Use of VR apps on Apple’s Vision Pro headset ($3,499) will be confined to a virtual space of 3.5 meters by 3.5 meters, as reported Hans Karlsson, Director of VR Technology at Mimir. Data found in Apple’s documentation for VisionOS developers.
According to the two sources, virtual reality or immersive experiences on the Vision Pro will limit users’ movements to 1.5 meters forwards, backwards, left and right. This means that the usable virtual space in these VR headsets to prevent users from interacting with obstacles such as furniture and walls beyond the play area, will be confined to a 3.5 x square 3.5 meters.
If the Vision Pro user crosses this gap, the headset automatically pauses the immersive experience and switches to external video. And this turns out to be a weakness regarding the use of games and fitness applications, applications that require the user to move around, even if it means forgetting the physical space in which they find themselves.
This limitation of useful virtual space is not a surprise
Given the weight of the Vision Pro headset (about a kilo, according to early testers), the nature of the attached battery system, and the lack of fitness and gaming demos in the Vision Pro’s initial test hardware, this limitation of useful virtual space is not a surprise.
And since it’s a very expensive first-generation product, the last thing Apple would want is videos of users crashing into TVs as the Vision Pro hits the market. the market.
Also note: The useful space of the Vision Pro is identical to that of HTC. And smaller than Meta’s Quest headsets, which have a 1.5m x 1.5m playing surface. Of course, Meta has emphasized gaming and fitness with its Meta Quests, while Apple has emphasized productivity, work, and communication services, with users sitting on couches, or doing FaceTime from their bedroom.
Thankfully, a big part of the VisionOS experience revolves around augmented reality (AR), interactive visuals overlaid on video feedback of your surroundings, so spatial constraints can jump right in the moment. We’ll see how things play out when the headset launches next year.
To go further on Apple’s VR and AR headset
Source: “ZDNet.com”