Apple Vision Pro won't crack the issues with virtual reality

June 7, 2023: Apple’s mixed-reality headset debut is a new venture for the industry, said the executives of some huge players in the extended and virtual reality space as they welcomed the competition for the U.S. tech company.

On Monday, Apple threw its Vision Pro headset at its annual WWDC event, ending months of speculation that the Cupertino tech giant was preparing to launch its VR or augmented reality product.

Cher Wang, Taiwanese tech giant HTC’s CEO, said that she sees Apple’s action as a guarantee for the industry. HTC has long been a mainstay of the virtual and augmented industry, pivoting from its ailing smartphone company many years ago to focus on its Vive headsets division.

“Apple’s entry into the market is a watershed moment for the industry and a big confirmation of everything HTC VIVE has been working on,” she said. “This will bring even more confidence in the global market for VR.”

However, she added that the “locked” nature of Apple’s services ecosystem, which is more restrictive regarding the platforms and devices users access its services, is problematic.

“Apple has historically used a closed ecosystem for their iOS products and content distribution platforms, which could be limiting for developers in a new value chain. If developers are locked into one ecosystem, it’s difficult for them to maximize their reach.”

Apple says the Vision Pro will allow users to see apps in a new way in the spaces around them. Users can use their eyes and hands to navigate apps and search with their voices.

With the headset, users can watch movies in 3D, with spatial audio, view their pictures or videos, and play video games. It can also be chosen for work through videoconferencing apps such as Microsoft Office tools and Adobe Lightroom.

Vision Pro will operate on Vision, a new spatial computing platform designed specifically for the company’s new headset, enabling developers to build apps as they would for iOS on the iPhone. It will be available starting at $3,499 beginning early next year.