Testing the Vision Pro With New Ultrawide Display Option in visionOS 2.2

[subjonas]

We don't need all the sensors. It doesn't need a spacial interface to be a portable display for a tethered computer. VP is trying to be a stand alone device, but the killer app for it (at least for me) is as a tethered portable display. I will repeat this again, the VP represents a savings of at least 5k$ vs buying four monitors (or two ultra wide) and a Mac Studio capable of outputting to them.

You mean you don't need the hand and eye tracking? The interior sensors could probably be removed then, but not sure about the exterior sensors since at least some of those are also needed for world tracking. In any case, I'm doubtful a significant amount of weight can be saved there, especially compared to the standalone functionality that would be lost--ie. I'm doubtful Apple is interested in that device.
But I agree portable large display for Mac is a killer feature.

 

[vantelimus]

If I may ask, how practical is this? Can someone work (coding, writing documents, ...) like this on their Mac/MacBook for 8 hours a day (I don't know if AVP charging allows that).

I'm using the ultra wide version of the virtual display now. The resolution appears to be the same as the normal virtual display, just a much wider display. The main difference between using it and using my old four monitor set up on my Mac Studio is that now I can see all of my screen real estate by turning my head instead of having to swivel my chair.

I have been using the normal virtual display to program several hours a day for the last couple of months. If you take periodic breaks (as you should even when using a regular display), I cannot imagine having any problem. That said, some people have a problem with the weight of the display on their face. So, YMMV. I've not problem wearing the device for hours at a time.

 

[vantelimus]

Impressive, but still pales in comparison to AVP Ultra wide resolution.

The 7680x2160 (low resolution) mode is wonderful when you have the virtual display window close to your face.

I prefer to put the display back further so that I can see more of it within my field of vision. It also feels a bit claustrophobic when you don't have a lot of other visual context (environment and other windows). However, when you set the display back further, you can notice more that the rendering is optimized for where your eyes are looking and downsampled outside that area.

I find, when setting the display back a bit, I prefer the 5120x1440 (Default) resolution.

Regardless, this update has exactly what I wanted in a virtual display, which was a big reason I preordered the device. I love this device even more now than I did a couple of days ago. And I loved it even then!

 

[jole]

How can that be? According to the iFixit teardown:

"The horizontal resolution on the panel doesn’t quite make it to the consumer 4K UHD standard of 3,840 pixels wide. In short, this is a seriously high-res display. But it’s not technically 4K, which is why Apple didn’t simply call these 4K panels."

That is the virtual display resolution. Display is so wide that you do not see all of that at once. When you look close enough, the actual full virtual display resolution is actually represented by screens in AVP.

 

[jole]

3200+ needs to be the standard veritcal resolution, it is so annoying especailly writing code with the lower vertical space on ultrawides. The XDR gets this right and there's one 38" dell that does but almost nothing else does.

Agreed. I would be delighted to exchange some of the display width to height.

But the display as a whole is so wonderful that I cannot really complain much

 

[Tom Nash]

Ultrawide is really quite marvelous. I tried it with Lightroom and it was impressive and very useful.

At this point it provides one desktop at a time from your ordinary display. You can slide from one desktop to another. If you have a multi-screen setup (I have 2) the desktops from the second screen appear in the Ultrawide as another desktop you can select. Each time you select a desktop you have the option via settings to install new wall paper as the wall paper (and iOS widgets) you had on that desktop in ordinary un-mirrored display mode do not carry over to the AVP Ultrawide.

A feature request would be to have an AVP screen mode beyond Normal, Wide, and Ultrawide that might be called “Mirror all displays”. This would set up an emulation of a multiscreen setup in Ultrawide with wallpapers and widgets and everything just as in your original non AVP environment, with 2 (or more) virtual screens. This would make the statement "that the ultrawide mode is equivalent to using two 4K monitors side by side" more correct than it is at present.

 

[spaxxedout]

Near zero latency? Isn’t the audio still blue tooth? Am I missing something here?

The audio from the Mac to the Vision Pro is done over Wi-Fi, but the audio from the Vision Pro to the AirPods Pro 2 are done with a proprietary low latency bluetooth codec

 

[spaxxedout]

That's really great to hear the latency is imperceptible (or nearly) since it's necessary for my work, but are you talking about before or after this ultra/wide update? I'm wondering if the increased bandwidth usage (bigger higher resolution screens plus audio) has made any change regarding that.

The latency is surprisingly better after the update. Basically the foveated rendering is now being done on the Mac, so there’s more bandwidth available. It’s all ad hoc Wi-Fi.

 

[spaxxedout]

IIRC currently, the screen is rendered in full and then downsampled/compressed based on where you look on the Mac.

