I'm eager to see how the Apple Vision Pro works with virtual displays. This is the one feature I feel has some great potential. I'm currently using 2x 49-inch 32:9 Super Ultrawide monitors stacked vertically, and they work great, but the Apple Vision Pro should be more flexible and won't take up this massive amount of space in my office.
There are some clear downsides. I will be limited to the Apple ecosystem as there are no inputs on the Apple Vision Pro. And even though people claim the Apple Vision Pro gives you a "full 4K" virtual monitor, I'm sceptical about its quality and fidelity. There are no hardware inputs on the device, so it all has to be done wirelessly. The Apple Vision Pro and my MacBook Pro are limited to 802.11ax/WiFi-6 using 2x2. That's only a maximum of 1200 Mbps / 1.2 Gbps under ideal conditions. And this has to be shared with regular wireless usage so even at ideal 1200 Mbps the throughput will be shared with general wireless use, it's not dedicated to the video for the virtual display.
3480x2160 (4K) at 60Hz at 4:2:0 chroma at 8-bits (desktop use is normally 4:4:4) requires 8.16 Gbps. That's 6.8x times the bandwidth WiFi-6 at 2x2 streams can provide under perfect conditions. If we go 4:4:4 it requires 17.82 Gbps. And this is all 8-bit SDR, if we add 10-bit HDR we are talking 11.14 Gbps at 4:2:0 and at 4:4:4 we are talking 22.28 Gbps.
In other words, this all needs some heavy compression and transcoding to work. To avoid a noticeable lag/delay, you have to opt for fast transcoding, which tends to lead to less overall quality. I need to see this to conclude how well it works in real life. Of course, the compression will work much better for static use like spreadsheets, documents, etc. Once you start adding rendering and video, it should begin to show its limitations.
People asking for multiple virtual displays will not see them anytime soon. Since this is all bandwidth-constrained, having 2x 4K@60Hz virtual displays running over WiFi-6 is not feasible.
Of course, there is the issue of eye strain. Working for hours per day with a display wrapped this close to your face might not be good for your health. What effect will it have on your eyesight and your head? Chronic headaches and migraines have already become more frequent with today's use of digital displays throughout most of the day. I can't see how this will make it any better.
