After years of speculation and development, Apple this week finally announced the Vision Pro, its mixed reality glasses. In a Jetsons or Iron Man style, the display allows the user to be immersed in an environment that mixes virtual with reality – in which computer and cell phone applications become part of what we see, in 3D.
Now Apple wants to make the biggest revolution in the way we consume entertainment since the advent of streaming (or the invention of TV, for the more enthusiastic). That, of course, if they beat the biggest opponent: the high price – for our pockets and even for our health.
What does Mink Pro do?
“One of the biggest launches in Apple history”, defined CEO Tim Cook. The company, it is worth remembering, introduced the first successful personal computer in the world (the Apple II), one of the first to have a graphic interface and a mouse (the Lisa), besides, of course, the macintosh e do iPhone.
Cook has already made it clear that one of the Vision Pro’s verticals is precisely leisure. One of the most basic uses is being able to create personal virtual desktops. It’s like, instantly, a 50-inch 4K screen appears right in front of your eyes, with whatever you want to see. It is also possible to enter a totally virtual cinema room, or even watching something by the sea.
Apple introduced the possibility of 3D movies. However, this is thinking small. It is possible to have 100% immersive experiences, in which the spectator sees himself as one of the characters in the production, with a 360-degree view.
The line between audiovisual and games will become even more tenuous. It will remind you of the dystopian future we saw in “Player Number One”, Steven Spielberg’s feature film – and being one step ahead of the holodecks (a virtual reality without the need for glasses) of the “Star Trek” franchise.
Membership is a challenge
This is not something unheard of, much less new. Such apparatuses have existed since the mid-2010s. Meta itself, formerly of Facebook, has tried (and, so far, has not been successful) with its own approach to the subject, with Metaverso. Productions filmed in 180º or 360º have been around for some time, too.
The difference is Apple’s input. The company, with its legions of fans, is often the turning point for the adoption of certain technologies. It was like this with touch screens, for example.
The giant founded by Steve Jobs now wants to attract other media groups. They need technology and entertainment companies – large and small – to build apps to make the Vision Pro truly desirable. The great example happened in the announcement itself: Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, took the stage to say that the company is already working on projects for the device. Disney+ is guaranteed for Vision Pro as early as the day of its launch, which should only occur in early 2024.
The timing of the announcement, more than six months before launch, is no accident. The reveal came at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple’s annual conference for developers. More than demonstrating the product, the company wants to present its operating system (called visionOS) and the tools for developing applications.
High price is also risk
Apple’s bet is on account of embedded technology. Vision Pro adds a screen with a high pixel density, in addition to a few dozen sensors and cameras, making its use more natural. There are two chips, developed by the company itself, to handle this processing power.
All this is very expensive. The product will be launched for US$ 3,499 (R$ 17,061 in direct conversion), which is an exorbitant value even for the American consumer. For reference, Meta’s Quest 3 competitor will launch later in the year for $500. There is still no sales price in Brazil, but considering other producers in the official Apple store, it is possible to predict something in the region of R$ 40,000.
At least in the beginning, the Vision Pro will be a diversion for the few. Skeptics will say that the high cost must kill the initiative, just as the mixed reality goggles that came before it never quite clicked. The battery, limited in this first version to just two hours of use, is frustrating. The device’s look, beyond being dystopian and extravagant, should also scare away potential buyers.
The product can still lead to moral and health dilemmas. After all, it can disconnect the user from reality and take him away from other forms of leisure, outdoors. The toll it takes on our bodies and minds can be even greater than what we feel in our pockets.
Will the revolution succeed?
Apple’s power to create cultural phenomena should not be subdued: in 2010 the specialized press made light of the iPad. Steve Jobs was even depressed by the backlash, as his autobiography reports. However, when it was finally released, the tablet became a hit.
We can imagine that, with more development and increased production, the technology should start to become cheaper and more accessible. Other than that this is the Pro version of the Vision, more expensive (like the iPhone Pro). Glasses for the entry-level consumer market should arrive at some point in the future.
If popularization happens, film directors, TV producers and game developers will be able to (literally) paint the world around us with their ideas. Not even the sky will be the limit. It remains to be seen whether we are going to embark on a utopian or dystopian future.
Now the cards are on the table – and whatever happens between now and early 2024 could forever dictate the future of how we consume entertainment.
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2023-06-11 07:00:00
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