The hope of metaverse? Apple Vision Pro: Just don't mention "metaverse"

Apple may not be aiming for the Metaverse with the launch of its mixed reality headset.

Overnight, Apple unveiled its first-generation mixed reality headset, Vision Pro, at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), but it differs greatly from the Oculus virtual reality platform launched by Meta Platforms in the field of immersive headsets: Apple has chosen augmented reality (AR), while Meta Platforms has chosen virtual reality (VR).

Cook's keynote speech also reflected this.

Just as the Mac brought us personal computing and Apple brought us mobile computing, Vision Pro will bring us spatial computing.

In the subsequent introduction, Apple did not mention the term "Metaverse" and instead chose "spatial computing".

It is worth noting that last year, Apple's vice president of global marketing, Greg Joswiak, told The Wall Street Journal in an interview that he would never use the term "Metaverse".

Earlier, in an interview with Dutch news media Bright, Cook also said that he did not think people should be encouraged to "spend their lives" in the virtual world:

Ordinary people don't know what the Metaverse is.

So far, Apple is still following this path, defining Vision Pro as a "practical tool" rather than a "virtual gaming device".

Low-priority games

In the introduction of Vision Pro, games were placed in a relatively unimportant section, once again emphasizing that this headset was not developed for Metaverse gaming.

Apple introduced the running status of games on Vision Pro, and so far it is certain that: Vision Pro is compatible with controllers such as PlayStation 5 DualSense, just like other Apple devices.

This headset will support more than 100 Apple arcade games, including NBA 2K23.

The showcase at the press conference demonstrated people playing arcade games on the flat screen inside the headset, rather than a truly immersive VR experience, which may be telling us that Vision Pro is essentially a display in front of our eyes.

In addition, Apple did not reveal any more information about the gaming aspect. However, since Vision Pro does not come with a built-in controller like other devices, porting games to it may not be easy.

It should be noted that if Vision Pro is a capable VR gaming platform, Apple will undoubtedly go all out to showcase it - but not yet.

Furthermore, Apple may only be positioning Vision Pro as an extension product for MacBook and Apple devices.

It is not positioned as a "virtual world" product, but rather a practical device for writing emails and making video calls.

In this sense, Apple is going against the usual VR marketing direction.

Cooling

Apple's stance may once again pour cold water on the metaverse, VR games, and Meta Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms.

In 2021, Facebook changed its name to Meta Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms, which once sparked a frenzy in the market for the metaverse.

But the excitement did not last.

According to IDC data, due to economic pressure and a general decline in market interest, the total shipment volume of AR/VR devices fell by more than 50% in the last quarter.

PitchBook data shows that as headset shipments decline, virtual reality-related startups that raised $2.93 billion in venture capital in the first five months of 2022 fell sharply to $664 million in the same period in 2023.

Meta Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms Platforms' virtual reality lab has also been criticized by investors because the department has lost billions of dollars in virtual reality development. At the same time, the market's enthusiasm for the metaverse has quickly cooled down and turned to the development of faster and more practical artificial intelligence technology.

In response to this shift, Meta Platforms has reshaped its strategy over the past few weeks, describing artificial intelligence and the virtual world as interdependent.

Nicola Mendelsohn, head of the company's global business group, said at a press briefing last month:

"We are focused on two waves of technology: artificial intelligence and the virtual world. They are interdependent.

We are interested in the metaverse. But we also know that it will take 5 to 10 years to truly achieve the vision we are talking about."

However, some financial analysts believe that Apple's entry into this field may reverse Meta Platforms' development trajectory in the virtual world.

Barclays analyst Ross Sandler wrote in a report last Friday:

"Apple's new head-mounted display may help shift people's emotions from 'Meta Platforms burning money in virtual reality' to 'we may actually reap some rewards' because the company has a significant lead in this area."

Gartner analyst Tuong Nguyen said in an interview:

"Apple is validating the market and everyone has enough space."

However, Apple's departure from VR games and its choice of practical tools is exactly the opposite of Meta Platforms. (On the day of Apple's press conference, Zuckerberg was still taking selfies in the metaverse.)

This suggests that in the field of mixed reality, Apple and Meta Platforms may have already "gone their separate ways".