-free, intuitive experience. The demonstration also highlighted how spatial computing and the new user experience could spur creative content development.

However, some critics felt that the presentation didn’t fully demonstrate the range of VR activities that Vision Pro could achieve. There was a focus on ‘looking and clicking’ functions, which could also be performed on a smartphone. More emphasis could have been placed on the device’s potential for workplace and communication applications.

The Target Audience and Use Cases

The Vision Pro’s high price point suggests that its target audience will initially be businesses and developers. The device could revolutionize workplace training and education, enhancing engagement with learning materials, and streamlining work processes.

Apple Vision Pro

For developers, the Vision Pro represents an opportunity to experiment and innovate. Apple’s established App Store and developer community provide a strong launchpad for the creation of apps and content for Vision Pro. These early adopters may not create polished work initially, but their experiments and ideas will likely flourish in the coming years.

The Role of Vision Pro in the XR Market

Apple’s history of developing proprietary technology and working internally suggests that the Vision Pro will likely follow a similar path. The company’s commitment to quality control, unique design processes, and product development control has given Apple devices their distinctive look and feel.

While it’s difficult to predict the future, interoperability between headsets will likely mirror the landscape of Android and Apple smartphones or Mac and Windows computers. The Vision Pro will likely stand out in the market for its unique feel, best-in-class visuals and technology, and intuitive user experiences, maintaining the overall cohesion between various Apple devices.

Enhancing App Development With Unity

The integration of Unity’s development platform with Vision Pro enables developers to leverage the device’s capabilities and create compelling AR experiences.

Unity’s robust toolset offers a wide range of features, including real-time rendering, physics simulation, and advanced animation systems, all optimized for the Vision Pro’s hardware.

This seamless integration allows developers to focus on unleashing their creativity and designing immersive experiences that blur the line between the physical and virtual worlds.

The Vision Pro holds immense potential for a wide range of industries. From gaming and entertainment to education, healthcare, and industrial training, the device opens up avenues for innovative applications. Imagine interactive virtual tours of historical sites, immersive educational experiences, or real-time collaborative design and engineering projects. The Vision Pro’s spatial computing capabilities pave the way for a future where digital content seamlessly blends with our physical reality, transforming the way we learn, work, and entertain ourselves.

Apple’s Vision Pro: A Boost for Meta

Apple’s entry into the XR market could be a boon for Meta. Despite the criticisms and challenges Meta has faced, its headsets have consistently offered the best value in their class, with excellent hardware and a great game library, all at an attractive price.

The introduction of the Vision Pro could force Meta to step up its game, enhancing its software offerings and improving its user experience. The competition from Apple could ultimately lead to better products from Meta, benefiting users and developers alike.

Conclusion

The introduction of the Apple Vision Pro represents a significant milestone in the XR industry. Its potential impact extends beyond its impressive hardware and software features, setting the stage for exciting advancements in the field.

With Apple now a major player in the XR space, the industry is poised for a surge in growth and evolution. The Vision Pro’s introduction could lead to more investment in R&D, a flourishing supply chain, and an influx of developers eager to create innovative experiences for the device.

Undoubtedly, the Vision Pro marks the beginning of a new era in immersive technology, and its impact on the XR industry will be felt for years to come.

Written by Lorne Fade, COO at VR Vision

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Apple Reportedly Has No Plans to Make or Support VR Controllers for Vision Pro

Apple, Apple AR, apple mr, apple vision pro, Apple VR, AR News, avp, News, vision pro / Mike M. / July 4, 2023

If a recent Bloomberg report from Mark Gurman holds true, not only is Apple not planning to release a motion controller for Vision Pro in the future, but it may not even support third-party VR controllers at all.

When the Cupertino tech giant unveiled Vision Pro last month, it didn’t emphasize the headset’s ability to potentially support VR games, which have typically been designed around motion controllers like Meta Touch or Valve’s Index controller for SteamVR headsets.

Among Vision Pro’s lineup of content, which features a standard suite of Apple ecosystem and standard content viewing apps, the studio only off showed a single VR app, Rec Room, the prolific social VR app that supports most major VR headsets (excluding PSVR 2 for now) in addition to consoles, desktop, and both iOS and Android mobile devices.

Mark Gurman, one of the leading journalists reporting on unreleased Apple tech, maintains that Apple is neither actively planning a dedicated controller, nor planning support for third-party VR accessories.

