Virtual reality is the next big thing, right? Everyone has heard some variation of this phrase, but there has been no real evidence of mainstream adoption of VR. In June 2023, however, the VR enthusiast space just received its biggest sign of recognition: Apple's Vision Pro headset. So, market interest seems stronger than ever. Especially from occasional consumers. As exciting as this VR headset from Apple is, we still need to take a quick look at what this could mean for the biggest consumer VR game maker, Sony, and the PSVR2.
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The latest VR headset
The PSVR 2 headset was released in February 2023, and it didn't really seem to gain much attention beyond the initial media rounds that touted it as new hardware. Sure, there has been Horizon Call of The Mountain and a few other games, but VR game development has yet to reach the current quality of games most audiences expect. Except for a fancy gadget every few months, most VR headset owners rarely add these giant glasses to their daily device rotation. Apple plans to change that.
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The Cupertino company unveiled the Apple Vision Pro headset at the WWDC conference. The big news of the day was undoubtedly this announcement, and their wording during the reveal was quite interesting. Instead of calling it an augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) headset, Apple describes it as a “space computer.” Interesting. Yet the use of these specific terms is somewhat justified. Most VR headsets we've come across so far have never reached the level of a “computer” in terms of processing. This time around, however, Apple's M2 chip is integrated into the headset, along with a new R1 chip for cameras, sensors, and tracking.
Unlike the PSVR 2, Apple's VR headset isn't just designed for gaming. The screen alone offers a combined resolution of 8K+. We are far from the resolution of 2000×2040 pixels offered to players in the PlayStation VR space. Since PSVR 2 is primarily a gaming device, there isn't much else you can comfortably use, especially when you have the option to enjoy content using an actual interface. It's also difficult to control the headset using motion controllers. On the Apple Vision Pro, there is no additional weight to support. It's practically just you and your headset, which reinforces the level of immersion when viewing content.
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Apple Vision OS
Apple's VisionOS system ensures that most of the things you enjoy on your smartphone, Mac, or PC will be bigger and sharper in VR. The PSVR 2 is priced similar to the PS5, but with a much smaller catalog of games. Casual consumers would prefer to buy a PS5 rather than a PSVR 2, particularly due to developers' lack of interest in VR games.
The price is probably the weakest point of the Apple Vision Pro compared to Sony's PSVR 2. Still, it's likely that Apple's Vision Pro will serve as a catalyst for other VR manufacturers to think bigger, and treat VR like a computer in its own right, rather than a gadget.
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