WWDC 2023: Apple unveils its first-ever mixed-reality headset, Vision Pro; see features and price

Apple on Monday at its annual WWDC23 event debuted its much-anticipated mixed reality headset that switches between augmented and virtual reality 'seamlessly' from actual reality.

Chief executive Tim Cook described the headset as, "The first Apple product you look through, and not at. The headset resembles a pair of ski goggles. It is named, Vision Pro, it is a controller-free device that lets a user browse rows of app icons by looking at them.

A user can also tap to select and flick to scroll, and can also give voice commands. The headset displays the user's eyes with a system called EyeSight.

Apple explained that the device uses passthrough video that lets a user see the real world in full color, but you can also project 3D objects into real space, including pulling objects out of a message thread into the real world.

The exterior screen goes dark/opaque when a user is fully immersed in a virtual world. When a person approaches a user who is in full virtual mode, the headset will show both the user and the outside person to each other. "You're never isolated from people around you," Dye said. "You can see them, and they can see you."

For work, Apple showed how the headset can be used with a trackpad and keyboard to work like a traditional computer with multiple displays.

The headset can also capture and relive a video with a 3D camera while the user is inside the headset.  The company showed the feature being used by a parent at a child's birthday celebration.

Also Watch: Apple WWDC 2023: iOS 17, Vision Pro AR headset, MacBook Air, WatchOS 10 and more announced

Disney Partnership

Apple has also inked partnerships to provide content on the headset with Arcade and Disney. Disney CEO Bob Iger presented the AR/VR content that will be available on the headset from day 1.

The company also explained that magnetic lenses are created with Zeiss for prescription glasses wearers. The headset comes with up to 2 hours of use with an external battery but can be used all day when plugged in. The headset mask and strap are cloth-lined and modular. It has a glass front and an aluminum frame, containing five sensors, 12 cameras, the display, and a computer that’s apparently cooled with a fan. The company said that it can flex to fit a variety of face shapes and head sizes

The headset gets its own operating system, - VisionOS, which has been designed especially focusing on spatial audio, the company said.

VisionPro has been priced at  $3,499 (approximately Rs 3 lakh). However, the company did not announce price and availability specifically for India.