Apple Vision Pro: I went hands-on with the hottest gadget in the world — and I’m a believer

’ll be honest, I was sceptical about this at the start. I’ve tried plenty of other virtual-reality and augmented-reality devices. I imagined would do something better than its rivals, but I wasn’t sure what it was for, or why I would ever use it.

In Apple’s announcement, CEO said the device would introduce us to spatial computing, and I sort of understood. But it’s only when you try it that it makes sense. The experience of using it transformed my opinion and quelled my doubts.

So, this is the moment. I’m sitting in a luxurious building in Apple Park, the company’s headquarters in . I’m the very first person in the world, outside Apple staff, to wear the Apple Vision Pro, the new mixed-reality headset announced just minutes ago at the company’s World Wide Developers Conference.

The headset is gorgeous, a collection of metal-and-glass futuristic curves which fits on your head with lightweight, supple straps. Once placed on your head, you tighten the rear strap via a dial until it’s a snug fit. Then another strap over the top of your bonce is adjusted with a Velcro fastening.

Once there, it feels highly comfortable and — because the battery is attached by a cable rather than perched on top of your head — is easily light enough for extended wear. Happily, the cable is unobtrusive and long enough to sit on the sofa next to you when you’re seated, or in a pocket, say, if you’re standing. You can’t share the headset because, before you use it, you register your eyes via Optic ID, a simple process where you rotate your head in front of the phone, similar to setting an iPhone up for Face ID.

Setup also involves taking a video of your ears to create personalised Spatial Audio. When you put it on, you could think for a moment that you’re looking through a clear visor. But no.

You’re seeing video that the built-in cameras are feeding through. There are two buttons on the headset. One is to snap photos or record video (on which more later), and the other is a Digital Crown, like on the Apple Watch.

Press this and the word Hello floats into the air in front of you, guiding you into an eye-tracking tutorial. From then on, you control the headset experience entirely by your eyes and a pinching gesture from your hand, to select a menu item. You also perform a movement like closing an invisible zip to scroll through a menu or a web page floating in front of you, for instance.

Because there’s no controller to handle, it feels utterly natural. You don’t even need to raise your hand from your lap when you perform the pinching movement, as downward-angled cameras still manage to see it. Within minutes, controlling the headset has become second nature.

And the precision of the interface, how exactly it understands your eye movements and what you want it to do, is very impressive. Hands on with Apple Vision Pro Because there’s a display across each eye, this is a device capable of 3D effects. You can watch the second Avatar movie in 3D and, if you want it more compelling still, a quick snap of the hands enlarges the display and hides the room around you.

Oh, and the spatial audio and smooth, flicker-free screen certainly help how immersive it feels to watch a movie on this headset. Immersive experiences are key to this device: you can swap your natural environment for one that’s all around you, even behind and below you. And apps have already been developed to take this to the next level, such as Encounter Dinosaurs, which Apple describes as an interactive spatial experience, but which is really a way to lure you into a world of huge dinosaurs who suddenly take an unhealthy interest in you (I didn’t get eaten, but at one point it felt a bit touch and go).

For something less exciting, there are mindfulness apps and the one-minute meditation matches a calming voice with a soothing animated visual. Apple has designed it with the restrictions of the real world in mind. Even if you’re engrossed in a movie, if someone comes into the room, the headset knows and eases back on the special effects to show you that they’re there.

And, at the same time, a representation of your eyes suddenly becomes visible on the headset’s slick external screen. This is actually a version of your face that the software created at setup, and it looks mostly convincing. Apple calls this a Persona and it’s what appears onscreen if you’re doing a FaceTime call — obviously, the headset is hiding your actual face but this is a sophisticated likeness, even if it sometimes looks a little inauthentic.

When you tap the top left button, the snaps you take or videos you shoot are in 3D, creating an amazingly intimate experience. Similarly, a new video format called Apple Immersive Video, with a 180-degree camera view, can create astonishingly effective wraparound videos. The small video screens you’re looking into on Apple Vision Pro are so detailed, so rich, and with such tiny pixels, it really doesn’t feel like video at all.

Text is pin-sharp, making productivity apps possible. It’s a stable and realistic view at all times. In a quiet room, the Vision Pro’s built-in earphones work fine.

You would probably switch over to AirPods if you are on a plane listening to audio and decide to watch a movie on the headset. I don’t think the audio is quite as immersive as a pair of AirPods, mostly because Apple wants you to remain connected to the outside world but it is good quality overall. After a full half-hour with the Apple Vision Pro on, there was none of the discombobulation or discomfort some headsets cause.

That’s partly down to how advanced this device is, and that is reflected in its eye-watering price: $3,499 (around £2,800, although no or release has been announced). Is it expensive? Certainly. Is it good value? Probably.

This is the first headset I’ve tried which has been utterly effective and continuously appealing. Actually, it took my breath away. .