Apple's visionOS & Vision Pro: The Future of Spatial Design Unveiled at WWDC

The future seems pretty... spatial... if you ask me.

OK, if you've been living under a rock, let me fill you in on what's happened.

Apple has just wrapped up this year's Worldwide Developers Conference where they announced their latest, ground-breaking developments - which included the new

AR/VR headset Vision Pro along with an entirely new operating system called visionOS.

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Here's a little sneak peek into visionOS for you:

visionOS is Apple's first-ever spatial operating system

You're probably thinking, what the hell does that mean?

This means that users can soon navigate an Augmented and Virtual world with simply their eyes, hands, and voice, making the future... seem even more futuristic.

With visionOS, Apple is opening up a whole new universe and possibilities powered by spatial computing. According to Apple, to make content on the visionOS it uses three main building blocks of spatial computing:

Windows - Windows contain traditional views, controls, or 3D content, allowing a mix of 2D and 3D elements. Users can freely move and position windows to their liking within their workspace. Just like how you would rearrange your work desk.
Volumes - Volumes are the bounded 3D display of content. Users can freely move volumes within a space and view them from different perspectives, like a virtual chessboard.
Spaces - Spaces come in two flavors: Shared or Full spaces. Shared spaces is where windows and volumes exist side-by-side. Full spaces allow users to get exclusive access to an app's content giving users a full immersive view.

Spatial computing uses these blocks in forming the apps, app mechanisms, and more within Vision Pro. Spatial computing is essentially augmented reality which allows a device to superimpose graphics, interfaces, content, and the like onto the user's surroundings.

And Apple has nailed it with the Vision Pro.

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So here's a little more about the Vision Pro:

The Vision Pro is what brings the visionOS to life.

Throughout the visionOS, the Vision Pro becomes its own spatial computer with just a headset. Since it's operating on its own OS, it doesn't need to connect with any other devices.

It just works!

Thanks to the visionOS, the Vision Pro introduces revolutionary features from a control-less input method to immersive experiences. But that's just two of the multitude of things this headset can do. Here's a breakdown of some of my favorite highlights:

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Control-less input method

Apple has decided to ditch the idea of awkward controllers.

The interface of the Vision Pro is controlled entirely by your hand, eyes, and voice.

How? The headset has 12 cameras, 5 sensors, and 6 microphones spread across the headset.

This headset knows you, better than yourself.

"Clicking" on the Vision Pro is done by pinching your fingers together, selecting any element within the virtual interface is done with your eyes, and activating keystrokes can simply be done via your voice.

YouTube's top tech reviewer MKBHD also claimed the eye tracking was 'the best he has even seen'. See what I did there?

Now this sounds VERY seamless, however what if we want to amp up the immersive-ness when we are watching a movie or playing a game?

Since there are no controllers, we can't get any physical feedback. Will the future involve buying add-ons?

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Immersive experience

By default, the Vision Pro overlays its interface on top of the real world. This can be handy if you are 'augmenting reality', but what if you want to watch a movie without any distractions? Vision Pro thought about this intensively. With Vision Pro's full immersive experience, you can create a whole new backdrop for your space, giving you your own virtual world at any location... even on a plane!

The device also renders 3D objects in near-perfection and lets you get a closer and in-depth view of the object which you can also scale and manipulate. Blurry and low-quality images are history now as we move towards a richer digital world.

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Mac Virtual Display

Now what if you're a true Apple Fan Boy or Gal and you wanted to connect your Macbook to the device? Use a cord? Please, it's not the year 2022.

Apple once again changed the game.

Vision Pro's Mac Virtual Display allows you to seamlessly transport any content on your Mac to any space in front of you, giving you a full view of what you're working on.

It's like having an enormous, private, portable 4K display wherever you go.

To be able to make all this possible, the Vision Pro is equipped with tech that's beyond its times, which includes a custom micro‑OLED display system with 23 million pixels displayed on each eye - In other words... Imagine a 4K TV for each eye.

It also has a spatial audio piece that offers surround sound placed above each ear and a system of LEDs and infrared cameras for head, hand, and eye tracking.

Basically, this thing has its own spatial mouth and eyes that blasts it to you in full clarity - whether audible or visual.

Where does this lead us?

The visionOS, albeit a new operating system for Apple, opens up a new augmented world that people can dive into too.

Every day people have a new toy to play with. Businesses have a new product to invest in. Designers and developers have a new platform to design for.

This sets a pivotal start to the true emergence of AR/VR.

But because Apple's Vision Pro is not the first AR/VR device in the market, it now competes with Meta's VR headset. Apple's release put a huge spotlight on the AR/VR headsets. The attention it brought will heat up the competition toward aggressive innovation.

It will be interesting to see how Meta and Apple differentiate themselves to cement their position in the AR/VR world - who do you think will win this battle?

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Key takeaways

I believe the Vision Pro could lead the AR/VR market.

So far, the Vision Pro seems like they're a few years ahead of Meta's VR headset. Just take a look at how the two render the person's avatars 😂

Apple seems to be following its own playbook and owning the platform once again. Similar to the Apple ecosystem, they're striving to own the entire platform or ecosystem in which AR/VR apps are built upon. From a business and strategy point of view, the Vision Pro is cool, but owning the Vision OS is the real money maker.

From a branding point of view, the Vision Pro has a much sleeker design than the Oculus, a true Apple product branding.

Apple also has a very strong distribution channel with a huge audience base that trusts their ethics. Meta, on the other hand, has constantly found themselves in hot water over the last few years. Not a very good look on them.

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Entertainment is where it may start

With the focus on the immersive visual experience that the Vision Pro offers, I have no doubts that the first-generation headset will be an entertainment piece.

It currently shows more interactive modes for entertainment such as the environmental backdrop changes and the spatial audio rather than true productivity.

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The Vision Pro will take time to be adopted by the masses.

The product is currently priced at $3,500 USD. Definitely a more premium product than what's already on the market. But this is how Apple likes to play with their brand, they know how to play the long game.

I also think it's all part of their GTM (go-to-market) strategy. Target the innovators first, then let them do the selling for them.

Its release during the WWDC is no coincidence. Apple is encouraging a ton of designers and developers to design apps for the visionOS and its spatial computing capabilities. And once they get the apps from developers rolling, this device might just start diffusing out to the general public more effectively.

The timelines of this event also seem like Apple is trying to dampen the AI buzz - which is something Apple hasn't announced much about.

At the same time, Apple's AR/VR headset comes to light just as Meta has seemed to re-direct its attention on its core business after its Metaverse continues to struggle. Apple has once again pushed the boundaries of innovation, leaving Meta with some catching up to do.

Might be a coincidence, but for me - it's a very smart move.

Apple - 1, Meta - 0.