Vision Pro "too heavy" according to testers

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Report comes to us from UploadVR:

https://www.uploadvr.com/apple-vision-pro-too-heavy-multi-hour-use/

Some testers are reporting that the Vision Pro is too heavy to use for multiple hours, and that Apple's considering selling a top strap accessory to fix this.

Now speaking from experience having used a Quest 2, I know the value of a top strap. However I wanna know how actually heavy the headset is because there's not much front weight on this headset compared to my Quest 2, and the Quest 2 is already pretty light. If it's as heavy as AirPods Max, then I'm honestly gonna call this a skill issue since I wear my Maxes all day with no issues or discomfort.

I do gotta say though, if they do make a top strap and sell it separately, that's gonna be really dumb. When the Quest 2 originally launched it was without a silicone cover around the face area and was just fabric. A silicone cover was initially sold separately, as well as a glasses spacer for those who wear glasses. Both of these turned out to be essential as the headset was unusable without them, especially the silicone cover as the fabric on the headset caused skin irritation after just minutes of use. So after lots of complaints they just gave the silicone covers and glasses spacers for free, and now bundle them with the headset. And that's just for a $300 headset. If Apple makes the top strap to actually use the damn headset a separate purchase instead of just bundling it with the headset, the headset you have to pay $3500 for, everyone's gonna meme on them hard.

 

[JPack]

If it's as heavy as AirPods Max, then I'm honestly gonna call this a skill issue since I wear my Maxes all day with no issues or discomfort.

AirPods Max have a top strap, no?

Current weight of the Vision Pro according to some journalists is about 450g. That's a bit heavy to be supported by just the forehead and nose in my opinion.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

AirPods Max have a top strap, no?

Current weight of the Vision Pro according to some journalists is about 450g. That's a bit heavy to be supported by just the forehead and nose in my opinion.

Before I got my Quest 2, my VR HMD for three years was a Samsung Odyssey+. That thing had no top strap whatsoever, but I was still able to wear it just fine despite how top heavy it was.

Guess I'm just built different. The beauty of having the IQ of a Cheez-It 😅

I'll have to wait and see when I do go try it on next year and if I decide to get it, though I don't think I'll need a top strap given my past history with VR HMDs.

 

[JPack]

Before I got my Quest 2, my VR HMD for three years was a Samsung Odyssey+. That thing had no top strap whatsoever, but I was still able to wear it just fine despite how top heavy it was.

Guess I'm just built different. The beauty of having the IQ of a Cheez-It 😅

I'll have to wait and see when I do go try it on next year and if I decide to get it, though I don't think I'll need a top strap given my past history with VR HMDs.

The Odyssey has a very aggressive looking head strap at a 45 degree angle.

I think it comes down to 1) strap design and 2) customer expectations. Apple's "no top strap" design is more socially acceptable so there will be engineering compromises on comfort. You also have tech enthusiasts more willing to sacrifice comfort in exchange for wearing Samsung and Oculus products to get that leading edge experience. Apple is targeting a much broader population.

 

[russell_314]

AirPods Max have a top strap, no?

Current weight of the Vision Pro according to some journalists is about 450g. That's a bit heavy to be supported by just the forehead and nose in my opinion.

I wonder how the journalists came up with this figure. I suspect the interaction with the headset was closely supervised so if they took a scale out of their pocket, they would not be allowed to use it. The AirPods Max weighs 385 g so it does sound reasonable but I am just wondering how accurate this is.

 

[bkkcanuck8]

The device has an optional top strap (it is not Apple is considering it - bad journalism) which was available in the demo... they just avoided it in all but one picture in the presentation. If they were a better journalist or considered important - maybe they would have got to try it themselves. At no point was this indicated to be an optional purchase, just optional for wearing.

 

[wrcousert]

I think the weight is a non-issue. By the time a decent app library is built up, Apple should have a lighter, cheaper device for the masses.

 

[tomtad]

I agree. AirPods Max are too heavy, the iPhone Pro is too heavy as well.

Apple has a problem with weight.

 

[Bodhitree]

I read that the Vision Pro is about 500 grams.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

I agree. AirPods Max are too heavy, the iPhone Pro is too heavy as well.

Apple has a problem with weight.

Bro you need to start lifting weights and lay off the soy lattes if you think the iPhone Pro is "too heavy" 😂

Never has anyone said an iPhone was "too heavy." Too big to fit in a skinny jean pocket or a hand is understandable, but too heavy?! Since when is 206 grams too heavy? Can't even feel my 13 Pro when I pick it up.

 

[TLewis]

Uh, top strap was shown in the WWDC presentation.

 

[klasma]

I wonder how the journalists came up with this figure.

One journalist (maybe more than one) guessed that it seemed to weigh about a pound, which translates to 450 g. That’s were the figure is coming from.

Others said it weighs about the same as existing VR headsets. The Quest 2 weighs 500 g, for example.

If those guesses are semi-accurate, it will be heavier than the AirPod Max.

About the top strap: An Apple engineer said they were still experimenting with the exact head strap setup, and that the demoed setup without top strap wasn’t final. So it remains to be seen what they’ll settle on.

 

[klasma]

I think the weight is a non-issue. By the time a decent app library is built up, Apple should have a lighter, cheaper device for the masses.

Apple can’t work magic. It’s unclear how they’d reduce the weight significantly. IPhones have only been getting heavier, for example.

 

[InvertedGoldfish]

The more I read, the more this thing sounds like a flop

 

[tomtad]

Apple can’t work magic. It’s unclear how they’d reduce the weight significantly. IPhones have only been getting heavier, for example.

