If you have the health app, your ZEISS prescription should be in there. It includes the Q/R code. I was surprised to find it there.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Prescription lens inserts: Info & Questions
- Thread starter arfung
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Ahh ok. That makes perfect sense. Even 1/10th of a degree off would ruin the experience.
Last edited:
Added to my next visionOS wish list. The ability to shut off the notification about the headset being too close to your eyes. Ever since getting the lenses I get the notification every time I put the device on after an extended period of time having it off. It’ s easy enough to click past but it is sort of annoying. Thankfully it only displays once and not again even if I take the device off for a few minutes during use or it would be deal breaker.
I’ve found the 21W light seal that I was initially recommended by Apple’s Store app, after multiple face scans just in case, before preordering the device also works the best for me with the prescription lenses as well. Apple’s subsequent face scans, again I did it multiple times to be sure, when I ordered the lenses after deciding to keep the device came back as a 25W being the recommended light seal size with the lenses but when I tried them both I found the 21W was better. I could see glare with the 25W that I just don’t see with the 21W at all. The 21W also fits my wife who doesn’t need glasses or contacts plus the other family members we’ve had over who have tried it as well but even with the 25W I’d still get that notification.
So just to reiterate buyers beware. If you try or buy the device without lenses then order them later you might be just fine with the initial light seal you got. I’d still order whatever the app recommends and give it a try as you can easily return the new light seal if you don’t need it. In retrospect the best thing to do if you can is order the device with the prescription inserts but go to the Apple Store to pick it up and be sure to try a couple of different light seals one smaller and perhaps one larger than what the app recommended so you can try them all out on the spot and take home just the one you prefer. In my case if the 25W had been better it would’ve been past the original return date to get a refund for the 21W but since that light seal worked well for my wife and others and given what I’d already spent on the 512GB model plus AppleCare+ if I needed another light seal just for when I used the inserts I was willing to spend the additional cash but if the thought of dropping another $200 on it is a deal breaker then by all means go to the nearest Apple Store and try the different light seals out because at this point based on my own experience and the experience of others I’ve read about both here and on other comment boards when you’re ordering with lenses Apple’s track record has been to give those who would otherwise be happy with and prefer a 21W a 25W instead. I wouldn’t take the chance even if the store was an hour away. If it’s a longer drive and you’ll be returning it by mail then go ahead and order both the light seal a face scan with the option for no lenses recommends plus a light seal that the option with lenses recommends, try them both out for at least several days and you can safely send the one you don’t want back for a refund (or all of it if you don’t like the device either way).
I’ve found the 21W light seal that I was initially recommended by Apple’s Store app, after multiple face scans just in case, before preordering the device also works the best for me with the prescription lenses as well. Apple’s subsequent face scans, again I did it multiple times to be sure, when I ordered the lenses after deciding to keep the device came back as a 25W being the recommended light seal size with the lenses but when I tried them both I found the 21W was better. I could see glare with the 25W that I just don’t see with the 21W at all. The 21W also fits my wife who doesn’t need glasses or contacts plus the other family members we’ve had over who have tried it as well but even with the 25W I’d still get that notification.
So just to reiterate buyers beware. If you try or buy the device without lenses then order them later you might be just fine with the initial light seal you got. I’d still order whatever the app recommends and give it a try as you can easily return the new light seal if you don’t need it. In retrospect the best thing to do if you can is order the device with the prescription inserts but go to the Apple Store to pick it up and be sure to try a couple of different light seals one smaller and perhaps one larger than what the app recommended so you can try them all out on the spot and take home just the one you prefer. In my case if the 25W had been better it would’ve been past the original return date to get a refund for the 21W but since that light seal worked well for my wife and others and given what I’d already spent on the 512GB model plus AppleCare+ if I needed another light seal just for when I used the inserts I was willing to spend the additional cash but if the thought of dropping another $200 on it is a deal breaker then by all means go to the nearest Apple Store and try the different light seals out because at this point based on my own experience and the experience of others I’ve read about both here and on other comment boards when you’re ordering with lenses Apple’s track record has been to give those who would otherwise be happy with and prefer a 21W a 25W instead. I wouldn’t take the chance even if the store was an hour away. If it’s a longer drive and you’ll be returning it by mail then go ahead and order both the light seal a face scan with the option for no lenses recommends plus a light seal that the option with lenses recommends, try them both out for at least several days and you can safely send the one you don’t want back for a refund (or all of it if you don’t like the device either way).
I should have kept my darn inserts instead of returning them. Thanks for the information.
Please let us know when this gets corrected. I ended up sending back my prescription because the image was skewed, and got the non-prescription inserts based on over-the-counter Reading Glasses instead.
