Reporters Share their Experiences of Watching Personal Spatial Videos on Apple Vision Pro

With the release of iOS 17.2, Apple introduced a camera feature that enables iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models to record 3D spatial videos. These videos can then be viewed on the Apple Vision Pro headset. To showcase this feature, Apple invited several journalists to record spatial videos using their iPhones and experience them in 3D on the Vision Pro headset. The journalists have shared their experiences and thoughts on using the Vision Pro for reliving memories.

Scott Stein from CNET found that videos of his family members were the most captivating, with one recording of his mother making him feel like he was “almost there.” He mentioned that the 30 fps limit was noticeable in videos with a lot of motion but less so in videos with less motion. He also praised the HDR photos, stating that they looked great and appeared as good as or better than on a Mac or TV.

Lance Ulanoff from TechRadar was “startled by the quality and immersive nature” of the panoramic images he captured. He mentioned that watching a video of a model train made it feel like it would “ride right into [his] lap.” Comparing spatial videos to standard videos, he said they felt more real and evoked heightened emotions, especially for family videos.

Raymond Wong from Inverse described spatial videos as feeling alive, with the border becoming “glowy and dream-like.” He mentioned how watching a spatial video of his mom transported him back to the moment and called it “surreal” to see her “talking, laughing, and eating” in 3D.

Wong also noted that spatial videos can appear life-sized when viewed at a certain distance and window size, and even when zoomed out, he felt emotional seeing his mother in 3D. He believed that capturing sentimental content in spatial video was a right suggestion from Apple and that people would better understand when to use this feature after experiencing their own content on the Vision Pro.

Josh Rubin from Cool Hunting found that even in low-light recordings, the videos on the headset were crisp and not grainy. He discovered that the best scenes had multiple focal points within a two to eight-foot range and that excessive movement in a spatial video could be disorienting and lead to nausea. He recommended recording linear and gently curved movements in open spaces for better viewing experience.

The Apple Vision Pro headset is scheduled to launch in early 2024. Apple hopes that customers who plan to purchase the headset will have their own collection of spatial videos ready to enjoy. Currently, spatial videos can be recorded on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, but they will appear normal until viewed in 3D on the Vision Pro headset.