Apple Vision Pro first-look review: Work game-changer or ergonomic nightmare?

When the Apple Vision Pro was initially announced in 2023, an audible gasp emanated from the crowd in Cupertino. Apple has always been known for its premium quality, and the prices that come with that.

But $5,999 for a first-generation VR headset (or spatial computer, as Apple styles it) – a concept that’s already been kicking around the gaming space for about a decade? I, among so many others, was sceptical.

But I’m also a big nerd who loves tech, and I’m not too proud to admit that I had a great time with my 45-minute preview at Apple’s offices in Sydney.

It left me with a lot to think about, particularly because it’s been positioned as a productivity tool as well as a vessel for entertainment.

Would this actually be useful in a business environment or while working at home and in transit?

It’s difficult to definitively answer that question after spending less than an hour with the device in a controlled environment.

But I do have some initial thoughts.

Apple Vision Pro TLDR:

Has doom-scrolling TikTok shot your concentration to pieces? Here’s a quick recap of my thoughts:

The good

• Eye and hand tracking: The Apple Vision Pro’s advanced eye-tracking technology and intuitive hand gestures allow for seamless navigation and control without physical input devices. But you can add some if you prefer.
• Seamless Apple ecosystem integration: The Vision Pro integrates effortlessly with other Apple devices, allowing users to transfer settings from an iPhone and connect to a MacBook for an enhanced productivity experience.
• The field of vision is perfect for multitasking: The device offers a massive field of vision within a virtual space, making multitasking across multiple apps incredibly convenient and efficient. The ability to move, resize, and organise virtual windows is a significant productivity boost.

The Bad

• Comfort issues: The Apple Vision Pro is heavy, leading to discomfort during extended use. The weight, combined with the tethered battery, makes it impractical for long sessions.
• High price point: Starting at $5,999, the Apple Vision Pro is an expensive first-generation product, with additional costs for storage upgrades, optical inserts and Apple Care+.
• Limited team collaboration: While the Apple Vision Pro shows potential for individual productivity, as well as virtual education and training, it currently feels like a solitary experience.

My 30-something neck has some questions

In true Apple fashion, setting up the Vision Pro was a seamless experience.

It began with mapping my head on an iPhone so the correct sized device for my noggin could be selected.

From there came the band adjustment. The device comes with two: the solo knit band and the dual loop band. The former is quite stretchy and easy to slip on and off, while the latter is more rigid and adjustable.

The idea is for the dual loop band to evenly distribute the weight on the head, making it comfortable for longer sessions.

However, it’s still undeniably heavy.

The Apple Vision Pro weighs in at 600-650g, depending on the headset. The battery adds an additional 353g, but I don’t think that will make much of a difference if it is sitting on a table or slipped into a pocket during use.

While the overall design and build quality of the Apple Vision Pro feel premium during use – the weight was a red flag for me.

I’ll preface this by saying that I have quite consistent neck and shoulder issues that require a proper ergonomic work setup. It’s so serious that I’ve thrown my neck out by sneezing before.

In other words, I am aggressively in my 30s.

But while I may be special case, weight has been a consistent concern from other experts in the consumer tech space.

But it’s not just an Apple Problem. Some of its competitors aren’t that much lighter. The Meta Quest 3 comes in at around 512g, with the PlayStation VR2 weighing in at 560g.

During my demo, I couldn’t help but wonder how feasible it would be to wear the Apple Vision Pro for more than an hour without aches and pains.

No matter how good the field of vision is for work apps – and we’ll get to that – this becomes superfluous if it’s not a comfortable experience.

I also found that the device left insignificant indents on my face after use, which took a while to disappear. I wondered how practical that would be if I had to jump between the Vision Pro and real-world meetings in the office or while at a conference. I don’t want to be constantly worrying about my face and retouching makeup.

Setting up the Apple Vision Pro

Setting up the Vision Pro is also incredibly straightforward.

