Parenthood brings many challenges, but the worst for my money is when your child refuses to eat some delicious food they’ve never tasted. Just try it, you beg, tears running down your face. Everyone likes halloumi.
And believe me, the Vision Pro demo really is eye-opening. Because of the lack of a useful parallel (it isn’t remotely similar to using an Oculus or any of the other VR products on the market) it’s extraordinarily difficult to convey what the experience is like. I can outline the basics, such as the eye tracking and finger tapping required to navigate the interface, but that doesn’t get across the way this feels, or how those feelings change as you grow accustomed to the device. You just need to experience it for yourself.
Personally, I was surprised by how complex the fitting process is, and how tricky it can be to get set up with the optimal Light Seal and headband; a facial scan is supposed to help with this, but my first seal had to be sent back and replaced. Then simply tightening the straps up just the right amount so the weight is distributed comfortably across your forehead and cheeks is more challenging than you might expect, and took some time and various checks before everything was arranged exactly right. This might seem like a complaint, but I was impressed by the commitment and patience shown to make sure the product was at its very best for the demo.
Because it really was worth the wait. Using Vision Pro is an odd experience but an utterly immersive one, thanks to the carefully calibrated fit and exceptionally high-quality hardware. There were several moments in the demo where I gasped, or laughed, or looked around excitedly like a tourist, simply because the headset does such a good job of making you feel like you’re inside its media. The spatial home movies of strangers could have felt artificial (anyone who’s seen the troubling 1995 thriller Strange Days will know roughly what I mean), but the effect is so compelling that it made me think about my own memories and what it would be like to relive them in this format. It was oddly poignant.
But here’s the thing—it quickly gets better. My stress had dipped significantly by the end of the demo, whereas my excitement about the immersive media elements had not. And that’s why it’s so important to experience Vision Pro thoroughly for yourself: you don’t know which parts you’ll like and which you won’t until you try it, and you don’t know if those effects are temporary until you try it properly.
