Don’t dismiss the Vision Pro just yet. Sure, rumors have been swirling that the company has pretty much halted all production of their flagship spatial computing device, but Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has some interesting updates. His scoop? Apple and Sony, are reportedly in talks to integrate PlayStation VR2’s Sense controllers with Apple’s Vision Pro headset. This partnership, if realized, could reshape how we think about virtual and mixed reality experiences, seamlessly blending gaming prowess with Apple’s signature design ethos.

The Vision Pro, Apple’s first foray into spatial computing, debuted as a device with lofty ambitions. Relying on gaze-and-pinch interactions paired with hand-tracking, its interface felt futuristic yet restrained when stacked against the tactile immersion offered by physical controllers. While its approach works wonders for casual gaming and productivity tasks, the absence of tactile input left a gaping hole in its potential for more dynamic, fast-paced VR gaming. Enter Sony, whose PS VR2 Sense controllers are heralded for their precise tracking, haptic feedback, and adaptive triggers. It’s easy to see why Apple would tap into Sony’s expertise to elevate Vision Pro’s gaming and interactive experiences.

Gurman, a well-known source of tech scoops, shared that Apple initiated discussions with Sony earlier this year, targeting the seamless integration of the Sense controllers into the Vision Pro ecosystem. The collaboration promises to extend beyond just gaming, allowing users to navigate visionOS interfaces using Sony’s controllers. For Vision Pro, this move is not just a band-aid solution but a strategic decision aimed at capturing a more serious gaming demographic. The absence of robust gaming support has been a sticking point for Vision Pro since its announcement. Adding PS VR2 Sense controllers could be the olive branch Apple extends to hardcore gamers who’ve so far been unimpressed by its current offerings.

What’s particularly intriguing is the potential ripple effect this partnership could have on the gaming industry. Sony has been fiercely protective of its PS VR2 ecosystem, even to the extent of not selling its Sense controllers separately. Yet, this exclusivity might soften if Sony and Apple push ahead with making these controllers available through Apple’s sales channels. Imagine walking into an Apple Store, purchasing a PS VR2 Sense controller, and unlocking new gaming experiences on a Vision Pro. It’s a scenario that positions both companies as collaborators rather than competitors—an unusual but potentially brilliant strategy.

But could this partnership lead to something even bigger? Some speculate it might pave the way for a broader gaming alliance between Apple and Sony. Such a move would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the gaming industry, especially with Microsoft’s Xbox looming large as the primary rival. While Apple could technically develop its own controllers tailored to the Vision Pro, partnering with Sony allows them to sidestep years of R&D and leverage Sony’s established credibility among gamers.

Beyond gaming, this partnership could also enhance Vision Pro’s value proposition for non-gaming applications. The tactile advantages of Sony’s controllers could transform how professionals interact with 3D models, designers manipulate virtual canvases, or filmmakers storyboard immersive scenes. By broadening its use cases, Apple has a shot at making Vision Pro more than a niche device for early adopters or AR enthusiasts.

Yet, as with any ambitious endeavor, there are potential roadblocks. Gurman notes that the announcement, initially planned for weeks ago, was delayed—possibly signaling internal hiccups or last-minute refinements. Whether it’s technical integration challenges, supply chain constraints, or plain old corporate hesitance, there’s always a chance this partnership could stall or be scrapped altogether.

However, the timing of this rumor feels strategic. Vision Pro’s early reviews have highlighted its groundbreaking potential while pointing out areas where it falls short. Apple knows that it must demonstrate more than technological novelty to justify the $3,500 price tag. Teaming up with Sony to bring richer gaming and interactive experiences could be the shot in the arm Vision Pro needs as it prepares for its full release next year.

For now, Apple and Sony remain tight-lipped, but the possibility of this partnership is tantalizing. It paints a picture of a future where Apple’s minimalistic design philosophy meets Sony’s immersive gaming technology, creating an ecosystem that’s not only expansive but compelling. If nothing else, it underscores Apple’s willingness to think beyond its walled garden—a refreshing shift for a company known for keeping things close to its chest.

So, will this be the start of a beautiful friendship between Apple and Sony, or just another chapter in the rumor mill? Only time will tell. But for now, the idea of navigating visionOS with a PS VR2 Sense controller is enough to keep tech enthusiasts and gamers alike dreaming of the possibilities. And if this collaboration does take off, maybe it’s time to rethink that Xbox subscription—just saying.

