The first few months of 2023 marked a turning point for the metaverse. Just as web3 experts were transitioning to AI, Apple unveiled its groundbreaking device, the Vision Pro, for the metaverse. While renowned figures like Bill Gates had previously advocated for Microsoft to go all-in on the metaverse but then shifted their focus to AI, Mark Zuckerberg, who renamed his company Meta to align with the metaverse, admitted strategic missteps and announced layoffs for a transition. Influential voices and experts who were once avid supporters of Web3 and the metaverse quickly rebranded themselves as AI enthusiasts, proclaiming AI as the future to attract followers.
These well-known figures, who seemed to chase every trend, became indicators of the industry’s direction and often ended up heading in the opposite direction. As they were abandoning web3 and the metaverse, Apple made a significant move during its product launch event. After learning about some firsthand experiences with the Vision Pro, it became evident that this was no ordinary announcement—it was a game-changer.
If it took major tech companies, including Google, several months to develop somewhat satisfactory products to compete with ChatGPT, an AI capable of engaging conversations, Apple’s Vision Pro would likely leave internet giants and smartphone manufacturers trailing for at least a year or two.
Without exaggeration, Apple’s Vision Pro has redefined the metaverse.
While other companies blindly rushed into VR, and Zuckerberg’s VR devices demonstrated graphics reminiscent of 20-year-old animations, the enthusiasm surrounding the metaverse concept that peaked in 2021 was extinguished by these underwhelming products from manufacturers.
Apple, known for its understated approach, took seven years to craft a revolutionary device that not only surpassed but also surpassed all expectations for the metaverse, similar to how the iPhone redefined smartphones under Steve Jobs’ leadership.
Firstly, Apple embraced a unique strategic approach by prioritizing AR as the primary technology. When AR transitions into a closed, virtual environment, it becomes VR, but when it overlays the real world, it achieves augmented reality (AR) fusion.
Imagine wearing the Vision Pro and immersing yourself in a cinematic experience. In reality, you are sitting on your couch at home, but in the virtual world, you are surrounded by picturesque landscapes. Mountains in the distance, water nearby. As you turn your head, you can see the virtual scenery around you. In front of you is a virtual screen displaying a movie menu (featuring eye-tracking technology!). When you find a movie you like, a slight pinch of your thumb and index finger initiates playback.
These experiences only scratch the surface of VR. As you sit there, a virtual butterfly flies towards you. You extend your hand (in the real world), bringing it up to your face, and extend your index finger towards the butterfly hovering in front of you. The butterfly dances around before finally landing on your fingertip. A slight flick of your finger, and the butterfly flies away (this feature is part of Vision Pro’s boot-up demo).
This is where AR comes into play. At this moment, the boundaries between the virtual and real world blur. Just like Zhuangzi’s dream of being a butterfly, it becomes unclear who has entered whose dream.
Suddenly, your partner arrives home. They approach and sit on the other end of the couch, speaking to you (in the real world). You hear their voice and turn your head towards the sound. At that moment, the Vision Pro’s outer shell reveals your eyes to your partner (real-time AR rendering). Simultaneously, their image emerges within your virtual world, allowing you to see them.
Vision Pro can render AR in two directions. One is from the inside out, presenting your eyes to the real world, and the other is from outside in, displaying your partner’s image in your virtual world. This enables natural conversation and interaction without the need to remove the device. Meanwhile, you can continue to focus on the virtual world, whether it’s the butterfly or the movie.
The seamless integration of the real and virtual worlds is a perfect fusion.
Moreover, imagine scanning your image to create a highly realistic digital avatar (VR) or rendering someone else’s digital avatar (such as a friend in a distant location or a deceased loved one) in front of you (VR). Imagine having a simulated portal on your living room wall, where one side represents your actual living room (reality), and the other side transports you to Jurassic Park (virtual). Dinosaurs could even cross the wall into your living room (AR). All of this becomes effortlessly achievable with Vision Pro.
Sounds like something out of a science fiction novel, right? However, according to feedback from those who have experienced the device firsthand, all of the above capabilities have already been realized with Vision Pro.
Looking ahead, one can envision a future where computers become unnecessary for work. Instead, all you need is a comfortable sofa, a desk, a cup of coffee, and Vision Pro, which can provide a large, expansive screen or multiple screens. One screen can display stock market charts, another can show a blockchain browser, a third can handle WeChat conversations, and the fourth can be dedicated to browsing the web or opening Uniswap. In the center, you can open Vim to write code or compose articles… all while feeling at ease!
For nearsighted individuals like myself, Vision Pro allows for the insertion of prescription lenses, eliminating the need to struggle with fitting glasses frames inside the device. However, there may be specific requirements for the lens shape…
Goodbye to computers, televisions, and movie theaters. As for smartphones, Vision Pro’s short battery life (only 2 hours) and its unconventional appearance when worn outdoors may still require smartphones as beneficial supplements for the time being.
Priced at $3,499, the question remains: Is it exorbitantly expensive, delightfully appealing, or a combination of both?
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