From March 14, Apple is offering a new Vision Pro experience at Apple Stores. You don’t have to pay to try it out, just book online.
For those not clued up on the tech, the Vision Pro is a virtual reality headset. Or, to use Apple’s terminology, a spatial computer. It’s a little like a Meta Quest 3, but has far higher resolution and image quality for a pretty mind-blowing experience.
Apple’s latest demo of the tech features video recorded in 3D from Metallica’s latest tour.
You’ll see three songs from the legendary metal-heads, including Enter Sandman, One and Whiplash. It’s from real concert footage recorded during the last of the band’s Mexico City gigs, on September 29, 2024.
Apple recorded the show using 14 camera rigs, shooting at 8K resolution, with views across the stage and the arena. And it uses Spatial Audio as well as immersive video to pull you into the experience. This means the sound is modelled in 3D, so will appear to move naturally as you move your head during the show.
Metallica’s Vision Pro experience lasts for around 25 minutes.
“Seeing our concert like that, along with the energy of the Mexico City fans — it’s very immersive, and it’s super fun. We’ve always been interested in pushing the boundaries, and Metallica on Apple Vision Pro is exactly that,” says Metallica’s Lars Ulrich.
The Metallica immersive video experience joins a fairly petite library of pieces of content made for the Vision Pro headset, available in the Apple TV app.
Late last year, a short film called Submerged was added to the library. It’s from director Edward Berger, who made All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave. Submerged is a roughly 15-minute scripted thriller in which you’re virtually plonked onto a submarine amid an attack.
Apple’s Vision Pro is estimated to have sold up to around 500,000 units in 2024. This is below Apple’s original reported forecasts of up to 800,000 units.
The headset is a tough sell for the average Apple fan, though, as it costs £3499 with just 256GB storage, making these Apple Store demos the only way to experience this tech for many.
Vision Pro demos are available to book at Apple’s website, which lets you choose a particular store and time slot for your session.
