Review: Apple Vision Pro's Magic Is Short-Lived

Apple's pricey new headset ends up feeling clunky.

The new Apple Vision Pro feels like magic—for about 30 minutes. Then the awe starts to fade.

The Vision Pro is Apple's first spatial computing headset. It allows users to interact with digital elements in the real world without the need for button clicking or screen swiping. It's incredibly immersive for the user; you can't help but smile as you seem to be sitting peacefully on the lunar surface or being gently nudged by the snouts of 3D hippos.

But the amazement is unfortunately unsustainable. The device is big and clunky. Features like the eye-tracking selection tools are not always responsive, leaving you straining your eyes or desperately snapping your fingers in hopes of selecting different digital objects.

The inevitable future iterations will likely revolutionize all kinds of fields, from surgical operations to DIY projects to interpersonal communication—a reminder of the many ways for-profit consumer tech can do more than just prop up a company's bottom line. But for now, a demo at the Apple Store felt like enough time in this particular virtual world.