Is this the future? Launched Friday in the United States, the Vision Pro aims to embody the revolution in “spatial computing”. The real and the virtual merge before the amazed eyes of the first buyers – around 200,000, according to estimates. While waiting for Apple’s “mixed reality” headset, sold for $3,499 in the United States, to arrive in France, probably in the coming months, here is a selection of the best – and worst –
uses for work, play or escape.
Working with screens all around you
Are you happy with your workstation with three screens and 12 virtual desktops? The Vision Pro promises a workflow on steroids in which you can pin windows in space all around you, as the YouTuber shows Himels Tech.
Email in front of you, Slack discussion on the left, giant TV screen in the living room, virtual post-its on the fridge, Gordon Ramsay’s cooking recipe floating above the stove… Apple has achieved an integration that has not nothing to envy of what science fiction imagined in Minority Report Or Iron Man.
Because optics for transparent screens are still far from being perfect, the Vision Pro uses a magic trick: video passthrough. Technically, we do not directly see our environment but a convincing real-time video copy with which we can interact. Eye tracking allows the machine to see where you are looking. Then, you have the choice between gesture control or using your keyboard and mouse for productivity.
The NBA in multiplex
The NBA League pass takes full advantage of Vision Pro. Want to watch four matches at the same time? It’s possible. To view stats in real time? They are displayed in a secondary screen.
Metro, car, plane… Cringe alert
Technically, the Vision Pro can be used as a nomad connected to an external “battery pack” which offers two and four hours of autonomy, depending on use. But after the “Glassholes” ten years ago, who wore Google Glass anywhere, we have the Vision “bros” today. Apple may stipulate that you should “never use the Vision Pro” while driving or cycling (or on stairs, on a balcony, and any risky area), that does not stop some people from skateboarding and others to put themselves in scene while driving.
We’re not going to lie, wearing the equivalent of a snowboard mask on your face in Times Square or waving your arms while crossing the street is more of a Simpsons or a bad episode of Black Mirror what an exciting future. One day, we will have augmented reality glasses like in Kingsman: Secret Service to catch Pokémon. Meanwhile, the Vision Pro is primarily intended for indoor use. Of course, it is possible to be amazed by watching a 3D Disney film in the metro… If you want to be robbed of a device worth two minimum wage.
By plane, Gravel travelers are rather seduced by the immersion of a “portable home cinema”. However, they advise “waiting for the second version” because of the few native apps available.
Meditation for dummies
According to Tim Cook, meditation “takes it to another level” on the Vision Pro. Who can transport the novice to the middle of the desert or to the top of a volcano in Hawaii at sunrise.
Not everyone is convinced. ” It makes no sense. There is no need for a $3,500 virtual reality headset to meditate,” says technophile Loïc Le Meur. This is even the beauty of meditation: “There is no need for anything. »