Vision Pro Use Cases: What Will Apple VR Headset Be Used for?

Vision Pro is positioned as an extension and even a replacement of a traditional desktop. However, at present, Apple doesn’t anticipate that the headset will have the same immediate impact that the iPhone had. Initially, there was an expectation to sell around 3 million units annually and that projection has since been reduced to 900,000 units.

However, internal projections indicate that, over time, the device could match the significance of the iPad or the Apple Watch. Additionally, the company is clearly aiming for commercial applications, implying that they’ll tailor the product to accommodate a broad spectrum of use cases.

In this piece, we’ll explore the most promising Vision Pro use cases and highlight apps that have officially committed to launching their products for Apple’s VR headset.

Apple’s Vision Pro capabilities explained

More than just an AR/VR headset, Apple labels Vision Pro as a “spatial computer,” setting it apart from the existing AR headsets in terms of capabilities.

The device aptly turns any surrounding space into a digital canvas, eliminating the need for a physical surface. This allows for expansive viewing, letting you, for instance, watch a cinema-sized movie in your bedroom.

The distinctive features that set Apple VR headset apart include:

• Adaptive spatial OS that seamlessly integrates with your surroundings.
• Intuitive interaction, allowing you to navigate using your eyes, hands, and voice for a holistic experience.
• Unparalleled viewing experience that can boast a pixel count greater than a 4K TV.
• Comprehensive sensory integration achieved by 12 cameras, 6 microphones, and a whopping 23 million pixels, that guarantees increased immersion.
• Spatial productivity, contributing to enhanced web browsing,messaging, and note-taking.

Top 9 emerging Vision Pro use cases

The most promising Vision Pro use cases and applications beyond gaming include productivity, work and collaboration, education, fitness and sports, entertainment and socializing, retail and eCommerce, healthcare, real estate, and tourism.

Let’s examine each of the use cases in detail.

1. Productivity

The innovative design of Vision Pro offers a three-dimensional interface, allowing users to access their apps from any location. The device supports the opening of multiple screens simultaneously, which users can organize within their virtual space using voice recognition, as well as eye and hand-tracking inputs.

This seamless integration and intuitive navigation helps enhance user productivity by minimizing disruption, streamlining task completion, and enabling multitasking in an immersive environment.

Vision Pro’s versatility can transform the way professionals across various fields approach their work, offering a blend of realism and innovation. Some potential use case scenarios include creating and organizing presentations, refining prototypes and 3D models, and sketching designs that take shape right before your eyes.

As for the potential solutions available on Apple Vision Pro, these could include Gravity Sketch, SculptrVR, ShapesXR, and Substance 3D Modeler.

2. Work & collaboration

With Vision Pro, communication takes on a new dimension. Video calling becomes incredibly immersive, featuring life-size tiles, spatial audio, and digital avatars that mirror users’ facial expressions, hand movements, and voices in real time. This innovation turns FaceTime into a dynamic and interactive platform, perfect for team collaboration.

The device’s ability to connect with computers, projecting a vast floating screen, creates an unparalleled viewing experience. This high resolution offers users the opportunity to have numerous virtual screens and representations of colleagues, all positioned flawlessly in the user’s field of view. This opens up multiple use cases from collaborative 3D design to remote assistance and training. For example, employees engaging with training simulations in such a vivid medium can learn faster, retain more information, and genuinely enjoy the learning process.

Brainstorming sessions, too, are transformed with Apple VR headset, allowing remote teams to interact in real-time, strengthening communication and relationships irrespective of geographical barriers.

Furthermore, Vision Pro is compatible with a myriad of applications, from Apple’s internal Freeform and Keynote tools to third-party productivity solutions, such as Microsoft’s Excel, Word, Teams, and even platforms like Cisco and Zoom. This vast compatibility ensures that businesses can create a fully immersive and collaborative work environment.

Besides, Vision Pro enhances data representation, leading to improved visualization for businesses. In sectors like finance and logistics, for example, this translates to 3D data models that simplify complex insights and enable informed decision-making.

3. Education

Vision Pro can be applied to ensure a more engaging and immersive education process. The tool allows for multiple distance learning scenarios, including teleconferencing, e-learning, and expert consultations. For example, the tool can be efficiently used to provide a lifelike view of specific subjects, such as plant species in a biology lesson, or craft an immersive virtual lab for experiments.

Additionally, the product offers the advantage of creating a safe, simulated environment for hands-on student training. For example, medical students can familiarize themselves with complex equipment in a simulated environment to boost confidence before handling real equipment in clinical settings. Similarly, engineering students might test mechanical designs, identifying flaws and making improvements without the costs and hazards of building physical prototypes.

Insight Kidney, a medical application that allows users to scan their physical environment and place the three-dimensional kidney, is one of the apps that confirmed releasing their solution on Apple’s Vision Pro. Indeed, they are planning to release their entire product series, including Insight Heart and Insight Bone on Vision Pro.

4. Fitness & sports

Vision Pro brings a gamified dimension to fitness, by transforming workouts into engaging and interactive experiences. For example, a user wanting a robust boxing workout can be virtually transported to a boxing arena with an interactive trainer. Similarly, those seeking a serene yoga session can opt for a tranquil beach setting.

These vivid, customizable environments not only make workouts more appealing but bring personalization, allowing users to customize their fitness experience based on their needs and preferences.