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There was a time, before today’s AI rush, when anyone and everyone seemed to be going all in on eXtended Reality or XR, the umbrella term for AR, VR, and mixed reality all smashed together. Now it seems that Meta and Apple, the latter with its self-branded “spatial computing” platform, are the only big players left in this field. HTC Vive, like its smartphones, has silently gone into the background, and Valve’s SteamVR and Index headset have taken a backseat to the Steam Deck. Now another big name in that is practically calling it quits, regardless of any lingering ties and commitments. Microsoft has reportedly discontinued its remaining mixed reality headset, the HoloLens 2, and in doing so puts the final nail in the coffin of a virtual experience that was already on life support for a long time.

Designer: Microsoft (via UploadVR)

It probably surprises no one that the HoloLens 2 is on its way out. It’s a five-year-old device that sported advanced features no one else had back in 2019 but has been surpassed by modern headsets since then. Without any successor, however, it’s clear that Microsoft has other plans, ones that no longer involved the enterprise, nor the mixed reality experience that it made available to the public.

Microsoft actually announced late last year that its Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) platform was being deprecated, so the writing has been on the wall ever since. This mixed reality platform, launched back in 2017, predated Apple’s visionOS but practically promised the same virtual computing experiences in real-world space. Of course, the technology back then wouldn’t be able to hold a candle to today’s Vision Pro, and Microsoft quickly learned that its HoloLens and WMR aren’t going to fly with consumers who can’t even afford the headset. It has, since then, pivoted to the enterprise market, targeting industrial and field workers, training scenarios, and the like.

According to the report, the HoloLens 2, the current and last iteration of that hardware, has gone out of production, so the moment supplies run out, that will be it for the headset. It will remain supported until December 2027, perhaps to honor Microsoft’s existing enterprise contracts. That said, it hasn’t completely turned its back on extended reality, but its focus will be on the militarization of the technology, which means custom experiences that won’t be available to the public. And that will last for only as long as the US Army is interested in that technology.

Microsoft’s exit from the XR market is perhaps yet another sign of this industry’s ailing health. Although the Apple Vision Pro generated plenty of hype, its prohibitive price tag has made it less of a commercial success. In the meantime, Meta more or less remains at the top and continues to try its luck with new designs that could bring this technology to even more people. Even Microsoft has put its XR eggs in the Quest basket, making its Office suite and Xbox Cloud Gaming available there, which in turn, made its own XR platform really pointless. But with even fewer stakeholders, XR runs the risk of becoming a monoculture where only one company dictates the kind of experiences you’ll have in the Metaverse and beyond.

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At the Meta Connect 2024 keynote, not only did Mark Zuckerberg debut actual Augmented Reality with holographic displays and neural control, it did so in a device that’s smaller, lighter, and one could argue, more socially acceptable (aka stylish) than Apple’s Vision Pro. Dubbed the Orion, it’s simply a developer prototype for now, but Meta hopes to refine the design, improve the displays, and actually sell it at an affordable price to consumers.

Designer: Meta

Orion is not a bulky headset—it’s a sleek, spectacle-like device that weighs under 100 grams, making it comfortable for extended use. This is an impressive feat considering the amount of technology packed into such a small form factor. While Meta Quest Pro and Apple’s Vision Pro are capable of mixed reality, Orion’s fully transparent, holographic display takes things to a different level. Instead of the passthrough experiences that blend digital elements on top of a live camera feed, Orion projects 3D objects directly into the real world using innovative waveguide technology. The frames are made from magnesium, a super-light metal known for its strength and ability to dissipate heat (something even NASA’s relied on for its space hardware).

The core of this magic is a set of tiny projectors embedded within the arms of the glasses. These projectors beam light into lenses that have nanoscale 3D structures, creating stunningly sharp holographic displays. Zuckerberg emphasized that you could go about your day—whether you’re working in a coffee shop or flying on a plane—while interacting with immersive AR elements like a cinema-sized virtual screen or multiple work monitors.