After the headband adjustment, you’re guided through a calibration process. This is also where you first experience the coolest part of the Vision Pro – eye tracking.

Rather than using your fingers or moving your head – you use your eyes as a cursor for the Vision Pro. It’s incredibly cool and gave me my first “god dammit” moment during the session.

I was charmed.

During the calibration you follow a dot around the screen with your eyes, selecting it with a simple pinch motion with your thumb and forefinger. This ensures that the eye-tracking and hand-tracking systems are accurately tuned to your movements.

The Vision Pro also integrates into your wider Apple ecosystem and like other devices, you can bring your iPhone close to it to transfer your settings to the headset.

If you’re accustomed to touch screens, you may need to fight the urge to move your hand forward to make the select motion. At first, it feels unnatural to simply leave your hand on your lap while navigating.

But it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it.

You can easily scroll left to right and up and down by pinching your fingers together and dragging them in your desired direction.

Zooming in on a photo or webpage is as easy as pinching your fingers together with both hands and spreading them apart.

Moving apps around your virtual space is also easy. You simply select the bar beneath the app and drag it to your desired location. If you want to resize an app, simply stare at the bottom right corner and drag it with your finger.

Alternatively, you can use Siri for voice navigation instead. For example, ask Siri to close all apps.

I found this entire process relatively intuitive once I knew the motions. However, I have also used a touchscreen laptop for many years so I was primed for it.

Thinking about long sessions, particularly for work, I could imagine wanting something a little more familiar and quicker for more involved tasks.

I couldn’t see myself using the VR keyboard when I needed to get into deep workflow. Fortunately, you can attach a Bluetooth keyboard and even a MacBook to the Apple Vision Pro.

Is the Apple Vision Pro actually good for productivity and multitasking?

Multi-tasking is a big drawcard for the Vision Pro. From a performance perspective, this is supported by Apple’s in-built M2 chip that powers the newly minted VisionOS.

This means juggling multiple apps such as Slack, Zoom and your browser aren’t an issue. I’d be very interested to see how it handles more labour-intensive programs used by designers, video editors and coders.

But the real hero is the screen real estate.

I’m a fan of a multi-screen setup. My home office has two monitors – one horizontal and one vertical – and I’m tempted to add a third.

Suffice to say, having a massive field of vision within a virtual space is genuinely fantastic. You’re able to easily move apps around to your liking, or even slightly out of view if you want to be able to come back to them later. I have to admit — it’s a game-changer.

And if you do want to add a MacBook into the experience, all you have to do is look at it to bring it into your virtual space. From there you can utilise your keyboard and mouse, with whatever is on your screen being translated to the Vision Pro in front of your eyes.

For transparency, I didn’t get to try this personally. But it’s the sort of feature that appeals to me. I like the idea of writing a story or working on some lines of code without being slowed down by a virtual keyboard.

I could also see this being a solution for working while commuting or overseas – especially when you only need to work for a couple of hours at a time. For reference, the battery life on the Vision Pro is 2-2.5 hours.

In those scenarios I don’t have access to my desktop setup, so I’m forced to work hunched over like a gremlin. This usually results in either a sore neck or an injury that requires some trips to be physio.

Being able to keep my posture in check would be a pain and money saver – if only the headset wasn’t so heavy.

In fact, the headset and battery are rather cumbersome in general. It’s not a small device, so perhaps it wouldn’t be the most practical to take on work trips. In the cases where you’re fighting with a bunch of other people for power, needing to find a space to charge your VR headset might not be fun.

Apple’s Vision Pro’s potential for team collaboration

While the Vision Pro is being positioned as a workhorse, I do still wonder about team collaboration in the virtual space.

Right now it feels like a solitary experience.

Yes, you can connect to others through calls – you can even create a 3D ‘persona’ for collaboration, but the images I have seen of them so far are a little scary.

One thing I did love was the ability to turn the digital crown to adjust the level of immersion. Even at its lowest, where you could still see your real-world surroundings, it was phased out in a way that wasn’t distracting.

