Last Week in AVP #82: Apple Vision Pro: Roadmap Rumors, Watch US Open as Spatial Videos, Play Games at 120fps via HDMI with Portal 2.0 TestFlight and more!
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Here’s what we’re expecting with future generations of Apple Vision Pro: roadmap (source)
Next-gen Vision Pro
In the coming months, Apple will be announcing a spec bump for the Apple Vision Pro. Rumors have fluctuated on whether or not it’ll include an M4 chip or an M5 chip, though things are currently leaning towards the upcoming M5 chip. This’ll bring a great performance boost over the current M2 chip.
Apple is reportedly also ‘prototyping’ new head straps to make the headset feel lighter on your head, despite the general headset remaining mostly unchanged.
Other than that, it’ll be a light refresh. Apple may have a version with a bolstered neural engine compared to a standard M4 or M5 chip.
Watch US Open Spatial Videos Captured By Apple Vision Pro & iPhone (source)
Over the past few years I've been learning about tennis as my niece Alanis Hamilton has been training in the sport.
Last year, she competed in the U.S. Open as a junior and I joined my family here in New York as we watched her play. During one of her matches, I pulled an Apple Vision Pro headset out of my bag for a total of about 2 minutes. I pressed the camera button on the top and recorded a spatial video of her scoring a point.
Embedded below is 26 seconds from that video shot in 2024.
If you're reading this article in an Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest, Pico, or Vive standalone headset, open the video fullscreen and you should be able to view it in 3D.
Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts is now streaming on Disney+ in 3D on Apple Vision Pro (source)
Marvel Studios’ #Thunderbolts* is now streaming on Disney+ in 3D on Apple Vision Pro
4K. Dolby Vision. Dolby Atmos. With Vision Pro’s 4K OLED per eye + Spatial Audio, the experience feels absolutely EPIC ⚡️
Portal 2.0 TestFlight now open! HDMI, 120fps and more! (source)
It's been a month since the last patch update of Portal. And here comes a preview into Portal 2.0!
Portal 2.0 is compatible and future proof with visionOS 26. Behind the scenes, it's fully rewritten with the latest Swift 6.2 language mode, providing the most cutting edge app structure that you can ever experience.
It also comes with a lot of highly requested features:
Now supports multiple PlayStation and Xbox accounts. You can easily switch accounts and sync the accounts credentials in iCloud. So you'll never need to pair/login again, even with system wipe out or on another device.
Added a Super Frame Rate feature that uses ML technologies to interpolate frames from 60fps to 120fps. It supports all native platforms including PlayStation, Xbox and UVC devices. However, due to technical limitations, it only supports interpolating 720p SDR video. But you can upscale it to 1440p with pretty good visual results.
Added HDMI supports that allows a direct plug-in of USB-C capture card via a developer strap. As a native platform, it benefits from all the existing features, such as super resolution, super frame rate and immersive mode. However, due to the current limitations of Apple's API, streaming is capped at 1080p 120fps SDR. It's still provides best visual quality if you connect it with a game console and upscale to 4k.
Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive at 8K per eye in Amplium V2 (source)
Today, we're excited to announce Amplium V2, with footage shot on the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive.
Apple Immersive Video currently delivers 4K per eye at 90 fps in HDR. Playing Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive footage at its full native capture resolution can stutter on today's Apple Vision Pro, so the footage is downscaled on delivery.
Now, Amplium V2 plays Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive at full native capture resolution, 8K per eye, while maintaining 90 fps in HDR. No downscaling to 4K per eye. We empower creators to showcase the highest quality immersive video on Amplium.
1. 16 months in VisionOS and Reality Composer development, I'd love to present our latest AVP app. We boosted realism, you can change floors and see the other tower in front of you. It's FREE try it out #VisionPro#AppleVisionPro#VR#AR#realestate#visionOS
Apple's Vision Pro offers access to 1,000 native apps. And since the VR headset's visionOS operating system is built on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, there are also well over a million Vision Pro-compatible apps, too. I've been actively using the Vision Pro since it launched, and I've also been covering VR/XR headsets for more than a decade. I know the Vision Pro's ins and outs and have worked extensively with its native visionOS apps and compatible apps. With that in mind, here are 32 Vision Pro apps you should try right now. Each app on this list is fun, interesting, or useful in some way. They're a good representation of the current state of Apple's spatial computer and a taste of what it could become.
Reading a book in Vision Pro is not only visually satisfying and a lot of fun, it’s actually also incredibly comfortable.
Yes, the device is still heavy, but think about it: For the first time, you don’t need to constantly hold a physical object in your hands. Instead, you can place your book anywhere you like, relax all muscles and read in any position — even while lying down. The book hovers magically above you, and with eye-tracking you don’t even need to lift a finger to turn the page. I genuinely prefer reading books that way, it was WAY more comfortable.
Rewild vision - an educational environmentalist app (source)
As an environmentalist, I would love to see more apps like this for Apple Vision Pro. They are incredibly interactive and educational. Bravo! #AppleVisionPro
Starship Drift on Vision Pro now has a Cockpit POV mode (source)
Feature currently in beta. Available on the App Store.
Case Study on Apple Vision Pro Utilization by Itoki Co., Ltd.
We created a virtual showroom, "SMART CAMPUS tour," to intuitively convey the usage of mobile furniture and the value of the spaces it creates! By providing a series of experiences from 2D presentation explanations → 3D model overviews → immersive experiences, we achieved more impressive space proposals
Globular Cluster CMA1 Comfort Mod for Apple Vision Pro (source)
Now I've got the Globular Cluster CMA1 Comfort Mod for Apple Vision Pro. Yes, it's a mouthful, but it accomplishes its goal with lots of surface area, which is a problem for me.
I personally can't use either of these solutions for any length of time without feeling like I'm inside a giant helmet. That said, I was still able to evaluate how well they distributed the weight of the Apple Vision Pro and their comfort.
My issue isn't comfort, it's how many pressure points there are on the top of my head at a time. Anyway, enough of that, let's dive into this strap and how it works.
Spatial Flow Runner - Break Free with Arm-Powered Locomotion (source)
The day is finally here — after months of late nights balancing work + grad school, my solo project Spatial Flow Runner is live on the App Store! 🎉
