What does the Apple Vision Pro do? Here's everything you need to know after WWDC reveal.

No doubt you’ve heard Apple officially took the wraps off Apple Vision Pro, its first “spatial computing” device which debuted at this week’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) at Apple Park in Cupertino, California.

Not only is this ski goggle-shaped mixed-reality headset Apple’s biggest product since Apple Watch debuted in 2015, but it’s easily the most ambitious.

In development for multiple years and tied to more than 5,000 patents, Apple Vision Pro – simply referred to as “Vision Pro,” henceforth in this article – will be available in early 2024 for an astounding $3,499 to start.

Even if you could afford it, is it any good?

I had a chance to wear and use Vision Pro for about 30 minutes and run through several applications that fused augmented reality (where you can see digital information overlaid on top of the real world around you) with virtual reality (realistic imagery that fully envelopes your field of vision, and is tied to head-tracking too).

Here's what you need to know and my impressions of the Vision Pro:

What is the Apple Vision Pro price?

Pricing for the Vision Pro starts at $3,499.

When is the Apple Vision Pro available?

It will be available in early 2024 – in the U.S. only. Other countries will follow at a later date.

Apple Vision Pro preorder

Apple has not disclosed when you can preorder Vision Pro, so more details to come on that.

What does the Apple Vision Pro do?

It’s a wearable headset, with twin micro‑OLED displays – one for each eye – and featuring 23 million pixels, which is more than a 4K TV.

The result is incredible clarity.

The new visionOS operating system features a fully three-dimensional user interface controlled with your eyes (tracked with inward-facing sensors), voice (including Siri support, which I did not try), and hands, whether it’s via finger gestures in the air or by twisting a Digital Crown knob on the side of the headset (similar to the dial on Apple Watch). There’s also support for an optional wireless Magic Keyboard or Trackpad but was not part of my demo.

Is Apple Vision Pro augmented reality?

It’s mixed reality, sometimes referred to as XR, which combines augmented reality with virtual reality.

When opening the Photos app, for example, I viewed a number of high-resolution images and the room automatically dimmed around them for added immersion (including panoramic shots of Iceland and Oregon’s coast).

One virtual reality-like experience is called Environments, which are full-screen relaxing videos tied to head-tracking (so you can “look around”), but when the Apple employees in my room talked with me, their images gradually appeared in my scene (called “breakthrough,” as to stay connected with those around you). So, like augmented reality, but shifts between the two smoothly.

Is the Vision Pro worth it?

I’ve seen a lot of VR in my day, but not with this much clarity and depth. The user interface was graceful and intuitive, and the applications are seemingly endless (for work and play). I found it comfortable, but not as light as PlayStation VR2 (PSVR2).

One of the most impressive parts of the demo by far was seeing “spatial" photos and videos, captured by Vision Pro headset, including scenes of kids blowing out a birthday cake and another with a few friends hanging outside by a fire, sipping drinks, telling stories and laughing. It truly looked 3D, like really being there, which lets you then relive memories long after you captured them with the same realistic depth.

No VR headset I’ve tried can do anything like this.

Requiring an external battery (that only lasts up to two hours) isn’t ideal, but remember, this is a Gen 1 product, and if any company can figure out how to improve products, including battery management, it’s Apple. Think of how much the iPhone has evolved over the years. This category is in its infancy.

Yes, the concerns over price are real, and Apple no doubt knows this isn’t a mass-market product. The company isn't tone-deaf by working on something most people can’t afford. Instead, it is clearly investing in what’s possible for the future.

I also get that some people think technology like this is disconcerting as it may encourage less human interaction (similar to the concerns over the metaverse), so it won’t be for everyone.

Will it flop? Who knows. But Apple isn’t just dipping its toe in the spatial computing space, it's diving in head first.

As someone who has been reviewing tech for nearly 30 years, consider me super excited about Apple Vision Pro.

Skeptics, and there are many, should at least reserve judgment until trying it out for themselves – though no word yet when it may be available for the general public to give it a spin. Otherwise, deep-pocketed Apple fans who consider themselves “early adopters” may need to take a leap of faith.

Follow Marc on Twitter for his “Tech Tip of the Day” posts: @marc_saltzman. Email him or subscribe to hisTech It Out podcast.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.