But it’s not just about visuals. The glasses also facilitate natural social interaction: you can maintain eye contact with others through the transparent lenses, and digital elements seamlessly overlay onto the real world. Need to send a message? Instead of fumbling for your phone, a hologram will appear before your eyes, letting you reply with a quick, subtle gesture. This fluid integration of the digital and physical worlds could set Orion apart from its competitors.

When it comes to control, the Orion glasses offer several interaction modes—voice, hand, and eye tracking—but the star of the show is the neural wristband. In contrast to the Vision Pro, which relies on hand gestures, eye-tracking, and voice commands, Orion takes the next step by reading neural signals from your wrist to control the device. This neural interface allows for discreet control. Imagine being in a meeting or walking down the street—gesturing in mid-air or speaking aloud commands isn’t always convenient. The wristband can pick up subtle electrical signals from your brain and translate them into actions, like tapping your fingers to summon a holographic card game or message a friend. This introduces a new level of human-computer interaction, far more intimate and nuanced than what’s currently available on the market.

While Apple’s Vision Pro and Meta’s previous Quest Pro have been praised for their intuitive interaction systems, Orion’s neural control represents a massive leap forward. It reduces the friction of interacting with digital elements by cutting down on the physical and vocal gestures required, creating a more seamless experience.

One of the key differentiators for Orion is its display technology. Unlike the Vision Pro or Meta Quest Pro, which rely on cameras to pass a live feed of the outside world onto a screen, Orion offers true augmented reality. The glasses project digital holograms directly into your field of view, blending with your surroundings. This isn’t just a camera feed of your environment with digital elements superimposed—it’s real-world AR with transparent lenses that you can see through as you would normal glasses. The holograms are bright enough to stand out even in varied lighting conditions and sharp enough to allow users to perceive fine details in their digital overlays.

Zuckerberg illustrated this with examples: receiving a message as a floating hologram or “teleporting” a distant friend’s avatar into your living room. The display architecture is entirely new, made possible by custom silicon chips and sensors integrated into the glasses, offering a level of immersion that’s more subtle yet more profound than the pass-through systems we’ve seen so far. In a private demo, he even played a metaverse version of Pong with key industry experts like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and investors like Gary Vaynerchuck and Daymond John of Shark Tank.

For all its innovation, Orion is still in the development phase. Zuckerberg was candid that Orion is not yet ready for consumers. Instead, it will serve as a development kit for Meta’s internal teams and a select group of external partners. This will help refine both the hardware and software, as well as grow the ecosystem of apps and experiences that will make Orion valuable when it eventually hits the consumer market. There’s also the matter of affordability—Zuckerberg mentioned the team is working to improve manufacturing processes to bring the cost down. As it stands, this isn’t a device you’ll see in stores next week, but it’s a crucial step in realizing Meta’s vision for the future of AR.

The potential for Orion is vast. Zuckerberg envisions it as the next major computing platform, capable of reshaping how we work, play, and interact with others. By leveraging the power of true augmented reality with a groundbreaking neural interface, Orion positions itself as more than just a wearable gadget—it’s an entirely new way of interfacing with the digital and physical worlds. For now, it’s an exciting glimpse into what the future might hold. The Orion glasses may not be in your hands today, but their arrival could redefine the entire AR landscape in the years to come.

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It hasn’t even been a year since it launched, but there are already talks of Apple’s next headset after the Vision Pro. No, it won’t be an upgrade that will make the $3,500 device obsolete but, instead, might even be considered a downgrade of sorts. In a way, this more affordable Apple Vision will be its own class, one that might have to make quite a few compromises to reach a desired price point. What those cuts will be is still unknown, but some insider insight suggests that the non-Pro Vision headset might offload its processing and software to an external device, requiring you to tether it to an iPhone or even a Mac or MacBook.

Designer: Apple (via Mark Gurman)

Impressive as the Vision Pro and visionOS might be, Apple’s spatial computing platform hasn’t yet taken the tech world by storm for one critical reason. The headset costs a whopping $3,500, far beyond the reach of developers without deep pockets or backing, let alone regular consumers. Apple has always planned on launching a more accessible Vision headset after the Pro model has taken root, but the big puzzle is how it would make it significantly cheaper without compromising on the experience too much.

