The Apple Vision Pro goes on sale in the US on February 2 for $3,499

Those who've been yearning for a chance to try the Apple Vision Pro headset and have the cash to spare won't need to wait much longer to snap one up. The company says the hotly anticipated device will arrive in the US on February 2. Pre-orders for the mixed reality headset, which starts at $3,499 for 256GB of storage, will open on January 19. The device will be available at all US Apple Store locations as well as through the company's web store.

Those who require vision correction will need to snap up Zeiss optical inserts and attach them to the headset magnetically (Vision Pro doesn't work with glasses). Readers will cost $99, while prescription lenses will set you back $149. The inserts will only be available for purchase online, so don't expect to be able to wander into an Apple Store to pick them up. Naturally, you'll need a prescription for the prescription lenses. However, Apple says that "not all prescriptions are supported."

This is Apple's first new major product since it introduced the Apple Watch back in 2014. Apple revealed the Vision Pro release date just as CES 2024 is kicking off, likely to steal some thunder away from the show's exhibitors without needing to actually show up in Las Vegas itself.

The Vision Pro, which Apple announced at WWDC last year, marks the company's initial foray into spatial computing. You'll primarily control it with your hands, eyes and voice, though you can pair a Magic Keyboard and Trackpad for productivity needs or a controller when it's time to kick back and play games. 

Apple says a brand new App Store will support more than a million apps from the iOS and iPadOS ecosystems. Of course, there will be apps that are unique to the headset's visionOS. You'll interact with apps by just looking at them, tapping your fingers (à la Apple Watch's new Double Tap feature), flicking your wrist to scroll and using dictation or a virtual keyboard for typing. Siri will enable to you control media playback, open and close apps and much more, Apple says.

Users can place apps anywhere in a 3D virtual environment, which could be a boon for multitasking. You'll be able to access your Mac through your Vision Pro as well, so you'll have access to a giant 4K canvas for your desktop or laptop to help you get things done. 

On the entertainment front, you'll be able to stream shows and movies from the likes of Apple TV+, Disney+ and Max on a virtual screen that appears to be 100 feet wide. There's HDR support and, through the Apple TV app, you'll me able to check out more than 150 titles in 3D. Vision Pro also supports Apple's new Immersive Video format, through which you can check out 180-degree, 3D experiences in high resolution.

As for games, Vision Pro will support more than 250 Apple Arcade titles as well as others from the App Store. Players will be able to check out "spatial games," such as Game Room, What the Golf? and Super Fruit Ninja. In those cases, Apple says the headset will transform the space around you, likely leading to more immersive gaming experiences. It's possible that you'll be able to use PlayStation and Xbox remote play features using Vision Pro too.

Speaking of immersion, you'll be able to virtually relocate to more peaceful environments, such as a national park or the surface of the Moon, if you don't feel like looking at your office or home in mixed reality. By turning the Digital Crown, you can adjust the level of immersion in these environments. 

The iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max can now capture spatial photos and videos, and you'll be able to view those in "life-size scale" through Vision Pro. Panoramas, for instance, will wrap around you.

FaceTime and other types of calls are getting an intriguing upgrade through Vision Pro. Headset users will appear as a Persona, a virtual representation of them that shows their hand movements and facial expressions (Personas are also supported on the likes of Zoom, Webex and Microsoft Teams). Those taking part in a call on a Mac, iPad or iPhone will appear in a tile, while spatial audio will make it seem as though each person's voice comes from the location of their tile in the space.

Oftentimes, wearers of virtual reality or mixed reality headsets seem disconnected from others in the same physical space as they can't make eye contact with those around them. To mitigate that, Apple has developed technology called EyeSight. This makes it appear as though the Vision Pro is transparent, allowing others to see a wearer's eyes.

Elsewhere, Apple has developed a new authentication system called Optic ID to unlock the device, as well as for password autofill and Apple Pay payment approval. The company says that eye-tracking information remains private — neither Apple nor the makers of third-party apps or websites can access that data. It also notes that Vision Pro has a number of accessibility-minded features, such as the ability to enable eye tracking for one dominant eye.

Given the price of Apple's headset, it's highly unlikely that it will see wide adoption, at least in its first iteration. This is one for developers, early adopters and Apple enthusiasts. It may be the case that Apple eventually becomes the company to make mixed reality mainstream. In the meantime, at least we now know when eager beavers will be able to buy a Vision Pro if they have a spare few thousand dollars burning a hole in their pockets.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-apple-vision-pro-goes-on-sale-in-the-us-on-february-2-for-3499-142006153.html?src=rss