Immersive gaming and fitness apps are key to Vision Pro’s consumer appeal

Image credits: apple

The basic vocabulary of the new media is inherited from the basic vocabulary of the previous media. For example, consider the early days of television. At that time, so many programs were essentially radio programs shot on film. The success of new media depends on developing a unique vocabulary that sets it apart from previous paradigms.

In the case of the Vision Pro, the connection to its predecessor could not be more obvious. A key part of Apple’s content strategy is the ability to run its iPadOS apps on headsets. When users search the visionOS App Store, they choose between content developed specifically for the platform and content created for tablets. This is similar to the approach the company took to build his Mac App Store, leveraging both his iOS app and his iPadOS app.

While the number of “optimized” apps for first-generation product launches is quite high at 600, the availability of iPadOS content will enhance the basic functionality and help major companies like YouTube meet their goals. It gives developers extra time to build something custom. When it comes to what constitutes “optimization”, we’re talking broadly. That could mean something as simple as changing his UX to reflect Vision Pro’s hand tracking. It could also mean something more immersive.

I’m sure some of you didn’t make it all the way through last week’s 6,000-word review, so I’d like to give you a little warning. Vision Pro lives or dies on the backs of its developers. As mentioned previously, the first iPhone was undoubtedly revolutionary hardware, but it was his App Store on the iPhone 3G that truly shocked the industry. At this point, we fundamentally understand that a hardware platform is only as good as its content, and Apple is only truly demonstrating what a smartphone is capable of by opening it up to developers. Did.

As it stands now with Vision Pro, truly immersive experiences are very much in the minority. That’s not surprising. Development has, to some extent, been open for several months, but many parties will be waiting for the launch to gauge true interest from both the public and developers.

This is not to say that immersion doesn’t exist in current products. Firstly, this has a lot to do with the environment. This is a core feature of visionOS that acts as a kind of immersive desktop wallpaper, placing you on the edge of the moon, desert, or volcano. Experience Dinosaurs, on the other hand, does a great job leveraging the knowledge of the Prehistory Planet team to create his one of the most engaging demos for Vision Pro. Such content shows the potential that future developers can take advantage of.

But one of the early creative bottlenecks for this device is where Apple chose to focus its initial efforts. In my review, I hammered home the idea of ​​an “infinite desktop.” This is a play on the phrase “infinite canvas” that goes to the heart of the “spatial computing” experience that Tim Cook has been promoting since day one. Fundamentally, Apple sees this device as the next step in a journey that started with his Mac decades ago. For now, it’s designed to work comfortably on desktops and laptops, but (if things play out the way the company hopes) we imagine a future where Apple’s flagship PCs will be strapped to your face. It’s easy.

This push surprised many at last year’s WWDC. I think many fans have lost interest as well. 360-degree desktops are compelling in a nutshell, but there’s a sense that they’re almost a commoditization of a form factor that’s been sold as the future of entertainment for decades. Much of this push is obvious. The first generation product costs him $3,500. Businesses have far more money than consumers. How do you market to them?

Training apps are a big part. If a company believes it will save money on employee training in the future, it will be willing to cover the upfront cost. Rendering is also an important factor. Look to apps like JigSpace for examples of real-time 3D modeling. For example, imagine being able to create his 3D rendering of a car in 3D design software, export it, and walk around it. The third important point is productivity. That’s where spatial computing comes in. This means products such as Microsoft Word and applications such as Mind Mapping that have traditionally been constrained to a PC display.

Entertainment is here too, but in its current form it feels secondary compared to visionOS. Part of the answer lies in the product name. Given Apple’s current product line structure, “Vision Pro” hints at the existence of a future “Apple Vision,” a consumer headset priced well below $3,500. Anyone who knows anything about hardware knows how much R&D costs first-generation products absorb, as well as small-scale manufacturing. Cutting-edge components such as 4K eye displays significantly increase production costs at scale.

Therefore, we position our products as premium and sell them to businesses. Games and movies exist because they can’t exist. The concept of “work machine” does not exist as it did a few decades ago. The iPhone, for better or worse, played a huge role in blurring that line, turning the productivity machine into its own distraction device. If you take your work laptop with you on a business trip, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll fire up Netflix at some point.

Perhaps a more accessible version of this product will see Apple put even more of a spotlight on immersive entertainment. As it stands, many of the experiences are iPadOS apps played on a virtual big screen, rather than leveraging the immersion and hand tracking that previous media couldn’t replicate. For now, there appears to be a reason why Apple doesn’t want the Vision Pro to be called “VR.”

I played a few rounds of Synth Rider this morning. If this name sounds familiar, it’s because it’s also available in Meta Quest. Porting is easy enough. In fact, many of the first immersive entertainment experiences are likely to take this route. If you’re already developing for VR, why not jump into this rapidly growing market? Synth Riders is essentially a rhythm game not unlike Rock Band. In his hands (or controller in the case of Meta-His quest) he controls two spheres, and moving them precisely to the beat of his synthwave track earns you points.

I thought it was very attractive. This is also the closest I get to using fitness apps on this device. This is due to the headset’s weight, price, and battery pack limitations. The Vision Pro isn’t designed to be thrown around and sweaty. But this feels like a blind spot for a company that’s focused on this area through its Apple Watch and Fitness+ app. Perhaps Apple has found a battery solution that saves weight and is more manageable?Again, much of the Vision Pro conversation has focused on the first-gen hump.

But ultimately, appealing to a wider range of consumers comes down to two key things: 1) cost reduction and 2) content. Both will determine the mainstream appeal of future devices, and whether Apple realizes it now or not, entertainment and fitness will have to play a key role in that process.