I'm curious how much weight the metal enclosure and glass front panel are adding to this.

 

[bkkcanuck8]

I'm curious how much weight the metal enclosure and glass front panel are adding to this.

Aluminum is light (and very resistent to damage or issues with material aging - in comparison to other materials). The iPhone 14 Pro Max total weight is 240g, I would guestimate that less than 10% of that weight is aluminum. The greatest weight would be the battery and the glass would be the vast majority of that weight.

 

[InvertedGoldfish]

It’s a basically a ski goggle, why not just use composite like all the ski goggle companies use?

Not like it’s small enough to have to deal with being put in people pockets and stuff like that, it’s strap it to your face then leave it on the desk

Aluminum is light (and very resistent to damage or issues with material aging - in comparison to other materials). The iPhone 14 Pro Max total weight is 240g, I would guestimate that less than 10% of that weight is aluminum. The greatest weight would be the battery and the glass would be the vast majority of that weight.

I don’t think material age is any factor for this, I’d wager it will become obsolete even faster then a iPhone or iPad, as long as it lasts a year and a half it’ll be good

 

[blue2noise]

I'm curious how much weight the metal enclosure and glass front panel are adding to this.

This is one of those times I am thinking they are choosing style over function. I bet the aluminum and glass add weight for sure. It’s not very Apple but why not carbon fiber or composite?

 

[bkkcanuck8]

This is one of those times I am thinking they are choosing style over function. I bet the aluminum and glass add weight for sure. It’s not very Apple but why not carbon fiber or composite?

Glass has weight way (way way way way) more than Aluminum. By swapping out aluminum for composite you might save at most 20 grams (at most... assuming the Aluminum is solid and around 40grams). So if you are talking about the headset weighing 500grams, then swapping out the aluminum for carbon fibre would make it maybe 480grams. (some of the estimates of those that tried were 1 lb and that would be 453grams in that case maybe down to 433grams). Whatever they do, I don't want them moving to plastic effectively. Carbon fiber would again save around 50% the weight, but it would significantly increase the manufacturing cost. Plastic is cheaper than aluminum, but I have yet to be satisfied with anything made of it... it feels cheaper and it usually is less resilient to damage. Both plastic and carbon fibre retain more heat. Oh BTW, according to Gurman - there is a mix of aluminum and carbon fiber in the headset. (to what extent, I don't know). My guess is the frame is Aluminum but inside frame may be carbon fiber for purposes of insulating the user from heat. (i.e. design is for Aluminum to draw heat away from user).

 

[kkee]

I believe there is no single confirmation of the actual weight. "About the weight of Airpod Max but top heavy" is the closest one to true scale. Those numbers 400, 450, 500, etc. are numbers based on one's impression, which is pretty much meaningless.

There is a reason Apple didn't give the number officially: they are still tinkering with it. The final weight should be released just before launched and will be likely lighter than the demo version - though I think not much lighter considering the materials used.

 

[dante_mr]

Aluminum is light (and very resistent to damage or issues with material aging - in comparison to other materials). The iPhone 14 Pro Max total weight is 240g, I would guestimate that less than 10% of that weight is aluminum. The greatest weight would be the battery and the glass would be the vast majority of that weight.

I think it's the glass too. But the battery is external, so it luckily doesn't factor into head weight.

People who did the demo said it weighed about a pound. So about the same as a Quest 2, and that's without a built in battery.

So if Apple can figure out a way to do without the glass, then I imagine they can make drastic improvements to comfort.

And I personally don't mind the external battery at all, so wouldn't mind if they kept it that way. Especially if battery tech improves down the line and the current 2 hours could be extended significantly without having to buy a new headset.

 

[kkee]

The main body of the Vision (including the spatial audio) is what we envision how it should look like without the light cover. Sleek, slim and very glass like. The bulk of the weight should be here: glass and metal (similar to AirPod Max casing), but I wouldn't say it is more than a pound or even a pound.

Although it looks bulky, the light shield is made from light material. The weight should be negligible. Apple should allow it to be optional and only used for full immersion.

Lastly the back band is made from high quality material for your comfort. Again, the weight should be negligible.

 

[Jensend]

Although it looks bulky, the light shield is made from light material. The weight should be negligible. Apple should allow it to be optional and only used for full immersion.

It’s not just a light shield. It’s the only part in the front of the device that touches your face or head. You can’t wear the Vision Pro without any facial interface. The only VR devices that have light shields are the ones that rest on your forehead, such as the Quest Pro and both of the PlayStation VR headsets.

 

[bkkcanuck8]

It’s not just a light shield. It’s the only part in the front of the device that touches your face or head. You can’t wear the Vision Pro without any facial interface. The only VR devices that have light shields are the ones that rest on your forehead, such as the Quest Pro and both of the PlayStation VR headsets.

Yes, the headset has Aluminum on the rim around the eyes... that Aluminum is likely partially used to disipate heat - which is why no aluminum comes into contact with you - it pulls it away. So the light seal is essential for wearing.

 

[Night Spring]

Although it looks bulky, the light shield is made from light material. The weight should be negligible. Apple should allow it to be optional and only used for full immersion.

You are always fully immersed, in that everything you see when you are wearing the Vision Pro is what is displayed on the VP screen. The immersion mode shows you a virtual environment, while the non-immersive mode shows you the real life environment you are in, but you aren't seeing your surroundings directly, you are basically seeing a video feed of your surroundings.