So it’s just been over 6 months since I got the Apple Vision Pro, which is why I wanted to share a usage update.
My AVP usage has dropped considerably since I first got it, which is to be expected since the first couple of months its lots of experimenting, trying to see what I want to do with the AVP. Now I’m more aware of what to use the AVP for, and it’s mostly media consumption.
The #1 use of the AVP for me is watching Formula 1 races. There are two great apps on the AVP to watch the races and both offer similar features. Imagine sitting in a movie theater and watching F1, but it’s me on my couch watching it. And it’s not just about having a large screen, I also have multiple screens all around, one showing the timing screen, one showing an overhead map of the race, and then multiple windows of the different driver views. It’s ridiculous, I love it. Another advantage is I could sit in the living room and watch the races while my wife sits next to me watching TV. Both of us physically using the same real world space, but I’m in a different digital space doing my own thing.
My second favorite thing on the AVP are the immersive videos. These are videos that make you feel like you’re watching a film from inside the film. It’s nothing like you’ve ever experienced, it’s nothing like IMAX or 3D glasses or whatever, it’s an experience you can only have through the AVP at the moment. Immersive videos are 3D 180-degree 8K recordings with Spatial Audio. At first, Apple released a bunch of these, mostly short documentary like films, but a few weeks ago they released a short film called “Submerged” that takes place on a submarine during the World War and is directed by an Academy Award winning director. It was insane, I’ve never experienced a movie like that before in my life. I was left stunned and once I was done I made my wife watch it and I could see from her facial expressions that she was also taken aback by it. You’re IN the movie, it doesn’t feel like a camera is capturing the action, but it’s your own eyes. It’s very hard to explain because it can’t be compared to anything.
While on the subject of immersive videos, Apple has released I think three immersive sports videos, one from the NFL, one from MLS and one from the NBA All Star game. Those are crazy as well, imagine watching a sports game while standing on the sidelines of a soccer field or sitting court side at a basketball game. I’d watch so much more sports if this became the norm. It’s an insane experience, standing there on the court and having an NBA player just walk by you, you really don’t realize how tall or big sports players are until you’re right there next to them. It’s also not just one view, in the 5min or so long videos Apple lets you experience the games from multiple angles and at different times. So when the NFL game ended you’re there on the pitch surrounded by people celebrating, at the NBA game if someone is taking a free throw your view point is from behind the basketball. It’s also all in 3D so when a ball comes flying past you, you duck.
So yeah, that’s my primary use for it. Every now and then someone releases a new game or app that tries something different and I try it out for the experience. The Reddit AVP community is great. Apple hasn’t sold a lot of AVP’s so the community is pretty small. There are a lot of developers active on the AVP subreddit and take feedback seriously and usually make the changes pretty quickly. Many of them are always looking for people to test out their apps and games as well, so it feels like a close-knit community from the old Internet back in the 90s.
Yesterday, Apple released a software update that allows you to have an ultra wide monitor when mirroring your Mac. Lots of people were looking forward to that update since it would help them with their workflow. Some people love the AVP for traveling, especially when staying at hotels. Everyone is kinda finding their own thing of what they want from the AVP which is pretty cool to see.
I definitely don’t think anyone should buy an AVP right now that’s for sure, it’s not ready for the mass, it’s still just for people who are willing to basically be beta testers and have lots of money to buy one. They did announce they’re launching the Apple Vision Pro in the UAE, so the next time you’re there, if you can get a demo I’d highly recommend it, just to get an idea of what the future could be like.
10 replies on “Apple Vision Pro – 6 Months Later”
“it doesn’t feel like a camera is capturing the action, but it’s your own eyes. It’s very hard to explain because it can’t be compared to anything.”
Forgive my naivete, but what you just described sounds like a VR video game, but with better graphics and less interactivity.
Well you could describe it like that I guess although it’s not really VR because it’s not a virtual world, you don’t move around in it (other than look around), and there isn’t any interactivity because it’s a movie not a game. Also, instead of graphics it’s actual real 3D video footage. It’s hard to describe the feeling of watching an immersive film since there isn’t anything you can compare to. Even if you’ve explored a virtual world in a Quest 3 you can’t really compare that experience to watching an immersive film.
*throws hands in the air in frustration*
mark, you just compared everything and then said you can’t really compare it.
that was precisely my point, there’s such a fine line between modern video games and movies, including “VR” (the term VR itself has different definitions, but i’m just using it as a substitute for something seen in a headset display like the oculus/quest/AVR) that the two are almost completely interchangeable.
video games just happen to be more interactive (it depends on the game).
We can disagree, but i think you just watched a really good movie and attribute more of what you experienced to the technology rather than the director’s skills.
case in point: Saving Private Ryan. that movie’s sequences were essentially remade in a dozen video games with NEAR IDENTICAL experiences (and Spielberg famously contributed to medal of honor: allied assault to make it so). It wasn’t the tech, it was the artist.
I don’t understand what you’re upset about? A VR video game isn’t the same experience as watching an immersive film so not sure why you’re comparing the two. I also don’t understand your tech vs artist point of view, submerged is a tech demo by an artist, but they have other demos as well that are as immersive, but this was their first film.
Can you move around in the immersive video? or are you just at a fixed point from which you look around?
you’re in a fixed point wherever the director puts you. you can look around, so for example the first opening scene of Submerged you’re in the bottom of the ocean starring into the abyss, and then you hear a sound coming from above, you look up and there is a submarine moving forward above you.
There is one scene that kinda felt like a scene from Silent Hill. The main character we are following enters the dark cantina on the submarine and he’s got a flashlight looking around for something that is making noise. It felt pretty creepy and I can imagine watching a horror on the AVP would be a pretty scary experience.
‘Close-knit’
oops thanks
I Only use my AVP for Apple immersive videos, watched all, waiting for some more new videos..
Did you try how it works with Google Translate?