IT Essentials: Searching for a purpose

Can Apple crack the VR nut?

After years of delays and rumours, Apple is finally launching its own display product. But is the company trading on hype?

Before I entered the wonderful world of IT, I used to write about display technology. I can tell you the difference between an LCD and an OLED in detail and at length, discuss the merits of plasma versus projection and even, if I put my mind to it, remember how a CRT screen works.

The hottest competition was always Apple vs Samsung. The iPhone maker was consistently - but only just - ahead in smartphones, while the South Korean giant ruled TVs. It was a space Apple refused to enter - despite persistent rumours.

Fast-forward a few years, and Apple has finally its own standalone display product. But while a TV, at its heart, is a shared experience, a VR headset like the Vision Pro is a stubbornly personal device (as my own efforts to stream an Oculus 2 to my TV confirm).

Back in the mid 2010s, everyone was talking about extended reality. VR would revolutionise communication, while AR would change how people work, live and play.

The technology hasn't lived up to the hype: VR headsets are still bulky, heavy and expensive, while the most common use for AR is in mobile games and children's apps.

Can Apple's headset, now confirmed for a February launch, change the game? Early testers say, "maybe."

The Vision Pro has all the hallmarks of an Apple product - slick, well designed and absolutely premium. It also has a price tag ($3,500) to match, and some slightly odd features like EyeSight that appear to have been slapped on because it's 'kind of cool'.

Some features could change how we use VR. The visionOS system (an advanced form of AR), gesture control and high-precision eye-tracking will make the tech more usable, while face scanning will mean you can actually use it for work calls - if that's your jam.

On the other hand, VR's weak foundations are still in place. EyeSight is a goofy attempt to make using a VR headset less isolating, but as a user you're still shut off from the rest of the world; and while Apple has done its best with the straps holding the headset in place, the entire unit remains large and heavy - the best engineering money can buy hasn't managed to change that. It might actually have made it worse, as the "spatial computing device" doesn't have room for corrective lenses. Glasses wearers have to fork out $100+ for a special insert.

If anyone can bring VR to the mainstream my bet probably would go to Apple, but it's a tough nut to crack. On the other hand, $3,500 pays for an awfully large hammer.