The immediate answer would be to take the features down a few notches, throwing out EyeSight that shows your eyes to people on the opposite side of the glass, reducing image quality of passthrough visuals, or using less powerful processors. These, however, are the features that would differentiate the Vision from other mixed reality headsets, and a price tag of $1,500 would make it look even more expensive than the competition without these “killer features.” One alternative would be to have the headset connect to a device, either the iPhone or the Mac, making the Apple Vision focus solely on the optics and display.

This wouldn’t be the first phone-powered headset, and history has given us the advantages and disadvantages of that design. An iPhone would actually offer a bit more mobility and flexibility, especially if it will also power the Vision headset. It could, however, be the bottleneck considering the apps and experiences that visionOS supports. A MacBook, on the other hand, would deliver that much-needed power at the expense of freedom of movement and comfort.

This is definitely a conundrum for Apple, which isn’t always keen on degrading product quality in the name of price cuts. At the same time, however, it really has no choice but to make some concessions if it wants its spatial computing vision to be embraced by more people. It still hasn’t given up on the Vision Pro, whose successor is expected to arrive in 2026, but it will be pouring resources over the more accessible Vision for a 2025 launch, and hopefully, it will be able to hit the nail on the head in the end.

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Wouldn’t you enjoy your exercises much more if they were immersive? It’s why apps like Beat Saber and Supernatural have become such hits in the VR community, offering a true exercise experience while transporting you from your home to somewhere different and more enjoyable. Your regular home gym, Rower Machine, or Peloton won’t do that, but the HoloBike will. With a design one can only describe as future-minimalist, the HoloBike is a cutting-edge spin cycle or exercise bike that comes with a massive 27-inch 4K holographic display on front. Think gaming monitor, but powered by exercise, letting you move around in a virtual space as you cycle. You can drive on virtual highways across the outback, cruise off-road on forest trails, or even on mountain terrains like the Alps. The faster you cycle, the faster you move in VR… except without needing to wear 3D glasses or a clunky nausea-inducing VR headset.

Designers: LAYER Design & Saga Holographic

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If you stop thinking of the HoloBike as a bike and start thinking of it as a massive gaming controller, it all makes sense. Instead of pressing a forward button or left and right to turn, you cycle and steer to progress in the virtual space. It’s an innovative bridge between the rigor of exercise and the fun of gaming and exploration, but in the comfort of your house. Most exercise equipment leaves you staring at walls or at small displays with stats – the HoloBike immerses you in an environment that you can cycle around, letting you choose your trail.

“When I’m riding outdoors, I can go for 3 hours just absorbed in that captivating rhythm of moving through space. But even 10 minutes training on a stationary bike feels painfully monotonous. That phenomenon of time dilation is fascinating. If we could tap into that sense of flow, we could create a more meditative training experience that enhances focus and endurance,” says Samuel Matson, Saga CEO and Founder.

The hyper-minimalist design of the HoloBike is thanks to LAYER Design, which helped bring a clean aesthetic to the exercise equipment, making it look like something from the future. The spin bike comes with a floor-standing design but a black and white color-way and clean surfaces. A metal disc at the back encases the gear system while pedals on the front let you move. Orange details found around the bike’s frame let you adjust its shape to suit your ergonomics, and a large 4K display gives you glasses-free 3D so you can immerse yourself in your new world as you cycle.

The technology used by the HoloBike is similar to the glasses-free 3D screens seen in some niche smartphones across the last decade (remember the RED Phone?). The bike comes equipped with a sizeable 27-inch LCD screen outputting 4K resolution – but look closer and the screen has a lenticular film on it, comprising thousands of micro-lenses that create a left and right channel for your eyes, sort of like those holographic posters or sports cards. This effectively allows your eyes to sense depth by seeing two separate images, creating an immersive world that doesn’t require glasses or strapping a headset to your face. A soundbar right beneath it further enhances the immersive experience, transporting you to a new place.

The result is far superior to some crummy game you’d play on a laptop. As much as Saga Holographics (the company behind the bike) is an exercise company, it’s a spatial reality company too – every single environment offered by the HoloBike is designed from scratch using actual photogrammetric scans of trees, logs, leaves, bushes, roads, signs, etc. The virtual world is a reconstruction of the real world, using a combination of procedural rendering and AI advancements to help render out the entire experience in a way that feels hyperrealistic.

The stationary bike comes with adjustable wheels that let you move it around your house before locking it in place.

