Is it life changing or just a pain in the neck?
Illustration by Frankie Ho.
If you’ve spent any time online this month, then you’ve likely seen videos showing off Apple’s new “spatial computing” product: the Vision Pro headset.
To me, everything about it seems dystopian, futuristic, and in general, a little bit scary. First our phones untethered us from our computers, and now it’ll be possible to be always online. But I won’t lie, I desperately want to try this thing out. Is it really the next step toward total technological integration, or is it going to fizzle out as just another fad?
What is the Vision Pro exactly? It is a virtual reality (VR) headset that shows a live feed of your surroundings to you with digital overlays of apps and programs. Essentially, it makes it seem like your computer screens are floating around you, which can then be physically manipulated and interacted with like touchscreens.
The idea of VR is nothing new, having been around since the ’60s. So what makes the Vision Pro noteworthy? I haven’t seen any VR product with this level of polish. I don’t want to sound like an Apple fanboy, but it’s impossible to deny that their presentation and aesthetics are unbeatable: clean, uncluttered, and cohesive. This is the first product that actually feels like it could be out of a Cyberpunk game — and what makes it crazier is that this is still a first-generation product.
I truly believe that no invention from this century changed our day to day lives more than the iPhone did (again, not trying to sound like an Apple fanboy). It took several iterations for the product to show what it was capable of. Chances are it’ll take the Vision Pro three or four versions to really come into its own and take place as a widespread consumer product, if ever.
But even as a first-generation product, the Vision Pro has left me more than intrigued. Seeing a video of a man using it to remotely control his Tesla in a parking lot made me feel like we’re actually starting to live in the future. The creative side is what is most enticing for me, though. Being able to fully immerse yourself in your work whether it be music production, video editing, or 3D art seems invaluable. However, it isn’t just for inspiring artists using this technology productively.