When the $3,500 headset launches in early 2024, this would leave Vision Pro users relying on the headset’s built-in hand and eye-tracking, which admittedly worked very well in our hands-on. It’s also using Siri-driven voice input, Bluetooth and Mac keyboard support, and PlayStation 5 and Xbox controllers for traditional flatscreen games.

For VR gaming though, hand and eye-tracking lack the haptic feedback required for many game genres, meaning what VR games do come to Vision Pro will likely require overhauls to make sure hand-tracking is fully baked in.

Provided Apple sticks with its purported internal plan to not support VR controllers, that would essentially shunt development away from VR gaming and towards the headset’s AR abilities. For Apple, that’s where the ‘real’ money presumably lies.

Denny Unger, founder and lead of pioneering VR studio Cloudhead Games, explains the move as a way to provide a strong development foundation now for Apple’s AR glasses of the future, which will be both more affordable and more capable of replacing a standard smartphone than the admittedly bulky MR headsets of today.

For more from Unger, who heads one of the most successful VR studios, check out his Road to VR guest article to learn more about Vision Pro and why Apple may be launching an AR headset in VR clothing.

Apple Reportedly Has No Plans to Make or Support VR Controllers for Vision Pro Read More »

Company Plans to Sell $40K Apple Vision Pro to People With a Desperate Need to Flaunt Their Wealth

40000 vision pro, apple vision pro, apple vision pro caviar, caviar, MR headset, News / Rejus Almole / July 4, 2023

“Luxury” accessory maker Caviar plans to sell ~~desecrated~~ customized Apple Vision Pro for the high, high price of $40,000. The ridiculous price is the whole point.

For anyone who has so much money that they don’t have anything left to do with it than tell everyone that they have it, Caviar plans to sell the Vision Pro ‘CVR Edition’, a customized $40,000 version of the headset that tacks on bulky and heavy additions with the goal of making the headset a “work of designer art.” Because clearly the $3,500 headset wasn’t expensive enough.

And yes, as far as we can tell, they’re serious—and a real company.

In addition to fancy leathers for the headstrap and facepad, the defining feature of the Vision Pro CVR edition is the 18K gold flip-up cover which is made to conceal the headset’s external EyeSight display. The display shows the user’s eyes on the outside of the headset whenever they’re looking at the real world. This is to communicate to people outside of the headset that you can see them and they can see you. So exactly why you wouldn’t want people seeing your eyes is unclear (literally this is the entire point of having a display on the outside).

Considering the Vision Pro is already a fairly heavy headset, slapping on hunks of gold also doesn’t make much sense for this product in the first place. Gold is more dense than Lead and even Tungsten, with a single cubic-inch weighing in at 316 grams (probably nearly half of the Vision Pro’s total weight).

But the insanity is (sadly) the point. A $40,000 product that’s made worse by its “luxury” additions is designed for nothing else than flaunting one’s absurd wealth in the face of others. Ultimately the Vision Pro ‘CVR Edition’ is made to sit on a shelf as a trophy of excess.

While we doubt the company will actually manage to sell any of these headsets, Caviar claims only 24 will be made, and they are expected to launch in Fall of 2024.

Company Plans to Sell $40K Apple Vision Pro to People With a Desperate Need to Flaunt Their Wealth Read More »

Apple Reportedly Cuts Production Targets for Vision Pro Due to Manufacturing Complexity

Apple, Apple AR, apple vision pro, apple vision pro sales targets, Apple VR, News, vision pro, vision pro sales targets / Rejus Almole / July 3, 2023

Apple has allegedly slashed production targets for Vision Pro due to manufacturing issues related to the mixed reality headset’s complex design, a Financial Times report maintains.

Unveiled during Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in early June, the $3,500 Vision Pro represents the first big step into XR for the company. Launching sometime next year, Vision Pro is a high-end headset that combines virtual reality displays with color passthrough cameras, allowing it to do both VR and AR tasks.

Apple’s China-based contract manufacturer Luxshare, allegedly the sole assembler of the device, is now preparing to make fewer than 400,000 units of Vision Pro in 2024, according to the report, which cites “multiple people with direct knowledge of the manufacturing process,” including sources close to Apple and Luxshare.

