Apple has unveiled several entertainment experiences that will be available on Apple Vision Pro, the company’s upcoming mixed reality headset that can turn any space into a home theater environment and allows users to navigate by using their eyes, hands and voice.
The headset, which leverages Apple’s first spatial operating system, features a pair of ultra-high-resolution micro-OLED displays that include a combines 23 million pixels with wide color, high dynamic range and Dolby Vision.
In addition to Apple TV+ content, users will be able to download and stream TV shows, films, sports and more apps with top streaming services, including Disney+, ESPN, NBA, MLB, PGA Tour, Max, Discovery+, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, Pluto TV, Tubi, Fubo, Crunchyroll, Red Bull TV, IMAX, TikTok and MUBI, the company says.
Notably absent from that list are popular streaming apps Netflix and Hulu, but Apple says users can use Safari or another browser to watch other streaming services, without naming them.
The headset runs on Apple’s new visionOS platform, which allows developers to get a little creative. For example, Disney+ subscribers can watch content from four iconic environments, such as the Disney+ Theater, inspired by the historic El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood; the Scare Floor from Pixar’s Monsters Inc.; Marvel’s Avengers Tower overlooking downtown Manhattan; and the cockpit of Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder from the Star Wars franchise.
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The Vision Pro also allows for 3D versions of eligible movies when they become available to rent or purchase from the Apple TV app, and users who own or purchase movies with a 3D edition can access that version at no additional cost.
Several streaming apps, including Disney+, will offer 3D versions of their latest and most popular movies on Vision Pro at launch, and will debut new 3D editions alongside or shortly following standard 2D releases, the company says.
Apple is also marketing its Apple Immersive Video, a new entertainment format that features 190-degree 3D 8K recordings captured with spatial audio designed to transport viewers to the center of an experience. Vision Pro will come with a curated selection of immersive films and series on the Apple TV app at launch.
The Vision Pro also offers interactive entertainment exclusive to the device, such as Encounter Dinosaurs, a new app developed by Apple and Fairview Portals, produced by Jon Favreau, that offers a view into the Cretaceous period.
According to Apple, the technology behind these experiences includes the brand-new R1 chip that streams images to each display every 12 milliseconds, and the M2 chip for power-efficient performance across its CPU, GPU, Neural Engine, and other custom technologies.
The headset supports two hours of general use, up to 2.5 hours for video playback, and all-day use when the external battery is connected to power with a USB-C charging cable.
For audio features, the Vision Pro runs on an advanced spatial audio system including dual-driver audio pods that beam personalized spatial audio to each ear and supports Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio while allowing users to hear what’s happening around them.
Audio ray tracing analyzes the acoustic properties of a user’s surroundings to optimize sound for their space. For listeners who want to use headphones with Vision Pro, AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with USB‑C offer the perfect experience, featuring lossless audio with ultra-low latency.
The Vision Pro is available to preorder beginning Jan. 19 and is set to launch with these experiences and features on Feb. 2.
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