Apple unveils its long-awaited augmented reality headset Vision Pro at WWDC

It has been years in the making, but Apple has officially debuted an augmented reality headset at its annual World Wide Developers Conference.

The headset, Vision Pro, is the first Apple product ‘you look out of and not at,’ CEO Tim Cook said Monday at the live event.

The headset lets users merge the real world with a digital one controlled by their eyes, voice and hands.

Vision Pro has a single, thick band on the back of the head, connecting a large screen that sits over the eyes. 

The new AR headset starts at $3,499.

The headset lets users merge the real world with a digital one

‘With Vision Pro, you’re no longer limited by a display,’ Cook said, introducing the new headset. 

Rumors speculated that the headset would feature a mixed reality, but Apple has focused solely on AR.

The headset runs on VisionOS, which Apple touts as ‘the world’s first spatial operating system.’

Apple calls it ‘spatial computing’ because it blends content into the space around you.

Mike Rockwell, Apple’s vice president of the Technology Development Group, said: ‘Creating our first spatial computer required invention across nearly every facet of the system.

‘Through a tight integration of hardware and software, we designed a standalone spatial computer in a compact wearable form factor that is the most advanced personal electronics device ever.’

Users move their eyes and hands and say specific commands to power their journey through the augmented experience. 

Apple’s human interface chief Alan Dye said that users will select content inside the goggles with their eyes, tap their fingers together to click, and gently flick to scroll. 

And the EyeSight feature shows people in the room your eyes, unlike Meta’s Quest, which features an opaque visor.

Vision Pro’s exterior screen goes dark when a user is fully immersed in a virtual world. 

Once users power up the device, they will be shown a dashboard of apps similar to other Apple products

Apple’s human interface chief Alan Dye said that users will select content inside the goggles with their eyes, tap their fingers together to click, and gently flick to scroll

When a person approaches a user in full virtual mode, the headset will show the user and the outside person to each other. 

‘You’re never isolated from people around you,’ Dye said. ‘You can see them, and they can see you.’ 

The design features an ultra-high-resolution display system that packs 23 million pixels across two displays and custom Apple silicon in a unique dual-chip design ‘to ensure every experience feels like it is taking place in front of the user’s eyes in real time,’ Apple shared Monday.

For work uses, Apple showed how the headset could be used with a trackpad and keyboard to work like a traditional computer with multiple displays. 

Apple said the headset uses a new chip called R1, designed to process information from its sensors in less time than the blink of an eye. And the headset is powered by Apple’s standard M2 chip.

Walt Disney’s Disney+ streaming service will be available on day one on the device. Disney has partnered with Apple for years. 

Apple said it filed more than 5,000 patents over the development of Vision Pro.