Your Mac and Apple Vision Pro: What You Can Do (and What You Can't)

[MacRumors]

When Apple first unveiled its next-generation Vision Pro headset at WWDC 2023, the company shared promotional videos that briefly teased the potential applications of using the $3,499 spatial computing device in conjunction with a Mac.

Despite Apple's announcement that Vision Pro will launch on February 2, Apple has yet to expand on the specifics of how the two devices work together. But sift through code and marketing materials, and there are subtle indications about what is possible - and what the limitations are likely to be. Here's what we know.

Mac and Vision Pro: What You Can Do
Create a Virtual Desktop
When it comes to the Mac, the keystone feature of Apple Vision Pro is something called Mac Virtual Display. The system uses AirPlay 2, and allows you to connect your Mac wirelessly to the headset just by looking at your computer through your Vision Pro. According to Apple, this allows you to place and resize a virtual representation of your Mac's display anywhere in space, and "use Vision Pro as an enormous, private, portable 4K display, ideal for pro workflows."

Use visionOS Apps Alongside Your Mac
With Mac Virtual Display enabled, you will be able to able use visionOS apps right alongside your virtual Mac screen. This will allow you to, for example, work on a Final Cut Pro project on an enormous Mac display while also viewing and interacting with separate screens displaying visionOS apps like Photos, Notes, Files, and so on.

Mirror Vision Pro to Mac
Apple Vision Pro supports screen mirroring via AirPlay or FaceTime, according to code found in early beta releases of visionOS, the headset's unique operating system. When wearing Vision Pro, you will be able to select a Mac to mirror content to from the headset, allowing you to share your view with others and reduce any sense of isolation.

Connect Mac Accessories
Vision Pro includes a virtual keyboard for spatial computing sessions, but you can also wirelessly connect Mac accessories to the Vision Pro, including the Magic Keyboard and the Magic Trackpad for more traditional tactile input. Attaching Bluetooth accessories allows for a typical Mac workflow to continue to be used, just with the Mac display replaced by Vision Pro.

Mac and Vision Pro: What You (Likely) Can't Do
Arrange Mac Apps in Virtual Space
Prior to Apple's official unveiling of Vision Pro, many Mac users envisioned an ideal multitasking scenario where it would be possible to break out Mac apps individually in a mixed reality workspace and switch attention between them at a glance. Based on the information available, however, it is not possible to view individual Mac apps in virtual windows alongside one another in Vision Pro's spatial computing environment.

Create Multiple Virtual Displays
Another likely limitation of the first-generation Vision Pro is that it only supports mirroring your Mac's built-in display. In other words, it won't be possible to extend your Mac's screen or recreate a multiple monitor Mac setup in the mixed reality workspace. This could be due to bandwidth limitations (Mac Virtual Display outputs in 4K). On that basis, multiple Mac displays in Vision Pro's spatial computing environment may be something supported in a future version, but don't expect such functionality out of the box.

Connect an Intel Mac
This should probably go without saying, but older Macs based on Intel architecture won't come along for the ride into the spatial computing future. Though Apple hasn't come out and said it officially, only Apple silicon Macs are likely to have the processing horsepower to communicate with Vision Pro, which itself relies on Apple's M2 processor to do the heavy lifting.

Apple Vision Pro and the Future of Mac
As the above suggests, there are still some unknowns about Mac and Vision Pro interoperability. Bearing that in mind, are you optimistic about the future of Mac in the era of spatial computing? What, if anything, disappoints you about Vision Pro support for the Mac? Let us know in the comments.

Apple Vision Pro pre-orders open on Friday, January 19 at 5.00 a.m. PST, and the device goes on sale in the U.S. on Friday, February 2, with availability in Canada and the United Kingdom expected to follow later in the year.

Article Link: Your Mac and Apple Vision Pro: What You Can Do (and What You Can't)

 

[StoneJack]

it is a future, whether we like it or not.

 

[Pezimak]

it is a future, whether we like it or not.

