News Analysis
After months of speculation, Apple finally unveiled its Vision Pro headset on June 5. While the $3500 virtual reality (VR) device will not be generally available until next year, what was on show at Apple’s developer conference opens the door to all kinds of implications for the workplace.
Apple Vision Pro Headset and the Workplace
Apple describes the Vision Pro as its "first spacial computer." People can use the headset to access workplace apps, watch movies, view pictures and play video games, among other tasks.
The implications for the workplace and its possible application were clear. During the Apple event, Microsoft announced it would bring some of its core productivity apps, including Word, Excel and Teams, to the new platform. While few details about the Teams integration were on offer, the potential for Apple to gain traction in the meetings space is huge.
What remains unclear however, is whether the Vision Pro will have an impact on the digital workplace. With its massive price tag and its closed ecosystem, it remains to be seen whether workplace vendors are willing to devote any effort into something that may be prohibitive for consideration as a work tool.
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The Immersive and Spatial Future of Business Computing
However, for Constellation Research VP and principal analyst Dion Hinchcliffe, Vision Pro is a remarkable indication of the immersive and spatial shape the future of computing will take.
What is intriguing, he said, is that Apple is clearly aiming at the business market for this device, given the initial price point and its "Pro" designation. The potential to aid high bandwidth work carried out by visually intensive scenarios like creative and engineering work is a major plus, he believes.
The high resolution of the product allows numerous virtual screens, along with avatars or video of teammates, to be combined in seamless position in front of a worker's field of view, he continued. "Plenty of research shows lots of visual space and large screens aid productivity. The device has as large a virtual productivity space as can be created, and it can also fit at the bottom of a backpack."
Hinchcliffe pointed to the extensive work Apple put into making the Vision Pro comfortable to wear for a long period of time, which tips its use to more than just playing a game or watching a movie. He expects to see adoption in high-value parts of organizations that produce the largest value, from movie making and video editing to technical work and scientific research.
“Apple also demoed a number of business cases for the office for Apple Vision Pro with a capability and sophistication that I believe will be compelling to the high end of the market,” he added. “This will drive demand and early application support farther down the price point as the technology commodified and non-Pro version.”
Guido Hoffman, technical fellow at Tech Soft 3D, agrees with Hinchcliffe, saying Apple is positioning Vision Pro primarily as a work device, despite the initial hefty price tag.
The main-use case in Hoffman's mind is support for almost unlimited screen-real estate by creating these high-definition virtual screens around you, in which regular apps can be displayed and manipulated. He noted of course that all the AR and VR use-cases also apply: training, work-instructions, remote assistance, collaborative design in 3D and more.
Related Article: The Metaverse Will Develop Despite the Economic Downturn
Immersive workplace
While it's difficult to anticipate precisely how workplaces will integrate the Apple Vision Pro, one notable feature we see pushing the industry forward is the ability for the user to dial in their preferred level of immersion, said Scott Lynch, head of XR development at Voyre.
With other VR or AR headsets, such as the Meta Quest or Microsoft Hololens, the level of immersion is either full passthrough augmented reality (AR), where a signal "passes through" the device unaltered, or full immersion VR.
The Vision Pro, he explained, blends these two modes, allowing people to fully focus on the virtual workspace or dial it back to interact with the people in their physical environment.
“While this may seem like a subtle feature, it provides the user with a customizable and flexible experience that we haven't seen before,” he said. "This is critical for the device to be used across a broad spectrum of uses and enables this single XR device to have multiple use-cases."
The other notable feature he pointed to was the front-facing LCD panel that allows anyone wearing the headset to interact with people in their immediate surroundings.
Lynch pointed to three immersive experiences he currently focuses on where he sees the Vision Pro fitting in:
1. Training
Training simulations done in immersive media help employees learn faster, retain more information and have more fun learning new skills.
2. Informational
The Vision Pro has some of the highest resolution displays and an immersive sound system that lend themselves to creating more engaging experiences, he said. With a platform that is optimized for video, the Vision Pro should provide a high-quality experience. The other headsets currently on the market tend to have lower resolution displays and limited sound systems.
3. Brainstorming
Headsets like the Vision Pro allow remote teams to interact with each other in real time, which helps improve communication and relationships, regardless of location, he said. Vision Pro's use of Persona avatars and its integration with Facetime video streaming will support this.
Lynch sees the cost as a blocker to the Vision Pro becoming a mass market device, but said Apple's focus on creating a novel design that integrates the device into the user's world without separating them will influence the design and direction of the next generations of headsets.
Bridging the Gap Between Theoretical and Practical Training
In fact, for Nucleus Research VP of Advisory and Consulting Trevor White, training will be one of the principle use cases for Vision Pro.
VR, like that offered by Apple’s Vision Pro, can allow an organization to run through almost infinite training scenarios in an immersive and engaging learning experience. Training in virtual reality helps bridge the gap between theoretical and practical training, while allowing employees to make mistakes and learn best practices in a controlled, risk-free environment, he said. Trainees can interact with virtual objects, equipment and environments that closely resemble their actual work environment, he explained. This realism enhances the transfer of skills and knowledge from training to real-world scenarios.
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“VR systems can collect data and track performance to facilitate the monitoring of progress and the identification of skills gaps,” he said. “This can all be done repeatedly without having to incur additional costs as would happen in a physical training environment."
It also makes this kind of training much more scalable compared to traditional in-person training environments.
This is only the beginning. Between now and the general release, Apple will continue to work on Vision Pro, so we can expect even more features by next year. Even with the capabilities currently on hand, the Vision Pro will be a major addition for any organization that can afford it, especially for those contemplating a future in the metaverse.