I waited in line to try Apple's Vision Pro for free on launch day. One feature blew me away.
- Apple's Vision Pro officially launched in stores on Friday.
- I went to the Downtown Brooklyn Apple store to test out the $3,500 headset myself.
I stood outside in the rain with about 10 others to test Apple's new Vision Pro headset for free.
Spoiler alert: it was totally worth it.
I had a feeling the $3,500 hyped headset would be an impressive gadget to test out for a short period. But, I didn't expect the Vision Pro to feel like it would seamlessly fit into the way I use technology in my daily life.
I headed over to Apple's Downtown Brooklyn location to take the Vision Pro for a test drive. Unlike the Fifth Avenue location, this store had a modest line and chill vibes.
I set an appointment and came back to the store about an hour later for my demo session (you can schedule your own free demo at Apple's retail stores).
The demo itself was short — under 30 minutes — and the gesture instructions were simple. Look, pinch, and pull.
It was hard at first to trust that the Vision Pro's spatial awareness would track my eye and hand movements, but I got comfortable with the controls after a while.
As a person who constantly has at least 30 browser tabs open at once, I liked having all my windows floating around where I could easily view and move them.
But I was most blown away by the Apple Vision Pro's potential to elevate my weekend TV show binges.
Its immersive mode — controlled by the exterior crown dial — transported me to a dark lakefront to watch "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" trailer.
It felt like a drive-in movie with 360-degree views of the dark wilderness and night sky. I never thought about how cool it would be to watch a screen floating over a lake, but it'll be my new favorite way to stream my comfort movies.
Although the demo lasted less than 30 minutes, the headset was a bit heavy despite having an external battery pack. Toward the end of my session, I was adjusting the Vision Pro for some relief on my face.
Still, it's exciting to think about hanging out in bed with my favorite show playing on the device. It's the kind of future Apple is banking on.