Upcoming Apple Vision Pro 2: A Former Engineering Manager's Insights on Necessary Improvements

In the ever-evolving world of technology, two key players in the virtual reality (VR) sphere are making waves: PulseJet Studios and Apple's Vision Pro.

John Gearty, a former Engineering Program Manager at Apple, played a pivotal role in the development of the Vision Pro from its earliest stages. After his tenure at Apple, Gearty ventured out to found PulseJet Studios, a company dedicated to creating immersive music experiences in VR.

Gearty's experience at Apple has undoubtedly influenced the way he runs PulseJet Studios and develops its products. However, PulseJet Studios is not mentioned as developing content for the Vision Pro 2, the anticipated successor to the Vision Pro.

The Vision Pro, despite its innovative features, has faced criticism for its high price, weight, and limited content. These factors have been identified as barriers to mass adoption. Gearty believes that the single most important hardware or software improvement needed for the Vision Pro 2 to achieve a broader, more consumer-friendly appeal is a realistic timeline for Apple to address these issues.

Gearty did not elaborate on the kind of 'killer content' that's currently missing for the Vision Pro, but he did mention that Apple needs more content creators like himself to create a reason for consumers to buy the Vision Pro.

Meanwhile, PulseJet Studios is working on bringing immersive music experiences to VR. The ultimate goal for the studio is to evolve the intersection of virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and music over the next 5-10 years.

Rumours suggest that the Apple Vision Pro 2 could be refreshed at a future M5 MacBook Pro event, predicted to occur in October. As for the Samsung VR Headset, it is rumoured to cost nearly $2k, less than the Apple Vision Pro.

The biggest hurdle in getting more artists and studios to create for the Vision Pro platform remains unspecified. However, the most important improvement for the Apple Vision Pro 2 to achieve broader, more consumer-friendly acceptance is a redesigned head strap that reduces neck strain, paired with a more powerful chip (likely M4 or M5) enhancing AI acceleration and overall performance, as well as software advances like visionOS 26 which improve spatial processing and immersive experience. These hardware and software upgrades collectively aim to improve comfort and usability significantly.

As we move forward, the race is on to create the most immersive and consumer-friendly VR experiences. With visionaries like John Gearty leading the charge, the future of VR looks promising indeed.