Sounds like the new apple vision is quadraphonic...

[admsh]

Dual-driver audio pods positioned next to each ear deliver personalized sound while letting you hear what’s around you. Ambient Spatial Audio makes sounds feel like they’re coming from your surroundings. And with audio raytracing, Vision Pro analyzes your room’s acoustic properties — including the physical materials — to adapt and match sound to your space.

https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/Looks like you can watch movies with this thing, I wonder if it's supposed to also somehow emulate a surround sound system...

 

[PurpleMoustache]

They went over it in the presentation. You can use AirPods etc obviously, but it has a similar solution to how the Oculus Quest headsets work, which is to have speakers built into the strap/headset that rest just above your ears. Software audio processing can then approximate a surround sound environment. Seems like Apple is going further than the competition by using the tech they built for the first Homepods to ultrasonic ping around you to map the space (including, as they claim, the materials and acoustic properties of the area around you) you are in to better do a surround set up.

This thing has been the worst kept secret in Apple’s history and the main reason why they’ve gone big on Atmos. Having sounds come from points in 3D space in a 3D environment is remarkably effective.

I’m impressed with the concept… but not the price. The name “pro” implies a “non pro” at some point, and future generations will likely be the better value overall, both in terms of price, but in terms of performance/functionality.

REALLY curious to see how well it sells. Part of the myriad of leaks for this thing was the implication that internal projections are that they expect to sell “maybe one a month… if that”, but if I’m in the market for a new headset (which… I kinda am, my main headset, the Quest 1 is now being treated as a “legacy device” by Meta, no more updates/apps/features), the choice is obvious between the $500 Quest 3 from Facebook Meta, and $3500+ from Apple… even if giving Zuckerberg money isn’t especially appealing

 

[admsh]

Ah. Didn't watch the presentation just went right for the page. I was planning to get the new Quest 3, there's no way I'll be spending this kind of money on a first generation apple device. That said, the idea of real spatial sound in a headset is almost more appealing to me than the VR itself. How is the sound on the Quest?

 

[mkt]

I was impressed that the WWDC keynote was in in atmos but I am easily impressed. Amazing tech and equally amazing presentation.

 

[PurpleMoustache]

Ah. Didn't watch the presentation just went right for the page. I was planning to get the new Quest 3, there's no way I'll be spending this kind of money on a first generation apple device. That said, the idea of real spatial sound in a headset is almost more appealing to me than the VR itself. How is the sound on the Quest?

It’s decent, though mostly I use headphones when doing VR as it’s almost always better than the speakers (plus the Quest 1 conveniently has TWO headphone jacks, one on each side). There’s a convincing sense of space and positioning in the audio, both on speaker and in headphones.

I can’t speak to the Quest 2 or Pro, but Spatial Audio for VR is one of the big things that every platform maker has been working on. It’s built in to the Oculus SDK on the Meta side, Valve’s Index has Steam Audio (which is the one I’ve messed with the most, in a week long project in college, I made a game where this is the core gameplay, navigate a maze via audio only. Works surprisingly well), and Sony’s PSVR uses the PS5’s extra audio-only CPU, named Tempest, which they primarily sell as a headphone focused feature... presumably to sell their headphones.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Here's a video going through some features.

I may be interested in the 2nd gen. version; once bugs, more independent developer programs appear and "What about the Apple Atmos sound quality?"

Also would be curios to know what external screen size equivalent and distance there is when set to fully immersive screen?

I'm feeling once they get the prices down some (if ever) on future gen.'s; this thing will sell like hot cakes, as long as they can stay ahead of the crowd on features and performance.

​

 

[jaap74]

REALLY curious to see how well it sells. Part of the myriad of leaks for this thing was the implication that internal projections are that they expect to sell “maybe one a month… if that”, but if I’m in the market for a new headset (which… I kinda am, my main headset, the Quest 1 is now being treated as a “legacy device” by Meta, no more updates/apps/features), the choice is obvious between the $500 Quest 3 from Facebook Meta, and $3500+ from Apple… even if giving Zuckerberg money isn’t especially appealing

Sell one a month? You're kidding right?

 

[admsh]

Sell one a month? You're kidding right?

That was leaked as an internal projection. They're only making a million of them. This thing looks really amazing but it's not a consumer product, it's for developers and early adopters to figure out how this thing evolves, and for rich people who need a new toy. And for law enforcement to use with precogs.

 

[mkt]

I have to think that the apple face watch (which Tim Cook called spatial computing) has been a big driver of spatial audio. I'll take it.

 

[PurpleMoustache]

Sell one a month? You're kidding right?

