Apple is working on a new feature for its MR (Mixed Reality) headset that it will likely reveal in June during its WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) event. The company is expected to unveil visionOS 3 for the Apple Vision Pro which will bring with it the ability to scroll through apps using just your eyes.
Apple designed a really novel way to navigate through visionOS: you look at something and then use your fingers to carry out an action. This required the headset to be able to track your eyes with extreme precision. Letting users forgo the requirement to use their fingers and rely solely on their eyes to navigate apps seems like the logical next step to build on said precise eye tracking.
The new feature will work with all of the built-in apps on visionOS and Apple is also working on allowing developers to integrate it into their own apps as well. But though this seems very exciting there is still something important that Apple still hasn’t addressed.
The Vision Pro doesn’t have dedicated controllers. | Image credit — PhoneArena
While third-party solutions like Surreal Touch exist there are no official dedicated controllers for the Apple Vision Pro. This — alongside the $3,499 price tag of the headset — is one of the major reasons that the Vision Pro wasn’t a commercial success. Gaming makes up a majority of the use cases for VR headsets and the lack of controllers really hurt the Vision Pro.
There have been reports that Apple is in talks with Sony to bring PSVR2 controllers to the Vision Pro. However there really hasn’t been any more news on that front since the initial leaks. I’m really hoping that Apple announces the result of that rumored collaboration at WWDC alongside introducing scrolling with your eyes.
The Meta Quest 3, as well as Meta’s other VR headsets, enjoy the majority market share in the XR (Extended Reality) industry. This is because the Quest headsets are super affordable and cater to what most VR users really want from their gear: an immersive gaming experience.
New features like scrolling using your eyes are innovative and exciting but they’re not enough to sell an MR headset, especially not one as expensive as the Vision Pro. Apple really needs to bring dedicated controllers to its headset as well as a more affordable successor if it wants to become relevant in the XR industry.
Abdullah loves smartphones, Virtual Reality, and audio gear. Though he covers a wide range of news his favorite is always when he gets to talk about the newest VR venture or when Apple sets the industry ablaze with another phenomenal release.
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