Supply chain rumors also allege that two of Apple’s China-based component suppliers only have enough parts to produce around 130,000 to 150,000 Vision Pro units in the first year. It was previously thought Apple was operating with an internal 12-month sales target of one million units.

Manufacturing complications apparently hinge on Vision Pro’s micro-OLED displays and outward-facing, curved lenticular display, the latter of which allows a sort of digital passthrough view of the user’s eyes.

In our hands-on, we noted Vision Pro packed top of its class lenses and displays, something Apple says is “more than a 4K TV for each eye.”

The company is reportedly unhappy with supplier productivity. It’s said the most expensive component is its internal displays, and getting enough of those micro-OLEDs to be defect-free has purportedly been a significant hurdle. Additionally, Financial Times reports the micro-OLED displays used in the headsets demoed to press at its June launch were supplied by Sony and the chipmaker TSMC.

Meanwhile, Apple is said to be working with Samsung and LG on a second-gen version of the headset, which will be reportedly cheaper than the first, which is launching sometime in 2024 for $3,500.

Apple Reportedly Cuts Production Targets for Vision Pro Due to Manufacturing Complexity Read More »

Oculus Founder Explains What Apple Got Right & Wrong on Vision Pro

anduril, Apple, Apple AR, apple vision pro, apple vision pro development, Apple VR, luckey, MR headset, News, palmer luckey, spatial computing, vision pro / Rejus Almole / June 30, 2023

Apple Vision Pro is about to set a lot of expectations in the industry of what’s ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ about mixed reality, something the fruit company prefers to call spatial computing. Oculus founder Palmer Luckey weighed in on his thoughts, and coming from one of the main figures who kicked off the VR revolution of today, it means something.

Speaking to Peter Diamandis in a nearly two hour-long podcast, Luckey delved into many areas of his work over the years, touching on the role at his defense company Anduril, his role in kickstarting the modern era of VR, and basically everything under the Sun that the tech entrepreneur is doing, or thinks about when it comes to augmented and virtual reality.

Undoubtedly the hottest of hot button issues is whether Apple is doing mixed reality ‘right’ as a newcomer to the space. Luckey is mostly positive about Vision Pro, saying it’s patently Apple.

“I think there were things that I would do differently if I were Apple,” Luckey tells Diamandis. “They did basically everything right—they didn’t do anything terrible. I mean, I think Apple is going after the exact right segment of the market that Apple should be going after.”

Luckey maintains that if Apple went after the low end of the market, it would be “a mistake,” saying the Cupertino tech giant is taking “the exact approach that I had always wanted Apple to take, and really the approach that Oculus had been taking in the early years.”

Apple is admittedly going at XR with little regard for affordability, but that’s not the sticking point you might think it would be. To him, the $3,500 headset packs the best components for the premium segment, including “the highest possible resolution, the highest quality possible displays, the best possible ergonomics.”

In fact, Apple’s first-gen device shouldn’t be about affordability at this point, Luckey says. It’s about “inspiring lust in a much larger group of people, who, as I dreamed all those years ago, see VR as something they desperately want before it becomes something they can afford.”

In the world of component configurations, there’s very little that catches Luckey off guard, although Vision Pro’s tethered battery ‘puck’ was choice that surprised the Oculus founder a little bit. When it comes to offloading weight from the user’s head, Luckey says shipping a battery puck was the “right way to do things.”

“I was a big advocate of [external pucks] in Oculus, but unfortunately it was a battle that I lost in my waning years, and [Oculus] went all in on putting all batteries, all the processing in actual headset itself. And not just in the headset, but in the front of the headset itself, which hugely increases the weight of the front of the device, the asymmetric torque load… it’s not a good decision.”

One direction Apple has going that Luckey isn’t a fan of: controllers, or rather, the lack thereof. Vision Pro is set to ship without any sort of VR motion controller, which means developers will need to target hand and eye-tracking as the primary input methods.

“It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of VR input, and I think that’s probably one of the things I would have done differently than Apple. On the other hand, they have a plan for VR input that goes beyond just the finger [click] inputs. They’re taking a focused marketing approach, but I think they have a broader vision for the future than everything just being eyes and fingers.”

Luckey supports the company’s decision to split the headset into a puck and head-worn device not only for Vision Pro in the near term, but also for future iterations of the device, which will likely need more batteries, processing, and antennas. Setting those expectations now of a split configuration could help Apple move lighter and thinner on head-worn components, and never even deal with the problems of balancing the girth and weight seen in the all-in-one, standalone headsets of today.

