Vision Pro Reviews Out

Zoom VR, Vision Pro Scalpers, 200K Units Sold, MR Chess andd more

Author

Joel Johnson
January 30, 2024

Good morning, folks!

The Vision Pro embargo ended this morning, which means tech reviewers can now praise it or roast it to their heart’s content—and boy, they did!

Vision Pro scalpers who pre-ordered the device on day 1 are now selling it on eBay at a huge markup ($6,000 and up) to Apple fanbois who cannot wait till March. That sounds genius, except it’s not! Most of their listings haven’t sold even now, which means they just might’ve burned money expecting a big payday but now have excess inventory of a device they don’t need.

Headlines for people in a hurry:

  • 🥽 Vision Pro Reviews: “It’s Magic Until It’s Not!”

  • 😲 Zoom Announces Immersive App For Vision Pro

  • 📅 Augments Coming To Quest Sooner Than Expected

  • 👨‍💼 New Estimates Say Vision Pro Made $700M In Pre-Orders

Read time: 3 minutes

TOP STORIES

APPLE

Vision Pro First Reviews Are Out: The Good, The Bad & The Fugly

Courtesy: The Verge

The Apple Vision Pro embargo ended a few hours ago and the first reviews are in. Veteran VR journalist Ben Lang called this the biggest event in the industry since Facebook bought Oculus in 2014. So how did it turn out? Well, here are some of the opinions, in a nutshell.

What’s Good? The design, display resolution, passthrough quality, 3D movies, environments, hand gestures, Macbook monitor extension, eye tracking.

What’s Bad? Weight, front display, passthrough quality in low light, avatars (beta), external battery, field of view.

The Verge’s Nilay Patel explained it best: “It’s magic until it’s not.” Personally, I was very disappointed with how the EyeSight feature was implemented (see image), but other than that, everything else turned out how we expected.

I suggest you watch the following reviews to get a full idea of the $3499 device:

PRODUCTIVITY

Zoom Meetings In VR: Announces New Immersive App For Apple Vision Pro

In our last newsletter, we talked about how Microsoft integrated their VR platform into their video conferencing app, Teams, available for Quest headsets.

Now, their biggest competitor, Zoom, says, “Hold my beer mute button.”

They’re all set to elevate the virtual meeting experience with a new app tailored for the Apple Vision Pro, launching on February 2, 2024. The app promises to immerse users in meeting environments with "personas" for spatial representation and a "spatial zoom experience" for customizable settings.

Additional features expected later this spring include 3D object sharing, team chat integration, and pinning up to five meeting participants in your physical surroundings.

Personally, I like Microsoft Team’s vision for VR meetings. It’s fully immersive and you’re represented as 3D avatars in a virtual world. Meanwhile, Zoom’s idea is to have your 2D persona (as seen in Apple demos for the Facetime app) in a floating window.

APPLE

New Reports Say Apple Sold 200K Units In Pre-Orders & Made $700M

Apple Vision Pro preorders have reportedly surpassed 200,000 units, which indicates a revenue of over $700 million.

For reference, that’s much more than what Meta’s VR division earns in revenue for an average quarter, and it’s also similar to what they generate in their best quarter (Q4—holiday season).

The information comes from MacRumors, a source known for accurate Apple product insights. Ming-Chi Kuo, a respected analyst with a track record in Apple's supply chain, had earlier estimated similar numbers.

Despite this initial surge, production limits imposed by display components could lead to potential backlogs. However, in-store demos are available for those eager to preview the headset.

NEWS FLASH

META

Chess In Mixed Reality?

  • 🗼 "MR Chess" on Quest 3 offers a realistic chess experience in your living room, with an opponent miles away, using mixed reality and hand tracking.

  • 🌟 Meta Quest 3's next update is bringing 'augments' earlier than expected, enhancing the device's immersive capabilities.

  • 🎮 PlayStation's State of Play in January 2024 unveiled exciting VR game titles and updates.

  • 🖐️ A new haptic glove could perfectly fit the Apple Vision Pro, enhancing tactile VR experiences.

  • 🚀 Kopin's initial order for an advanced surgical display signifies XR technology's growing role in healthcare.

  • 🏁 "Track Crafts" brings multiplayer races to Quest 3, adding more fun to the XR gaming experience.

  • 💾 Fans of "Echo VR" work to keep the game alive, despite its discontinuation, showcasing their dedication.

BOOKMARKS

Immersive Articles From The Web

  • Will Meta Be The “Android” Of VR Or The “Blackberry?”

  • Quest 2 Hack: Man Removes Plastic & Battery To Reduce Weight

  • Meta Will Benefit From Vision Pro In Many Ways.

  • Is Apple’s Spatial Computing Step the Correct Move?

UNREAL MONEY

FUNDING REPORT

XReal Raises $60 Million

AR glasses manufacturer Xreal has successfully secured $60 million in a strategic funding round, increasing its total funds raised to $300 million.

This investment will fuel research, development, and factory expansion, aiming to boost the production of AR glasses.

Xreal previously shipped 350,000 pairs of AR glasses and announced the Xreal Air 2 Ultra, a competitor to Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3, priced at $699 and set for shipping in March.

COOL PROJECTS

AR IN YOUR EYES

What Comes After XR?

WRAP UP

MEME OF THE DAY

“Jarvis, do I look like a doofus?”

Have a great week folks.

This Friday, the next time we send our newsletter, the Apple Vision Pro will be shipped to users. I can’t believe how the public will react. Will it reinvigorate the passion for VR or will people still say that it’s still bad?

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