It won’t be THE future though, 3D TVs failed because no one liked wearing glasses all the time and it made some people sick, I wonder if this Vision Pro will do the same like other VR headsets can? For the price too most will probably opt to buy that MacBook Pro on the desk as I imagine it’s a lot more versatile then the headset is if it’s based on iOS.

 

[Nimrad]

Virtual display is what sold me. I don't know if I would buy just for that, but I don't live in the US so I don't have a choice anyway. But I have an ultrawide display in my home office and I work from hotels on a small laptop screen more often than I like. Only that one feature has a massive value to me.

 

[contacos]

Wait, if you can only mirror the built in Mac screen, then what is even the point like wouldn’t you see the same thing without wearing a clunky thing on your head, just not as „big“? Or am I misunderstanding it.

Guess it also depends on what field you are working in but not once in my life did I think „damn, I wish my screen for work was bigger!“ and I used to do a lot of Excel and wrote my thesis on a 12 inch MacBook back in the day 😅 For me (personally) this „wish“ only applies when I consume entertainment media

 

[MazingerZND]

Next flop?

 

[MazingerZND]

Wait, if you can only mirror the built in Mac screen, then what is even the point like wouldn’t you see the same thing without wearing a clunky thing on your head, just not as „big“? Or am I misunderstanding it.

Guess it also depends on what field you are working in but I never thought „damn, I wish my screen was bigger“. This only happens when I consume entertainment media

Having a larger display, I guess

 

[Chiromac81]

Wait, if you can only mirror the built in Mac screen, then what is even the point like wouldn’t you see the same thing without wearing a clunky thing on your head, just not as „big“? Or am I misunderstanding it.

Guess it also depends on what field you are working in but I never thought „damn, I wish my screen was bigger“. This only happens when I consume entertainment media

Exactly. Much cheaper to get a larger screen

 

[WarmWinterHat]

it is a future, whether we like it or not.

It's a future, not the future.

Not mine, regardless.

 

[Nimrad]

Exactly. Much cheaper to get a larger screen

A larger screen is not portable and battery driven.

 

[Kissmo1980]

For my use case, this would not be something I would benefit from.
Vision Pro as a companion for Mac - as in: I can open multiple Mac apps and have individual and separate windows opened from different apps - is the main direction I could use the HW for.

Now with that said, I am sure future releases will come closer to that, but it seems Vision Pro will follow iPhone and iPad functionality - statistically speaking I would expect 4-5 itertions until the price drops and functionality that i can use gets added.

It's not a critic, but this trully feels like that first iPad. A new product line, missing funtionaliry. It is impressive still.


Either way, for me this is a 100% no go - but looking forward to see what the future will bring!

 

[WarmWinterHat]

A larger screen is not portable and battery driven.

A larger screen also doesn't hang on your head, can be shared, and can take other inputs such as HDMI and USB-C, rather than just Airplay and streaming.

Edit: They are also cross-compatible with Mac and PC.

 

[contacos]

A larger screen also doesn't hang on your head, can be shared, and can take other inputs such as HDMI and USB-C, rather than just Airplay and streaming.

And doesn’t „die“ on you in the middle of watching a TV Original movie 😉

 

[arkitect]

Mac and Vision Pro: What You (Likely) Can't Do


Create Multiple Virtual Displays

Another likely limitation of the first-generation Vision Pro is that it only supports mirroring your Mac's built-in display. In other words, it won't be possible to extend your Mac's screen or recreate a multiple monitor Mac setup in the mixed reality workspace. This could be due to bandwidth limitations (Mac Virtual Display outputs in 4K). On that basis, multiple Mac displays in Vision Pro's spatial computing environment may be something supported in a future version, but don't expect such functionality out of the box.