In the end, whether the average person will wear such things in the future will ultimately come down to clever marketing, Luckey maintains, as it’s entirely possible to slim down to thinner form factors, but devices may not be nearly as functional at sizes smaller than “chunky sunglasses”. To Luckey, companies like Apple have their work cut out for them when it comes to normalizing these AR/VR headsets of the near future, and Apple will most definitely be seeding their devices on the heads of “the right celebrities, the right influencers” in the meantime.

You can check out the full 15-minute clip where Luckey talks about his thoughts on Apple Vision Pro below:

Oculus Founder Explains What Apple Got Right & Wrong on Vision Pro Read More »

Is Apple Vision Pro Ready for Mainstream Use?

Apple Inc., apple vision pro, AR glasses, featured, interview, Mixed Reality, MR glasses, opinion, trending / Mike M. / June 28, 2023

The long wait for a mixed reality headset from Apple will soon be over with the recent launch of Apple Vision Pro. Earlier this month, Apple unveiled its highly anticipated XR headset at the WWDC 2023 event. The Apple Vision Pro is set to hit US Apple stores in early 2024.

Being the first major hardware launch of Apple after almost a decade, the Vision Pro is expected to be received with great enthusiasm. While it’s an undoubtedly powerful device packed with state-of-the-art features, the question remains: Is the Apple Vision Pro truly ready for mainstream use?

To delve deeper into how this development impacts the future of XR, we asked some experts to share their insights on Apple Vision Pro.

Apple Vision Pro: Pushing the Boundaries of Mixed Reality Technology

Compared with other available AR and MR headsets, Apple Vision Pro has raised the bar in several aspects. For Dominik Angerer, CEO of headless CMS Storyblok, this launch could potentially be another “‘iPhone moment’ for Apple, pushing the boundaries of how we perceive and interact with digital content.”

Nathan Robinson, CEO of Gemba, finds the technology sleek, responsive, comfortable, and highly performant. According to him, Apple’s user-centric design philosophy is evident in the Vision Pro’s external battery pack, wide articulated headband, and visual passthrough capabilities—all ensuring comfort and convenience even for extended use.

Michael Hoffman, Mesmerise Head of Platform and CEO of IQXR, also highlights the unparalleled ergonomics of the Vision Pro. For him, the Fit Dial that enables adjustment for a precise fit, the Light Seal that creates a tight yet comfortable fit, and multiple size options will all be crucial to the success of the product.

Performance-wise, experts agree that Vision Pro is powerful. Emma Ridderstad, CEO of Warpin Reality, believes that the use of two chips, R1 and M2, will improve real-time processing, reducing the amount of lag time experienced while using the headset.

However, some experts aren’t that impressed. Eric Alexander, founder and CEO of Soundscape VR, thinks that the Vision Pro is strong for a mobile headset but still pales in comparison to PC VR. “The sprawling, highly-detailed, 3D rendered worlds we build here at Soundscape won’t be possible on the Vision Pro yet as their M2 chip has less than 10% of the rendering horsepower of an Nvidia GPU,” he told us.

For Joseph Toma, CEO of the virtual meetings and events platform Jugo, the Vision Pro’s hardware can be overkill, no matter how powerful it is. He notes that advances in spatial AI, augmented reality, and mixed reality AI make bulky hardware unnecessary. “Apple’s Vision Pro may not be the product that ushers in this new era. While the tech is great, the future is about building something that includes everyone and can deliver mixed reality experiences without the constraints of bulky hardware,” Toma said.

Is the Apple Vision Pro Truly Ready for Mainstream Use?

While the Apple Vision Pro represents a significant leap forward in mixed reality technology, experts have varying opinions on its readiness for mainstream adoption.

apple vision pro

Some argue that its current price point and the need for continuous advancements in software and content might limit its appeal. Others point out that existing platforms already offer immersive experiences without the need for bulky hardware, and Apple might face challenges in convincing the masses to invest in the Vision Pro.

Retailing at $3,499, the cost of the Apple Vision Pro is several times over the $499 price tag of the Meta Quest 3. For Robinson, this prohibitive price will be a large contributing factor to a slow adoption curve. However, he believes as the price falls and the number of applications grows over time, this technology will gain a much wider audience.