When you had it dialled all the way up, the real world completely disappeared.

However, Apple has taken public spaces into consideration here. If someone does approach you, if you turn to look at them they will gently come into focus.

This would be incredibly useful for work environments, though I think it would be polite to take the headset off during these scenarios.

But even with these thoughtful features built in, the Apple Vision Pro doesn’t feel particularly collaborative right now. And it probably won’t until the price comes down.

But that’s not to say it doesn’t have applied business use.

The VR and AR environments offer an abundance of possibilities for work and education environments.

A great example is Australian startup Jigspace, which has been working with Apple for years. It recently secured $13 million in funding and even got a shoutout from CEO Tim Cook at this year’s World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC).

JigSpace’s platform allows users to turn CAD models into 3D presentations – called ‘Jigs’ – which can be used for training, sales, marketing and product education.

In practice, this meant I was able to crouch in a virtual rendition of a Formula 1 car, which ruled. During my demo I was talked through how useful this is for the likes of engineers who can remove pieces of the car virtually.

I saw firsthand how great this would be for R&D and education – particularly for distributed teams.

To celebrate, I picked up and threw the tyres and chassis around the virtual space while trying to explain the viral Max Verstappen techno song.

Immersive experiences and entertainment

While we are focusing on potential business use here, I’d be remiss to not touch on the downtime experiences offered by the Vision Pro.

The immersive photos and 3D spatial videos are downright incredible. It’s a whole new way to experience the art of photography and videography. But more importantly, it is a new way to experience your memories.

The spatial video is so immersive that it feels like you are there in the scene. I can see how if the footage was of your family or beloved pets it would invoke a strong emotional reaction.

Just thinking about being able to experience that time again with loved ones who have passed – even just for a moment – conjures tears.

While the picture quality isn’t perfect yet, it’s certainly promising for what the future will hold for this kind of photo and video capture. In a few years, it’s going to be unreal.

From a content consumption standpoint, the Vision Pro offers multiple 3D environments to watch TV and movies.

Options range from Yosemite to the Moon, and you can adjust the level of immersion by turning the digital crown.

Specific apps also have unique environments. Apple TV+ has a cinema mode and even lets you watch a show or movie from inside a Star Wars pod racer.

Is this necessary? No. Is it super fun? Absolutely.

The sound from the Vision Pro also helps invoke this movie-going experience, with two audio pods built into the strap near your ears. They utilise Apple’s previously-existing spatial audio technology to deliver an added layer of dimension to movies, concerts, or even meetings.

However, it’s worth noting that a few popular apps are missing from this experience, such as Netflix and YouTube, which limits your entertainment options.

Should you buy the Apple Vision Pro?

If you’re an early adopter with the capital to back it up — yes.

It’s rare for a first-generation product to be this good. It even managed to melt my cold, jaded heart.

That being said, 45 minutes is not enough time to find the quirks and bugs that will inevitably exist – particularly when the Apple Vision Pro has several hundred native apps as well as thousands that are compatible with it.

That’s where it might be worth taking advantage of the two-week returns policy.

Still, $5,999 is a big ask, even for an impressive first-generation product. And that’s just for the entry-level 256GB version. The 512GB comes in at $6,349 and the 1TB is $6,699.

And this is before you add in things like optical inserts, which you’ll need if you wear glasses. And if you want Apple Care+ it will set you back an additional $849.

For business users, the Vision Pro offers some interesting possibilities, especially in terms of productivity and immersive experiences. Yet, its practicality for extended work sessions and team collaboration remains uncertain.

While the Vision Pro represents a significant leap in AR and VR technology, as well as impressive features, there are tradeoffs – particularly concerning weight, comfort and cost.

The latter, especially in this economy, will be a significant barrier to widespread adoption, for both individuals and businesses – particularly smaller organisations with limited budgets.

As it currently stands, the Apple Vision Pro is a rather clear glimpse into the future, but it needs more practical refinement to truly revolutionise the way we work.

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