Full of eyes, but not for now, nor for everyone. Apple ended a years-long soap opera on Monday by finally launching its mixed reality headset, dubbed Vision Pro. The very initiated audience of the annual WWDC conference let burst its joy but the general public will still have to wait to put on its nose this helmet with attractive potential.
We are not limited to an iPhone that we would slide in front of lenses, like Google's defunct Cardboard. Mixed reality (XR) mixes virtual reality – the technology in Sony's Oculus Quest or PSVR headsets – with augmented reality (the technology in the Pokémon Go game). This XR headset therefore superimposes virtual elements on our immediate environment, in this case applications with an immersive effect. A wheel allows you to switch from augmented reality to virtual reality, a complete immersion. "We have the feeling that it's very natural," promises Apple. The Vision Pro headset is controlled by voice, eyes and hands. No controllers, no mouse. The Siri voice assistant can open or close "apps".
The pitfall of isolation is even avoided because the outside world can know where your eyes are heading and you will be able to see the people around you... or obstacles while moving.
A trifle of 23 million pixels
Aluminum, polished glass and ultra-light carbon fiber: its look, worthy of a science fiction movie, immediately places it in line with Apple's ultra-design products. And under the hood, the Apple brand started aligns a technical sheet and 5000 patents to make dream developers and fans of pure technology, the first target of the helmet.
It embeds two processors, including one dedicated only to the panoply of the most demanding components: two cameras, six microphones and five sensors. Two micro OLED screens display videos in 4K quality with high brightness and the trifle of 23 million pixels! Mini-speakers are responsible for ensuring the spatial coverage of the audio according to the surrounding noise. It has a battery life of two hours with the possibility of leaving it plugged into the mains.
Apple intends its Vision Pro for several uses in the medium term including entertainment in transport or on the couch with an "experience never seen on the market for 3D movies and a unique audio experience". "Gaming" is not forgotten with an additional screen for video game fans.
Read also"Thinner" and "more comfortable": here is the new virtual reality headset from Meta
Could Apple succeed in making the VR market a reality? Sales of helmets are capped at around ten million units delivered per year. After setting the tone on the tablet market with its iPad (2010) and popularizing wireless headphones with AirPods (2016), the multinational is tackling a colossal challenge with a price that will cool some technophiles and especially the general public: 3499 dollars, an estimated French price close to 4000 euros (taxes included). It will only be available in the US in early 2024.
But the strategy will be to release a first generation of helmets capable of withdrawing criticism and correcting the inevitable bugs. Before mass adoption? The same criticisms had been addressed to devices like the iPad or the iPhone, a UFO among phones of the time. We know the rest.