While Hoffman also sees the need for more cost-effective options, he believes that Vision Pro is ready for mainstream adoption. “Vision Pro is absolutely ready for mainstream adoption, especially because it’s made by Apple,” he said. “Once Apple launches a product, users typically flock to it.”

Still, some experts believe that Vision Pro isn’t ready for mainstream adoption yet. While initially impressed with the headset, Ridderstad noticed features that were centered around “looking and clicking” rather than 3D VR interactions. “I do think that Vision Pro won’t be ready for mainstream adoption until there’s been a few iterations of the headset,” she told us. “We’ll need to see some evolution from Apple in order to make mixed reality truly mainstream.”

For Alexander, the mainstream adoption of Vision Pro is still a few years out. Although he doesn’t see the price point being a hindrance to adoption, he believes that developers need time to build compelling apps that give people something to do on these devices outside of the novelty factor.

Toma, sharing a similar sentiment, said that, even though “the merging of the tangible and virtual worlds is an impending reality,” we’re still far from seeing these tools adopted on a massive scale by consumers and businesses. “The Vision Pro’s success depends on whether consumers will embrace a bulky, expensive piece of hardware they don’t need for the immersive experience Apple is promoting,” he said.

However, as Angerer points out, “Every technological leap comes with its share of skepticism.” While he understands why there are those who argue that Apple’s headset is not ready for mainstream adoption because of its size, he believes it’s important to remember that Apple has consistently placed high importance on balancing aesthetics with practicality. “Existing platforms may offer similar experiences, but Apple’s unique selling proposition often lies in its seamless user experience and integration across devices, which could give Vision Pro an edge,” he said.

Reshaping Industries: Applications of Apple Vision Pro and Other MR Headsets

Regardless of their readiness for mainstream use, mixed reality headsets like the Apple Vision Pro have the potential to transform various industries. Experts foresee numerous applications in fields such as healthcare, education, architecture, and entertainment.

In healthcare, for instance, mixed reality can aid in surgical simulations and remote medical consultations. In education, immersive learning experiences can enhance student engagement and comprehension. Architects can utilize mixed reality to visualize designs in real-world environments, while the entertainment industry can create entirely new levels of interactive experiences for consumers.

According to Hoffman, Vision Pro will be a game changer that unlocks high-value enterprise use cases. “Collaboration is essential for most scenarios that merge the physical and virtual. To be viable, eye contact is key for co-located participants, and faithfully conveying gaze and facial expressions is key for remote participants,” he explained. “Apple masterfully tackles both, making it possible to collaborate with any combination of co-located and remote participants where everyone wears a device. This combining of the physical and virtual worlds is critical for so many scenarios: task guidance, IoT digital twins, skills training, AI-enhanced inspections, augmented surgery, logistics, and space planning.”

A Promising Outlook for Apple Vision Pro and Mixed Reality Technology

As industry experts have highlighted, factors such as pricing, content availability, and competing platforms could influence its widespread acceptance. Nonetheless, Vision Pro and other mixed reality headsets are set to reshape industries and open new possibilities. The future of mixed reality holds immense promise with continued advancements and a growing ecosystem, and the Apple Vision Pro stands at the forefront of this transformative journey.

Is Apple Vision Pro Ready for Mainstream Use? Read More »

apple vision pro

Years of Watching Apple

A Difference of Displays

An Extra Screen

Controller-Free Design

Hardware Integrations and Third-Party Companies

Calling on Developers

Parting Thoughts on the Apple Vision Pro

Sponsored by VR Vision

A New Era in Immersive Technology

The Potential of the Vision Pro

Vision Pro: Design and Features

The Impact on the XR Market

The Vision Pro’s Presentation

The Target Audience and Use Cases

The Role of Vision Pro in the XR Market

Enhancing App Development With Unity

Apple’s Vision Pro: A Boost for Meta

Conclusion

Written by Lorne Fade, COO at VR Vision

Apple Vision Pro: Pushing the Boundaries of Mixed Reality Technology

Is the Apple Vision Pro Truly Ready for Mainstream Use?

Reshaping Industries: Applications of Apple Vision Pro and Other MR Headsets

A Promising Outlook for Apple Vision Pro and Mixed Reality Technology