The bicycle itself is also fine-tuned to be a state-of-the-art exercise device. You can control the dashboard using buttons on the handlebars, setting your scene and pre-programming your routine. The bicycle’s proportions can be adjusted, letting you shift the handlebars up or down, move the seat forward or backward, or even adjust the seat’s height. Electromagnetic resistance lets you mimic real-life cycling experiences like gear shifts, or going uphill/downhill. A polymer drivetrain helps enable silent pedaling so all you can hear is the sound coming from the display in front of you, and your own breath as you work out.

The HoloBike has an impressive amount of tech inside it, with an AI-ready chipset that powers the 3D VR experience, a holographic display, and all the features of a cutting-edge spin bike or exercise bike without any of the monotony of regular home gym equipment, or the sneaky monthly fees of a Peloton. At $2599, it prices itself in the same Peloton category too, albeit with a minimalist design that grabs eyes, and a holographic display that grabs minds. Your exercises will never feel this immersive and fun!

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The problem with the Vision Pro, aside from its shocking price tag, is it claims to replace the laptop – a device that has been perfected over decades to be the perfect productivity machine for on-the-go workers. Laptops didn’t need replacing (nobody I know has had a complaint that their laptop wasn’t spatial enough), and honestly, they’re the perfect form factor for the job they do, which is why the Vision Pro may not be the ideal device to replace them… but that doesn’t mean a spatial laptop isn’t a good idea. Meet the Spacetop, a hybrid ‘laptop’ that fills the gap between the conventional Laptop and the Vision Pro. It’s slim, light, affordable, and gives you a traditional laptop experience with an augmented reality twist.

Designer: Sightful

The Spacetop G1 comes from the minds of the folks at Sightful, who believe AR/VR may be the future of work, but current headsets aren’t. The Spacetop G1 is a unique AR laptop that ditches the display for a set of AR glasses. Pop them in and you’ve got yourself a screen that’s wider than your FoV, and the fact that the Spacetop G1 still packs a keyboard and a trackpad means being able to work on a laptop, but just in AR.

The format is very unique, but isn’t surprising. Most AR/VR headsets come with remotes, and are targeted towards entertainment and immersion. The fact that the Spacetop G1 opts for a close-to-laptop-style format means there’s less of a learning curve. Pop the glasses in, have multiple virtual screens unfold in front of you, and begin working. The Spacetop G1 boasts a massive 100-inch virtual workspace, shattering the limitations of traditional laptops. Imagine working on documents, browsing the web, or editing videos on a virtual canvas that feels like a home theater screen. This expansive workspace allows for effortless multitasking and a truly immersive computing experience.

Given its spiritual closeness to a laptop, the Spacetop G1 is designed to be slim enough to fit right into backpacks without any problem. The keyboard and trackpad are as thin as the kind you’d find on most conventional laptops, while the ‘lid’ houses a pair of AR glasses that fold down to a slick format. They aren’t as bulky and cumbersome as the Vision Pro, Hololens, or any of Meta’s headsets, making it less clunky to wear and making you less awkward around other people. Your eyes still perceive the environment around you too, so you’re not completely blocked out of the outer world.

Under the hood, the Spacetop G1 packs a powerful punch. A Qualcomm chipset delivers a 70% performance boost over previous models, ensuring smooth operation even with demanding tasks. With a commendable 8-hour battery life, you can work uninterrupted throughout your workday, or even work in AR while on a train or flight without missing your multi-display setup. The 90Hz refresh rate of the optics translates to crisp and responsive visuals, further enhancing the user experience.

The presence of a 100-inch workspace just means being able to do more with less. You can multitask effortlessly, having various windows within your periphery that you can move around, bring forward, or push backward. Important tasks can occupy the center of your attention. Other windows can lounge in the back or in the corners, still letting you see them if/when you need them.

That being said, the AR laptop doesn’t come cheap. It’s available for pre-order at $1900, which is significantly higher than your conventional laptop, but factoring in the AR aspect makes the price more palatable. After all, you’d spend a lot more on a laptop along with a widescreen/multiscreen layout. The fact that the Vision Pro costs a whopping $3499 is also something that makes the case for the Spacetop G1. Shipments of the Spacetop G1 start as soon as October 2024. Early adopters can secure their unit with a $100 reservation.

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