The Apple Vision Pro headset is now a reality on Apple's product roadmap, which means all eyes are on the company's newest innovation. Unfortunately all those extra eyes mean there are more people to critique the headset, and analyze what it can and can’t do. Including how comfortable the Vision Pro is to use over the course of several hours.
A new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims that Vision Pro testers are struggling with the weight of the headset. Testers reportedly find the headset starts feeling too heavy after a couple of hours of continuous use, while others also say they’ve experienced some mild motion sickness.
These are problems that all headsets face, and Gurman notes that the motion sickness testers are experiencing is much less severe that they’ve experienced with rival headsets. Unfortunately the weight issue makes the Vision Pro a much harder sell. Especially from a productivity perspective, where users would no doubt expect to wear the headset for several hours at a time.
The Vision Pro's battery pack lasts around for roughly two hours, but the headset can be connected directly to a power source for longer periods of use.
In the years and months leading up to the Vision Pro’s announcement, It was suggested that Apple was working on making the headset as light and comfortable as possible. That meant using lighter materials and keeping heavier elements spread out or, as is the case with the battery, completely separate.
There’s no evidence that Apple hasn’t done this, especially since the battery pack is completely separate from the Vision Pro itself. But the nature of a standalone headset means some things can’t be avoided, such as needing the hardware for on-device processing power.
Gurman reports that Apple has developed a second strap for the Vision Pro, which goes on top of the wearer’s head. That strap is visible at points during Apple's introductory video if you look closely, and some outlets have reported wearing it during their initial demo sessions.
The question is whether Apple will include the second strap with the Vision Pro, since Gurman claims the company may sell it as an optional accessory. Considering the prohibitively expensive $3,500 price tag, withholding something as simple as a headstrap would just make Apple look cheap.
Considering glasses wearers will also need to purchase special prescription lenses to use the Vision Pro, charging for an extra headstrap would likely come across as Apple nickel-and-diming. To reiterate, when a headset costs $3,500, you don’t want to seem trying to squeeze as much extra cash out of your users as you can.
It’s also in the company’s best interest to ensure users have the best possible experience, to give the Vision Pro the best chance at success. A headset is worthless if it’s too uncomfortable to use, and considering comfort issues experienced on other VR headsets, Apple can’t afford to scrimp in that department.
Here’s hoping someone recognizes that between now and the Vision Pro’s early 2024 release date. In the meantime you can check out our Apple Vision Pro hands-on, to see how we got on with the headset, or checkout our Apple Vision Pro hub for all the latest news and updates.
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