It’s been only a few days since the global launch of Apple’s Vision Pro headset, and the internet is already flooded with initial reactions by its early adopters, especially in the form of YouTube videos and Instagram posts. The ‘spatial computing’ wearable has also prompted safety concerns after some users posted videos of trying stupid stunts, such as driving while wearing the Apple VR headset. But we also stumbled upon a very interesting social media post highlighting Vision Pro’s capability to revolutionize in-flight entertainment. Omar Shahine, a corporate honcho at Microsoft, recently tested the high-tech headset on his 16-hour Seattle to Dubai flight and shared his thoughts on the social media platform Threads. “This is wild!” exclaimed the excited early adopter.
Flying business class in Emirates’ Boeing 777 aircraft, Shahine wrote that the Vision Pro turned the entire cabin into one giant screen. He hooked his new Vision Pro up to Emirates inflight WiFi service and was blown away by the experience. “I am watching movies and browsing the Web using the entire cabin as my screen,” Shahine shared. He even posted screen grabs captured by the Apple headset. We all know how screens in business and first class have improved over the last decade, and they aren’t small by any measure. Yet, having unrestricted space to browse content in a three-dimensional environment is obviously going to offer a completely different experience. Furthermore, the in-flight entertainment systems cannot match Apple’s user interface and experience.
Thanks to how capable the Apple Vision Pro headset is, it can completely change in-flight entertainment, especially for those flying economy where the screens are tiny. However, the pricing is so steep that most economy-class flyers will find it tough to afford Apple’s newest toy. However, it’s not the first time someone has tried a VR headset while flying. Back in 2018, Alaska Airlines partnered with French-American immersive media company SkyLights to offer VR headsets to first-class passengers. As the technology gets better, we believe VR headsets will become more common on flights.
Omar has been regularly posting his experience of using the Vision Pro ever since he got his hands on the headset. While the Vision Pro has a pair of speakers built into the headset, the Microsoft executive wrote he used AirPod Pro while flying. While replying to a follower, he even claimed that the AirPod Max headphones would be very hard to use with the headset. Omar also pointed out a few things he didn’t like. In one of the posts, he wrote: “I don’t find the Vision Pro that comfortable to wear. It’s heavy. And it strains my eyes a bit. Hopefully I get used to it.”
While the Vision Pro was unveiled in June 2023, the device went on sale on February 2 with a price tag of $3,499. While it might sound like a lot of money for a VR headset, Omar claimed it is still “cheaper than my 77 inch OLED TV, Receiver, Speakers and Apple TV and much better, more capable and more fun.” Well, he might have a point!