That’s what one of the leaks stated…
The way I see it, is similar to admsh, this thing is a test bed… and we’ve seen Apple do this before:

The Apple Watch, the original one (which has been renamed “Series 0” retroactively) had an… odd pitch. It was a watch, but it also was like a “phone away from phone” with the most popular messaging apps, and Uber and food delivery services. Apple got WayForward, a popular budget-ish game company to make a RPG for the watch. They had fitness tracking, navigation everything you’d expect from a phone. They also offered a $10k 24 karat gold one, thinking it could take off as “luxury jewelry”.

It didn’t take until the 4th iteration, the “Series 3” for the Apple Watch to more or less settle on what it is now: a smart watch with great fitness tracking abilities, its own (optional) cell phone connection to make basic calls, send texts, and stream music/podcasts/audiobooks. People didn’t need or want it for games, ordering food, or as a piece of jewelry.

Apple is positioning the Vision Pro as a computer replacement. Instead of buying a MacBook or iPad or iMac, you’d buy one of these, as a full computer. They‘re also positioning it as a “super media” device, allowing high frame rate 3D movies with Atmos on a (simulated) 100 ft screen. A sports watching device with in depth stats. An interactive encyclopedia where you can move around objects to look at them. An enterprise device for configuring large machines, etc etc.

I highly suspect that by whatever inevitable third or fourth iteration some of these ideas will have quietly been dropped in favor of what people have actually using It for. The word “Pro” and the price are very intentional here, they’re attracting power users who are willing to jump on whatever Apple does, make cool things for it, and mess around with it. You also can’t just buy one… at least that’s what the presentation implied. They made it seem like you have to set up an appointment at an Apple Store to buy one, since they have multiple gaskets that fit onto the headset for comfort, plus prescription lenses, so buying it requires someone alongside you finding the right choices for your head.

 

[admsh]

In other news, I was playing Tetris Effect on the PSVR2 last night for the first time. Talk about a spatial experience, this shit blew my mind. Between the surround sound effects and music and how it builds up, and the vibrations in the back of your head with every row you eliminate, it's like a shot of some futuristic drug each time, it got me moaning. I happened to be very stoned at the time but it just added to an already insane experience. Kinda frightening how much it seemed like The Game from TNG:



Even though after four hours (not sure how that happened), I got a crazy headache, I recommend it highly.

 

[PurpleMoustache]

Here’s something interesting that slipped onto the Apple website after yesterday’s phone/watch event.
There was nothing notable about Atmos in it, other than that the Airpods Pro 2 are getting a side-step upgrade with a case with USB-C instead of lightning, otherwise seemingly functionally identical… except…

Now they’re claiming that the H2 chip in this new revision allows for lossless audio wirelessly, 20/48kHz on the Vision Pro. Now the H2 chip is in all the AirPod Pro 2’s *with* the lighting cable, so I’m confused if this is a new revision of the chip, or just Apple corporate language pushing you to the “latest and greatest”… but worth mentioning. I wonder if this “groundbreaking wireless audio protocol” will be available on other Apple devices soon-ish or if there’s something in the Vision Pro making it work.

 

[thebarnman]

That’s what one of the leaks stated…
The way I see it, is similar to admsh, this thing is a test bed… and we’ve seen Apple do this before:

The Apple Watch, the original one (which has been renamed “Series 0” retroactively) had an… odd pitch. It was a watch, but it also was like a “phone away from phone” with the most popular messaging apps, and Uber and food delivery services. Apple got WayForward, a popular budget-ish game company to make a RPG for the watch. They had fitness tracking, navigation everything you’d expect from a phone. They also offered a $10k 24 karat gold one, thinking it could take off as “luxury jewelry”.

It didn’t take until the 4th iteration, the “Series 3” for the Apple Watch to more or less settle on what it is now: a smart watch with great fitness tracking abilities, its own (optional) cell phone connection to make basic calls, send texts, and stream music/podcasts/audiobooks. People didn’t need or want it for games, ordering food, or as a piece of jewelry.

Apple is positioning the Vision Pro as a computer replacement. Instead of buying a MacBook or iPad or iMac, you’d buy one of these, as a full computer. They‘re also positioning it as a “super media” device, allowing high frame rate 3D movies with Atmos on a (simulated) 100 ft screen. A sports watching device with in depth stats. An interactive encyclopedia where you can move around objects to look at them. An enterprise device for configuring large machines, etc etc.

I highly suspect that by whatever inevitable third or fourth iteration some of these ideas will have quietly been dropped in favor of what people have actually using It for. The word “Pro” and the price are very intentional here, they’re attracting power users who are willing to jump on whatever Apple does, make cool things for it, and mess around with it. You also can’t just buy one… at least that’s what the presentation implied. They made it seem like you have to set up an appointment at an Apple Store to buy one, since they have multiple gaskets that fit onto the headset for comfort, plus prescription lenses, so buying it requires someone alongside you finding the right choices for your head.

I want one just so I can watch my Blu-ray 3D collection! I'd love to learn how I can do that with the Apple Vision Pro.