Vision Pro Thoughts

Hey long time no see. Work has been busy so I slipped up and mussed a post or two, but I'm back to talk about VR, the Vision Pro, and apple in general. It was on my mind because of a somewhat recent video from Eddie Burback in which he used sponsor money to buy himself a vision pro and promptly got bored with it like a child with a McDonalds toy, and I don't blame him.

It's not Eddie's fault though, the happy meal toy just isn't very fun. It functions, it does everything it says it can do, but there just isn't much use for it. VR is an enthusiast thing, for most people it's a short experience that's better set as something like a theme park ride, you don't need a roller coaster in you back yard. It's expensive, maintenance can be a bitch, and you'll get bored. It's just not as fun if you use it all the time. The kind of product that really needs to serve a purpose in your life to be worth it.

I was confused when apple announced they were making one. It's not really their wheelhouse, you know? The stuff they make is supposed to be "for everyone," it's always an absurdly high price point, but the concept of the product is something that is for the general consumer. Something everyone could use in their life. VR, or even "spatial computing" just isn't that. It's another way to interface with your computer that is as cumbersome as it is immersive, leaving the ol' keyboard and mouse combo still the optimal method for most people. I am far from the first person to say it's a solution looking for a problem.

It's all just so weird, though. As a person that loves VR, to be so against new, very exciting deveolpments in the space just because of where it's coming from and how it's being marketed. The improved hand tracking is impressive. The eye passthrough is... an idea. But, I don't know. I feel like the real biggest development is coming from disney, with that new omnidirectional treadmil, and I'm worried about their gatekeeping as well. No one has both the resources for the necessary research and the open-source mentality necessary for mass availability. So like... what are we doin? I don't know.

What I do know is that, despite all of this, I am excited to see how things develop, and hopeful that apple and disney will at least drive the existing manufacturers to compete with their developments, hopefully with the intent to undercut their prices. Right? That's how this is supposed to work... right?

Thanks for reading, I'll see you in the next one!