That actually makes more sense. It’s amazing how they’re able to do it so quickly.

 

[Makosuke]

When the Vision Pro first came out I was interested in it as an alpha-prototype-level preview of a possible AR computing future, but did not expect it to be something I’d use as a main environment. The virtual Mac display option intrigued me as a practical use case today, but the limitations made it sound like it wouldn’t be a daily driver in that role either.

This, though? Now you have my interest.

I have some big-ass monitors on my desk at work, but it’s just not practical in my cramped little home office, and even less when I’m working remotely from the in-law’s place for extended periods. So, I spend >50% of my time using a 16” MBP and a 15” portable display. It’s usable, but not exactly luxurious.

The thought of being able to replace my current cramped workspace with a massive virtual monitor is incredibly appealing, and pushed my desire to buy one from “Because I’m a geek, and I’m curious” to “This thing might be my new WFH monitor.” Now I’m excited to try one.

…which makes it all the more disappointing that Apple won’t even sell you one if you have prism in your glasses, so I remain Vision Pro-less, just more disappointed than I was before about the situation.

 

[subjonas]

When the Vision Pro first came out I was interested in it as an alpha-prototype-level preview of a possible AR computing future, but did not expect it to be something I’d use as a main environment. The virtual Mac display option intrigued me as a practical use case today, but the limitations made it sound like it wouldn’t be a daily driver in that role either.

This, though? Now you have my interest.

I have some big-ass monitors on my desk at work, but it’s just not practical in my cramped little home office, and even less when I’m working remotely from the in-law’s place for extended periods. So, I spend >50% of my time using a 16” MBP and a 15” portable display. It’s usable, but not exactly luxurious.

The thought of being able to replace my current cramped workspace with a massive virtual monitor is incredibly appealing, and pushed my desire to buy one from “Because I’m a geek, and I’m curious” to “This thing might be my new WFH monitor.” Now I’m excited to try one.

…which makes it all the more disappointing that Apple won’t even sell you one if you have prism in your glasses, so I remain Vision Pro-less, just more disappointed than I was before about the situation.

I hear you, I’m in a similar situation. VP would be very valuable to my workflow, except it has one seemingly small detail that makes it impossible for me to use. In my case it’s just a software decision Apple made, which is to force all displays connected the Mac to turn off and be mirrored virtually when in virtual Mac display mode. I use a drawing monitor attached to my MacBook, but obviously I need the monitor to remain on to be able to draw, so VP is a no-go for me until it allows a secondary display to remain on and not be mirrored virtually.
I’m very sad about this. My MacBook display is extremely limiting for me when I’m working on the go. I use it to display reference files while I’m drawing, but never have enough room so I’m constantly having to switch windows and spaces which eats up too much time. VP would be an amazing solution. If only. Hoping 🙏

 

[chars1ub0w]

They could market an Apple Virtual Widescreen Display. Gut the AVP and only keep what's needed to connect to a Mac. Toss the battery, make it wholly powered by the Mac too. Sell it for $2,500.

 

[Le0M]

They could market an Apple Virtual Widescreen Display. Gut the AVP and only keep what's needed to connect to a Mac. Toss the battery, make it wholly powered by the Mac too. Sell it for $2,500.

Interesting. But if one is using a laptop, battery would suffer quite a bit with AVP, cuz it's quite power-hungry.

 

[chars1ub0w]

Interesting. But if one is using a laptop, battery would suffer quite a bit with AVP, cuz it's quite power-hungry.

But you save the weight of the separate AVP battery. If you need more battery, either plug the laptop in or use an external powerbank. Think it's win-win.

 

[Le0M]

But you save the weight of the separate AVP battery. If you need more battery, either plug the laptop in or use an external powerbank. Think it's win-win.

The heavy thing with AVP is not the battery (cuz it stays in your pocket) but the headset itself.
I don't understand how would draining the laptop battery be a win-win situation.

 

[mpetrides]

The heavy thing with AVP is not the battery (cuz it stays in your pocket) but the headset itself.
I don't understand how would draining the laptop battery be a win-win situation.

Because you can plug the Mac into a power outlet (or an external battery) and power both the Mac and its display (the AVP) from that one power connection.

Actually this would make an interesting solution for the M4 Mac mini were it not for the fact that Apple’s standalone bluetooth Magic Keyboards are not backlit. I’ve tried using my AVP as a virtual display for my MBP when the MBP keyboard backlight was turned down and it was VERY hard to see/read the keyboard. But otherwise an AVP, an M4 Mac mini, keyboard and mouse/trackpad would make a relatively light/compact travel setup. Hard to justify the cost if you don’t already have an AVP but if you do….