Additionally, to increase user engagement, Vision Pro can be used to add gamification elements, for example visual rewards or milestones when a certain training cycle is completed. This will contribute to user motivation while ensuring a captivating workout experience.

Supernatural and FitXR are the potential fitness apps for Apple VR headset.

5. Entertainment & socializing

The introduction of Vision Pro is set to transform our entertainment experience. With dual 4K displays and advanced spatial audio, users are guaranteed a theater-like immersion right from their living spaces. This is further augmented by Apple’s SharePlay feature that allows for synchronized viewing, thus turning the headset into a compelling choice for entertainment.

Streaming apps can also utilize Vision Pro. For example, from its launch, Vision Pro boasts a partnership with Disney+. Due to this collaboration, users will be able to watch their preferred content on expansive virtual screens and enjoy experiences similar to 3D and 4D technologies.

One of the apps that has already confirmed its release on Apple’s Vision Pro is Rec Room, a virtual reality game that allows users to build and play games together. Some potential collaborations include VRChat and Roblox.

6. Retail & eCommerce

The capabilities of Apple Vision Pro, such as virtual overlays and real-time information display, can significantly elevate the shopping experience. It will allow consumers to try on virtual clothes or get product information in a more engaging way.

Consumers could walk around the store and see augmented overlays on different products. For example, a glance on a wine bottle can provide them with instant information on its origin, tasting notes, ideal food pairings, and even reviews from other users. Such instant insights can not only provide a more captivating shopping process but also aid decision-making, removing the uncertainties that often accompany purchases.

Beyond mere product insights, Vision Pro can act as a personalized shopping assistant. Based on a user’s shopping history and preferences, retailers could provide tailored promotions and product suggestions. This can positively impact product sales while offering an enriched shopping experience for consumers.

Possible eCommerce apps for Apple Vision Pro include IKEA Place, Nike, Toms, Snap AR, and many others.

7. Healthcare

Apple VR headset has the potential to elevate the healthcare domain by assisting in medical training and education, patient education and telehealth. With Vision Pro, healthcare providers could engage with patients in an immersive setting, providing a more holistic and interactive consultation experience. This could be especially beneficial for patients in remote areas or those unable to visit a medical facility.

Apple’s product can also assist in diagnosis and visualizations. With exceptional video and image quality, healthcare providers will be able to conduct more thorough examinations, having a more comprehensive understanding of the anatomy and potential medical conditions.

Psious and Surgical Theatre are examples of applications that enable VR-based healthcare.

8. Real estate

By harnessing the capabilities of Apple’s Vision Pro, the real estate and architecture sectors can transform the way properties are showcased and sold.

Vision Pro is a great tool for creating immersive virtual reality tours allowing potential buyers to navigate through real estate objects without being physically present. This not only provides a comprehensive view of the property but also provides a more resource- and time-efficient solution compared to physical tours.

Furthermore, the apps integrated with Vision Pro can provide interactive features such as real-time modifications, furnishings previews, and more, thus enriching the buying or investment experience.

Some of the potential real estate apps for integration with Apple’s Vision Pro are iStaging, Twinmotion, and Matterport.

9. Tourism

The integration of Vision Pro in the travel and tourism industry will allow consumers to immerse themselves in captivating experiences and visit different locations, from city squares to mountain locales without leaving their homes.

Travel agencies can utilize Vision Pro to create virtual tours that will serve as teasers, allowing individuals to experience a taste of their potential journey. This will make them more inclined to book the actual trip.

Besides, travel agencies and tour operators can use Vision Pro to differentiate their offerings in the highly competitive travel market. For example, instead of conventional brochures or videos, they can provide interactive sessions where travelers can “walk” through local markets, “attend” cultural events, or even “dine” at popular eateries.

As for the travel apps that can release their product versions for Vision Pro, these could be Google Earth VR, National Geographic Explore VR, and Wander: Maps and Navigation.

What are the future plans for Apple Vision Pro?

Vision Pro is an initial start of Apple’s strategy around virtual and augmented reality. However, the widespread adoption of the device remains a significant challenge due to the hefty $3,499 price. It is expected that Apple will address this concern by introducing a similarly powered headset at a much more affordable price.

Apple’s Vision Pro appears to be initially aimed at early adopters eager to delve into its features. As projections suggest, by its second iteration in 2025 or the third by 2026, we can expect refinements to the product. During this time, the supply chain would have matured, the primary use cases refined, and Apple would likely address pivotal aspects such as comfort, battery life, and pricing.

The long-term success of Vision Pro will depend largely on two things: the range of applications developed specifically for it and Apple’s agility in enhancing the device’s comfort while reducing its price.

Closing thoughts

While Apple has prominently showcased consumer and personal productivity applications, the potential of Vision Pro spans beyond these realms. The device can serve diverse business domains, from healthcare and real estate to tourism and eCommerce.

Moreover, despite its hefty price for consumer use, Vision Pro can be a cost-efficient solution in an enterprise context. Thus, the horizon looks promising with a multitude of potential use cases across diverse business sectors.

If you’re considering developing an AR or VR-powered app, don’t hesitate to reach our AR/VR developers for expert guidance.

With 16 years of market experience, a solid background in AR/VR development, and versatile industry expertise, PixelPlex is your go-to partner for AR/VR solutions.