Immersive multi angle sports looks set to take the Vision Pro by storm and finally deliver that killer app we’ve all been waiting for.
The Vision Pro was announced a couple of years ago, and we've had it in our hands for a little under a year. However at this point in the product cycle there are still not many compelling reasons to use the Vision Pro on a daily basis.
Apple’s rollout of Immersive video has been slow, at the time of writing there are still only two episodes of “Wildlife” which are so short, they act as more of a case study for what Immersive content could look like rather than actual content you’d sit down and watch. There is one pretty good short film that came out recently called “Submerged”, however I’m not sure how wise it was to create an immersive movie about escaping a flooding submarine when you’re trying to sell the benefits of an immersive headset viewing experience. We’ve also got the existing catalog of 3D movies, but do people care for 3D movies enough to buy a headset? I dont know.
So what is the killer app for Vision Pro users?
Well, firstly we need to look at the hard truth. Like all headsets, currently they are large and heavy. Which means limited viewing time experiences are key.
So, games then? Yes and no, the first batch of immersive games are great demos for the AR platform, but my guess is the masses want fully immersive first person shooters, but none of the big games exist yet. I’m not sure why no killer games have been ported over yet, perhaps the processing requirements put too much strain on the M2 chip, but given the insane speeds of all of Apple’s M class of chips, it really shouldn’t be a problem at this point.
I believe the answer is paid arena based events, I spoke about this one of my previous posts.
Concerts filmed in immersive for sure, but perhaps more importantly, weekly sports. Finally we have Formula 1 on Apple Vision Pro, and it might single handedly push the devices to the masses.
Here comes the Formula 1.
The Formula 1 is one of the most technically advanced sports in the world. Not only are there hundreds of video feeds per race, 60 of those feeds (front and back of vehicle, and driver view) are coming from the cars travelling at hundreds of km’s per hour. Incredibly with an F1 TV Pro subscription, we already have access to all those feeds either on the website, or via a cable TV box.
This is where the Vision Pro comes in, and wins the day.
Personalised Race Content
A while ago we showcased a Porsche demo on Vision Pro that allowed for multi-cam viewing, and a top-down map view of the track. Whilst very impressive, the was an internal demo, and never came to the public.
We also saw a mock up of a similar sort of layout with Formula 1 from a VFX guy on Twitter, which gave rise to a team of developers who started working on the very thing, but using all the real video feeds directly from the F1 TV subscription feed.
Whilst still in final beta testing phase, the Lapz app truly showcases what I believe to be the first “killer app” for Vision Pro. Every gaming console of the last 20 years has had a killer app that helps drive sales and becomes synonymous with the hardware. I believe Lapz might be the very thing for Apple Vision Pro.
Currently there are some hoops to jump through, firstly you need the F1 TV subscription, you need to use a VPN if you aren’t based in the USA, and the feed most definitely isn’t 4k… but all that aside, when this comes to market it will change the game for Vision Pro. In fact, my bet is that the FIA will purchase Lapz if they haven’t already behind the scenes.
It’s really that good.
“Up until now the Apple Vision Pro has been an incredible demonstration of technology device… Now it’s the way to watch Formula 1.”
Kane Vato – Editor in Chief