Virtual reality has been with us for a long time and quite a few of us have had a chance to touch, feel and experience it firsthand. I myself have had privilege of owning 4-5 headsets from Google cardboard box to Meta Oculus 2 /3 to now proudly owning Apple Vision Pro. I have extensively used them, if I was to sum up, I would say close 400 hours of Movies, playing tennis or boxing and watching YouTube. So yes, I have had a great deal of experience.
You can’t compare virtual reality headset to your phones or to your computers. They are in their league of their own. Lets start with some obvious physical differences, whilst they offer a full immersive experience that comes at a cost of a sore neck. And if I use them for too long my eyes get really tired and I mean really really tired.
They are also a hassle to charge, to wear, and having to sit around in a house (safe space).
So yes, they have some physical disadvantages, but no phones, no laptop, no 80’ inch TV or no project or can offer a remotely comparable experience to watching a movie as a VR headset does. It almost feels like a cinema.
Its also almost a workout to do boxing in VR. Cant say that about my phone.
So yes its form factor has some advantages and some obvious disadvantages. And that for me makes it different to any other wearable out there.
While Meta (Facebook), Google and Apple have invested a lot on the hardware side of things. Software is lacking. Apps are limited and the onces there are, don’t get enough updates. For example, I used to use Mozilla’s VR app for browsing but about 1 year of using it, it doesn’t work for me anymore. Same for another one called Wolvic. Amazing apps, far better than natives on, but they all don’t last very long.
Also from putting a phone in a cardboard, to having joysticks / controller to now pinching, its been great but its not super accurate and it definitely takes getting used.
Don’t even get me start on typing. That is a whole big hassle.
So yes its been clunky. But every couple of month there has been a small enhancement that has significantly improved the experience. I am sure its only a matter of time before it becomes smooth.
Short answer is No. No you can’t work on it. You can try , perhaps read an email or two. But can you code, no. Can you design, No. Can you send email, yes (bit kind of).
What you can do though, is you can definitely do video calls. My experience of video calls has been amazing. I absolutely love it. Its gimmicky but I sure do see the potential.
When I got Oculus Quest 2, it was a far better experience than Google cardboard glasses. When I Oculus Quest 3, it was a far better experience than Oculus Quest 2 and now Apple Vision Pro is a far better experience than Quest 3. I would say that they are exponentially better. I even tested Meta Pro glasses they were amazing over Quest 3. So with every new version the experience is significantly better. Is it there yet? No, gosh no. But its far better than where we started.
Would I buy the next version of VR Headset, absolutely yes. I believe there is a lot of potential in this area of wearable technology. Pro tip – Plane travel with Apple Vision Pro is amazing. Unlimited movies. Noise cancelling. It doesn't quite substitute economy for a business call but make economy travel far better.