Oh boy, some of the folk here on MacRumours are going to be mad or be walking back (is that the phrase?) their enthusiastic predictions. (Yes, you all know who you are…)

How often have we been told with absolute certainty by the proponents of Apple Vision Pro that we're going to be able to have our Macs connected to:
"Multiple displays!
Huuuuuuuuuge displays!
As many as you want!
An infinity of displays!
Apple take my cash right now!"

Hmmmmm.

 

[jonnysods]

You also probably can't do multiple desktops because of the same stupid feature they build into all the base M chips where you can only output 1 external display. No one talks about that enough, for all of Apple's fanfare on the raw power of their chips, I could get 3 monitors running off a 2018 crappy i5 MBA.

 

[Thomas Davie]

Unless and until I can put a real pizza box on my virtual desktop….. but otherwise it seems nifty.

Tom

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

“This is stupid no one is going to pay $600 for an iPhone”

“Why do I need an iPhone again?”

“The iPhone is not the future and it will flop”.

Steve Balmer: “the iPhone will never be a success”

 

[arobert3434]

Where are people getting the idea of a "larger" screen from? I guess it might look physically larger next to surroundings, yes, but if the resolution is basically 4K is there going to be any more detail than looking at an ordinary 4K or 5K Mac screen?

 

[Thomas Davie]

Porntube might be kinda cool 😂🤣

Tom

 

[Timo_Existencia]

I see the band is back together

 

[The Other One]

Hmm. I've planning to preorder since this thing was announced last year, but the whole "you likely can't arrange Mac apps in virtual space" thing is giving me pause. I was very much imagining being surrounded by After Effects, Illustrator, Safari, Zoom, Outlook and the usual suspects in separate windows. If that's not a thing, my interest in this device takes a pretty significant hit.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

“This is stupid no one is going to pay $600 for an iPhone”

“Why do I need an iPhone again?”

“The iPhone is not the future and it will flop”.

Steve Balmer: “the iPhone will never be a success”

Apples and oranges. Phones are something people had been using for 50 years at the point, and mobile phones for a decade. You also don't wear and iPhone on your face and block out everyone else.

This will do well, but not iPhone well. It's niche.

 

[spaxxedout]

You can get a capture card for Apple silicon Mac and run a pc or console through it. Tested with connecting pc to Mac and airplaying mac to Apple Tv. Suprisingly good.

 

[PS8409]

“This is stupid no one is going to pay $600 for an iPhone”

“Why do I need an iPhone again?”

“The iPhone is not the future and it will flop”.

Steve Balmer: “the iPhone will never be a success”

The first iteration of iPhone (back when it was built by General Magic) flopped because the market wasn’t ready, the internet was still in its infancy. Then social media came, people were using BlackBerry devices and found themselves glued to a clunky “smartphone.” Steve came and said “this is what you need” and everyone was sold on it because it was the logical conclusion to the frustrating smartphones of the day.

What is this device taking the place of? What is its true purpose? I’m an Apple fan and I’m disappointed because, unlike the Apple Watch or AirPods, this device is greatly overpriced for people like me, and clearly has no real purpose to take the place of anything in my everyday life. A huge TV? No thanks I don’t wanna buy 4 total ($14000) for my family and I to watch movies together. A workplace add on? I’m a technician so this is useless to me. I don’t understand who this device is for.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

Oh boy, some of the folk here on MacRumours are going to be mad or be walking back (is that the phrase?) their enthusiastic predictions. (Yes, you all know who you are…)

How often have we been told with absolute certainty by the proponents of Apple Vision Pro that we're going to be able to have our Macs connected to:
"Multiple displays!
Huuuuuuuuuge displays!
As many as you want!
An infinity of displays!
Apple take my cash right now!"

Hmmmmm.

I think you've likely misunderstood most people...

I can run multiple Apps in their own separate windows, as if they are all different monitors. I could run Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pages, Numbers, Freeform, Safari, Messages...etc, all in their own virtual displays, at huge sizes.

Those are the displays that I and most others have been discussing. I always knew that it was limited to 1 Mac Virtual display. That was evident clear back in the introduction of AVP.