"You feel like a ghost": journalists' impressions of the Apple Vision Pro demo

Journalists from The Verge Apple Vision Pro hands-on, again, for the first time / The Verge and Engadget Apple Vision Pro hands-on, redux: Immersive Video, Disney+ app, floating keyboard and a little screaming / Engadget was invited to the final demonstration of the Apple Vision Pro before the full release of the headset. We chose the main thing from the reviews.

Interface

• "After setting up, visionOS launches the application launcher. It is very similar to Launchpad on Mac. The only difference is that you can see the room you are in around you. On the right side there is a scroll wheel a la Apple Watch, on the left there is a button for taking spatial photos and videos," The Verge.

Spatial photos and videos

• "Before the demonstration, we were asked to record our spatial videos and panoramic photos, and viewing them in Vision Pro was impressive. But immersion only works well when you hold the camera steady when shooting. A colleague specially shot a couple of videos where he pulls the camera, filming his children at the zoo, and when watching he felt sick, as in an overly sharp VR attraction," The Verge.
• "When I watched these videos, I felt immersed, yes, but at the same time I felt like an outsider. Of course, no one in the video sees you and can't interact, you feel like a ghost. I imagined myself years later, watching old videos with my daughter, and I felt terrible. I didn't expect that a regular Apple briefing would bring me to tears," Engadget.

Applications

Disney+:

• "As in some games, you can choose a character at the beginning, so here you start by choosing a background. Do you want to sit on the roof of a Marvel movie? In the Tatooine desert? It gives you more than just immersion. In some scenarios, it's like you're sitting in a real open—air cinema, only with a Disney entourage," Engadget.

Meditation:

• "After the start of the minute-long session, soft pleasant music turned on, and a voice in the background told what to do. It's even funny how such headsets are suitable for meditation, when you can literally cut off everything that distracts you and focus on breathing. This is a great use of Vision Pro, which I did not expect at all," Engadget.

Keyboard

• "Everything worked, although it was not very convenient. You can't type faster than your eyes and fingers move, so dictating Siri is much easier." — The Verge.
• "I was surprised that the keyboard works, and, as for me, even quite well. When I looked at the address bar and closed my index and thumb, a virtual keyboard appeared. You could look at the desired key and close two fingers again to enter a character, or just lean forward a little and type with your hands, as on a real keyboard. It's not as easy as on a regular keyboard, but it struck me that it works at all."— Cherlynn Lowe, Engadget.
• "For me, this was one of the most annoying aspects of the demonstration. Although there are several input options, none of them feel adequate for long-term use. It took me several attempts to type Engadget correctly in the Safari search bar. The virtual keyboard needs to be improved. In the meantime, it's hard to imagine using Vision Pro for work — as a personal home theater, it works much better," — Dana Wallman, Engadget.

Comfort of use

• "By the end of the demonstration [after 30 minutes of use], the device returned the feeling of weight to the real world. Trying to concentrate, I frowned heavily, and by the end my head started to hurt a little. The tension dissipated when I took off the headset,"- The Verge.
• "Unlike the version that my colleague Devindra Hardawar saw at WWDC last year, the Vision Pro that I tried on came with a strap that needed to be stretched to attach to the back of my head. It's wide, ribbed and soft, and at first I thought it would be very comfortable. But after 15 minutes of use, the weight of the device began to put pressure on my head, and after another 5 minutes it just hurt.
  When I told the employee about the problems, the strap was replaced with a version with two loops (Dual Loop Band), one of which passes through the top of the head. This strap distributes weight better and does not roll down your hair," Engadget.

General impressions

• "Of all the virtual, mixed and augmented reality headsets that I've tried, the Apple Vision Pro is definitely the best and most thoughtful. But I'm not convinced that I want to wear it for hours, even if it's a unique experience. The $3,500 price tag is also way beyond my budget," Engadget.
• "After leaving the demo, I kept replaying it in my head over and over again. I understand exactly what I saw. But so far I can't figure out if this has a place in the real world," — The Verge.