With Vision Pro Pre-Orders Open, Apple Shows Us What The Headset Can Actually Do
More than seven months after the announcement of the Apple Vision Pro virtual reality headset and just over a week after it finally got a release date (February 2), Apple is finally getting into the weeds about what exactly it will be able to do at launch. On Tuesday, Apple issued a press release detailing the kind of software and programming that will be available from the jump.
The bulk of the press release deals with video content, both in terms of what will be available on February 2 and how Vision Pro owners will be able to tailor the experience in the 3D environments that the headset offers. In addition to Apple's contributions, Apple's relationship with Disney was showcased, with Disney+ getting showcased significantly more than the other streaming services announced supporting Vision Pro.
"At Disney, we're constantly searching for new ways to entertain, inform, and inspire by combining exceptional creativity with groundbreaking technology to create truly remarkable experiences," said Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, in the press release. "Apple Vision Pro is a revolutionary platform that will bring our fans closer to the characters and stories they love while immersing them more deeply in all that Disney has to offer. We're proud to once again be partnering with Apple to bring extraordinary new Disney experiences to people around the world."
In addition to Apple TV+ and Disney+, the headset will launch with apps for ESPN, MLB, PGA Tour, Max, Discovery+, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, Pluto TV, Tubi, Fubo, Crunchyroll, Red Bull TV, IMAX, TikTok, and MUBI.
More on Apple Vision Pro video content and features
Though Apple Vision Pro defaults to video playback in an augmented reality setting with the content placed on a virtual "screen" in their physical space, that's far from the only option. The "screen" can be placed anywhere in your space, or you can choose to use what Apple is calling Environments, which allows the user to expand the virtual screen and/or place it inside a virtual viewing room.
The Apple TV app, for example, includes the "Cinema" environment, replicating a movie theater while allowing you to "choose their favorite seat from the floor or balcony, and the front, middle, or back row." In the Disney+ app, environments include The Disney+ Theater (based on the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood), the Scare Floor from "Monsters Inc.," Avengers Tower with a view of lower Manhattan, and the cockpit of Luke Skywalker's landspeeder from "Star Wars," complete with the famous dual sunset on Tatooine in the background.
The headset will launch with "more than 150-inch 3D movies available, as well, with titles mentioned in the press release being Avatar: The Way of Water," "Dune," "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," and "The Super Mario Bros. Movie." The 3D versions of movies from Apple TV will not cost extra, and if you already own the 2D versions, you will automatically have access to the new 3D versions. The press release adds that "several streaming apps" will have 3D content at launch and release new ones either alongside or shortly after their 2D release, but only Disney+ was specifically named.
Exclusive VR Apple TV content available at launch
Apple is, in particular, touting its new Apple Immersive Video format, with "a curated selection" of titles in that format available for free in the Apple TV app at launch. The launch titles appear to be specifically picked to cover a good cross-section of demonstration-worthy genres, specifically concerts, nature/wildlife documentaries, adventures in scenic locations, and, more out of left field, a realistic CGI dinosaur film.
The biggest star power comes in "Alicia Keys: Rehearsal Room," a short film that Apple describes as "an intimate...rate glimpse into the Grammy winner's creative process." The film includes performances of "No One," "If I Ain't Got You," and "You Don't Know My Name." The other star power comes behind the camera in "Prehistoric Planet Immersive," a spin-off of Apple TV+'s "Prehistoric Planet" from actor/producer/director Jon Favreau.
"Ever since Apple introduced me to this new technology, I've been intrigued with the opportunity to explore storytelling using these innovative immersive tools," said Favreau in an Apple press release. "I'm especially proud to be featured in the launch of this groundbreaking product."
Rounding out the lineup are two new series: "Wild Life," which is exactly what it sounds like, and "Adventure," in which "pioneering athletes as they face extraordinary challenges in some of the world's most spectacular locations." The first episode of "Adventure" features highliner/tightrope walker Faith Dickey attempting to cross over a fjord in Norway while 3,000 feet in the air, while the first episode of "Wild Life" focuses on a rhinoceros sanctuary. Apple did not provide any details about when or how subsequent episodes will be released, like if they will be free, a-la-carte, or bundled with Apple TV+ subscriptions.
Hardware notes
Elsewhere in the main press release, Apple notes that the Apple Vision Pro's battery life is two hours of "general use" and "up to" two-and-a-half hours of video playback, also adding that "all-day use when the external battery is connected to power with a USB-C charging cable." The fact that Apple brass felt it was necessary to include that last part, which applies to any battery-operated device with a charger, suggests that they may not be particularly happy with the VR headset's relatively meager battery life so far. (The battery, presumably owing to its need to fit neatly into the headset, is rated at just 6,500 mAh, about 47% bigger than the battery in the iPhone 15 Pro Max.)
The Apple Vision Pro also supports Apple's Spatial Audio, as well as Dolby Atmos, but without providing the isolation that over-ear headphones that in-ear or closed over-ear headphones have. It also includes a "Travel Mode" to keep the headset's image stable while being used on an airplane, with a footnote adding that "Apple Vision Pro should not be used while operating a moving vehicle."
Pre‑orders for the Apple Vision Pro will open up at Apple.com this Friday, January 19, at 8:00 a.m. ET. It will be available at retail starting on February 2. It will retail for $3,499 with 256GB of storage.