While the images look sharp and clear, once I removed my AVP, my vision would be blurry for a while, unable to read my iPhone screen from a normal distance.
Tried using without the inserts and noticed that eventually I could see everything better (although not as good as with the inserts), but then after removing the AVP, I could see a little better than usual for a while, able to read my Watch and Phone from a normal distance.
So I'm not sure what to do.
Also the inserts would have that annoying glare that eventually we get used to and ignore it.
I need eyeglasses for reading and while those "readers" as the versions you can buy on line (even the quality versions are the same magnification for each eye) work well enough to get the job done. The AVP is another matter. It is so precisely calibrated that the Zeiss AVP is necessary for me to enjoy the expensive experience completely. In my situation, the prescription for each eye is slightly different and without the inserts the AVP would not work well. So short answer: Yes the inserts are worthwhile. Just to be sure, gave your eyes examined again. I explained to the optometrist what I needed (planning to use Zeiss inserts) and she took it from there.
I have fairly bad vision and the inserts with my current prescription don’t seem that great to me - but i have no idea what people with perfect vision would be seeing through the AVP. It still seems a bit blurry and odd.. i was expecting a more pristine view at least from the UI and apps.. maybe the displays still aren’t good enough when you’re that close?
For me the passthrough view of the "real world" seemed kind of bad but the immersive experiences and movie theater were crystal clear.
If you wear prescription glasses with one lens stronger than the other do you still need inserts? I am wondering as I would contemplate getting a demo done on my next trip to the Apple Store, and I do have clear vision in one eye and only a bit double vision on the other, and how it would impact the eye setup and tracking. Will you need a bigger Light Seal cushion to accommodate the Vision Pro zeiss inserts?
I usually only wear my glasses outdoors as I have transitions lenses on all my pairs.
I usually only wear my glasses outdoors as I have transitions lenses on all my pairs.
You could give it a shot. They took my glasses and measured them for appropriate inserts. Maybe ask for only one insert?
Understandable. I think the Apple Store employees would give you both lenses as it magnetically attaches on the two displays in the Vision Pro where your eyeballs 👀 sit on. I watched a few videos of people doing the demo on YouTube and they still got both anyway.
I did try out a PlayStation VR headset to play Tetris at a relatives house a year ago, but I still could see clearly without any issues.
Update: y’all I can use Vision Pro without having to get fitted for ZEISS inserts, even with a light prescription glasses I sometimes wear. Happened to accidentally leave my glasses at home when I went out for my local Apple Store after going to a favorite restaurant near it, and there’s no impact whatsoever to eye tracking nor selection of objects.
The Light Seal fits right on me, and if I had to get the inserts, the light seal would need to be a little bit bigger to accommodate the space, and it would be a bit more weight to hold it.
I spoke with the Specialist about it, and he said that the need for inserts varies by person to person. When he prompted me to adjust immersion the displays are still clear on me. Btw since one eye is clearer than the other the selection is a bit off whereas if I look at an element on the screen sometimes my clearer eye switches the selection on visionOS on an entity next to the one that I am intending to select on.
Last edited:
That's cool you have that option! I definitely need those inserts with my prescription.
Thank you. I did the demo with the dual loop straps which the ends resemble the Trail Loop of the Apple Watch Ultra band, but in a gray color. So even if you have a prescription glasses but you don’t wear them frequently, whereas mines I only wear them outside as stylish sunglasses (since they have transitions lenses) or reading small print menus far away, the inserts are optional for me. They are optional if you can still see things clearly without contacts or glasses.That's cool you have that option! I definitely need those inserts with my prescription.
Still just to be safe the next visit I will do another demo and make sure I bring my glasses 🤓 and do it with the inserts, so that the navigation wouldn’t be a bit off or the light seal would fit differently. I still passed the eye tracking setup without the lenses you pop in the Vision Pro. I was only prompted to move the headset up twice, probably because visionOS got confused of where I was looking at. And as a side note, to prevent interference with the Light Seal and the individual lenses in Vision Pro you have to remove your hat and you cannot wear glasses during the demo.
Last edited:
It was really fast for them to use my glasses to determine what inserts to use. They have that demo down to a science now.
Yep the Specialist showed me the little black machine where they put your glasses in there and grab the inserts on the Vision Pro. It is next to the leather couches in the middle of the Apple Store, or at the long blank tables by the accessories, depending on how new or remodeled the Apple Store you stop by offers. If you do not want to damage your nice frames when they scan them for the Apple Vision Pro ZEISS inserts, i recommend bringing your spare glasses or a previous one as long the prescription lenses has never changed in any way since then.
