JEREMY JOJOLA

I’ve never done LSD, but after getting a 30 minute dose of the Vision Pro headset, I feel like I’ve been to a different dimension that is absolutely wonderful and seemingly foreboding because of its potential to ensnare, deceive and captivate our attention. 

As I write about this device, let me give some historical context of my experience with technology.

As I near age 45, there are three moments I can look back on in which my experience with tech compelled profound feelings of a world-changing shift. The first was when I sent and received my first email as a teen while using a dial-up modem in the early 1990s. The second was when I saw Steve Jobs hold up the first iPhone in 2007. The third was when I used the Vision Pro a couple of weeks ago.

In this piece, I’ll try to better articulate what I initially shared in a brief Instagram video after my experience. I can honestly say I felt a bit overwhelmed and in awe of the technology for a few hours after my demo appointment. 

So here we go, if you’d like to follow along. 

Side note: I am not a tech journalist, nor do I review tech and I’m not a VR aficionado, so my review here is based on a novice viewpoint of virtual reality, or what Apple is terming “spatial computing.” I have experienced VR headsets several times over the last few years, but nothing like this. 

The Vision Pro feels like the technology shouldn’t even exist yet 

Within the first minute of the demo, I put on the headset and immediately I saw my “real” surroundings because of the external cameras. The goggles felt transparent, as if I was seeing the Apple demo area room right through them. 

Suddenly the classic Apple welcoming message “Hello” in cursive magically animated in the air within in my augmented reality. I felt like I could reach out and touch the wormy text. 

I knew right then and there this technology was about to blow me away. 

The most compelling moments for me were the spatial/3D video samples. My demo guide had me select a video file with my eyes.  I played the file by tapping my index finger and thumb and in less than a second I found myself at a real life birthday party with a cake and party guests. The 3D scene seemed to be blended within the augmented reality, like a dream. I felt like I could have reached out and swiped a finger full of frosting.

I also experienced several other immersive scenes, from the top of a mountain to Yosemite. By turning the dial on my headset, I could set the intensity level of the scene from fully immersive to semi-transparent. This felt like a psychedelic drug I could control with my fingers, with the intensity levels at my choosing.

It is instant lucid dreaming.

The visuals were absolutely crisp, stunning, and responsive to my head movements as if I wasn’t wearing a headset at all. This felt real. Too real. Too amazing. 

There was so much I experienced during that 30 minutes, it’s hard to convey how amazing the device is. 

The videos online also do not do the VisionPro justice, especially when I experienced the moment when the software simulated a massive virtual theater. I could change my seating position within the theater instantly, from front row to balcony. 

Watching clips of soccer and baseball games also demonstrated the immense potential for live television events. 

The Vision Pro feels like the future has suddenly arrived at warp speed and the science fiction movies that depict such virtual reality seem to fall flat. It’s better than films like Minority Report. Yeah… it’s that good.

Predictions 

For now the headset is way too expensive for the average consumer to purchase. If I didn’t have a mortgage payment and child care expenses, I’d definitely get one. I can’t justify spending $3,500 for the Vision Pro yet. Maybe $2,000.

Perhaps some day the Vision Pro will get there with future cheaper iterations, as we saw with the iPhone. 

I must point out that the marketing for Vision Pro as a working/media consumption device as opposed to a gaming device is seemingly a smart tactic. This will make older adults who don’t game and older professionals more amenable to wearing large goggles once the device gets cheaper.

As I wrote above, this technology feels like another significant technology shift, just like email and the iPhone. I suspect in 5-10 years, these devices will become more socially acceptable to wear out in public and at home.

And while I’m excited for the potential to watch a live concert virtually in the front row or see a basketball game court-side, I worry about the device’s potential to become another digital narcotic. 

The technology feels like an easy, immediate place to escape.

There’s no doubt social media and the endless scroll on our phones can already destructively distract us from real life with instant dopamine hits every few seconds. Now I can only wonder what this device will do when our entire 360 vision is blanketed by something we’d rather see than our living rooms.

In conclusion, the Vision Pro is potentially a world-changing device that may mark a significant shift in how humanity uses technology. It’s both exciting and almost terrifying. I can only wonder what upcoming VR apps will captivate us further from the real world.