Mines is a tad bit renovated and they only add in new fixtures like the Forum video wall and only a set of leather couches. Kind of surprising that the Apple Store nearest my house (2 cities away from me) is quite packed on a Sunday! I had to sit down on a swivel bar stool in front of the row of iMacs (I sat at the pink one on the right) and did the demo with the Specialist there. I did ask him if I can mirror the iMac in front of me to try out Mac Virtual Display via AirPlay, but he said that the demo models are locked down and can only AirPlay to the white 6th generation iPad minis, the only ones capable to AirPlay mirror the view over there.
Y’all guys I just did my second Apple Vision Pro demo today as I happened to run errands near there during the long weekend.
Brought in my glasses finally and did the demo with the entire visionOS all to myself! The Specialist is a lot nicer this time and is a different guy, with a white ocean band on his Apple Watch Ultra. He let me take my time trying it out with the ZEISS inserts in it, and yes the setup has an extra step whereas you have to look at the QR code for the inserts (in the demo it’s on the iPhone 15 they give you to do the fitting for the straps and Light Seal, instead of the packaging card) and eye tracking is more accurate. Now when I look at the Home Screen and select by looking, it does not accidentally select something I don’t want, it points at the correct position. Light Seal fits a lot better since it has extra space in it and I still used the small size dual loop straps. No alerts of Vision Pro saying my eyes are too close to the screen or needing to adjust it up. As it is my second demo I tried out visionOS beyond the guided tour of it; browsed safari and watched YouTube videos on it and even picked out more movie samples to check out. Freeform feels like a completely infinite experience with the whiteboard on the wall instead of the MacBook screen.
25-30 minutes of having fun with it; if you let the Specialist know that you did the demo before you get to try out visionOS all to yourself for a couple of minutes. Now confident to get one once visionOS is a lot more developed; it’s still in its early days.
Glad you had a good demo experience.
Just curious, what improvements would you like to see in visionOS?
Thanks for your question. visionOS 2 is coming where it would add additional functionality to spatial photos/videos and immersion, full on customization and new gestures.
As of now not every app in the App Store that we typically use within macOS and iPadOS, is on visionOS, only a few hundred apps are on there. I’d also would like to see if we can use Xcode, swift playgrounds, and even popular CAD software like Autodesk Fusion and AutoCAD. These apps also run on Macs with Apple silicon all the way from M1 to M3 Pro and Max, alongside Intel processors from pre-pandemic Macs. As visionOS allows you to use external peripherals like Magic Keyboard ⌨️, Magic Mouse/magic trackpad and AirPods, i would love to render prototypes and see them in real life through the Vision Pro, especially in the rise of LIDAR, Apple intelligence and 3D scanning. Even simulating your own apps, visionOS or other Apple devices on Vision Pro and even coding on it will provide an infinite range of possibilities through the spatial integration of the device.
Are you a Vision Pro user? If so, tell me which purposes and industry applications you would like to see in visionOS 2, coming out next week.
What a difference 0.75 diopters makes!
Make sure you get a good prescription for your lenses. I got one at the AVP release in anticipation of ordering inserts, and they had my left eye at -6.50 (with +1.50 reading add). I’ve been using the inserts since release until about a week ago, and the AVP screens looked OK to pretty good for me with those.
A couple of weeks ago, I went to get new glasses and decided to get a new prescription because my glasses didn’t seem that sharp. Different optometrist had my left eye at -7.25 (with +2.50 reading add). I had new inserts made. The AVP looks super-crisp now.
I guess YMMV, but wanted to report my experience.
Make sure you get a good prescription for your lenses. I got one at the AVP release in anticipation of ordering inserts, and they had my left eye at -6.50 (with +1.50 reading add). I’ve been using the inserts since release until about a week ago, and the AVP screens looked OK to pretty good for me with those.
A couple of weeks ago, I went to get new glasses and decided to get a new prescription because my glasses didn’t seem that sharp. Different optometrist had my left eye at -7.25 (with +2.50 reading add). I had new inserts made. The AVP looks super-crisp now.
I guess YMMV, but wanted to report my experience.
Was it different than the ones that they provided you at the Apple Vision Pro demo in the Apple Store? Did two separate demos, with and without the ZEISS inserts. The ones they used in the demo with the inserts were clear enough and the eye tracking was spot on. Without them the eye tracking would be kind of off center and select other things with my right eye which is weaker than the other (-0.75 right, left has none in sphere value). I have no reading adds on mines as I only have slight nearsightedness due to an eye condition, but I manage it very well.
I never got the demo from the Apple Store, so both prescriptions were just from local ophthalmologists. Eye tracking has been really good for me throughout.