The Apple Vision Pro has been on sale in the United States since February 2 and while it made a huge splash initially, it's perhaps fair to say that interest in the $3,499 spatial computer had started to subside. That was until Apple released the first beta of its Spatial Personas feature this week, allowing people to break free of the Persona feature's square box while adding a torso and hands to the mix.
While Spatial Personas can be used for boring things like getting work done and holding meetings when you're out of the office, we've already seen the feature used in a much more interesting way. Yesterday, we showed you that some people are using Spatial Personas to bring couch co-op back to the future, and now we've been treated to a video of someone playing a AAA game on their Apple Vision Pro with their buds.
The game is Activision's Call of Duty and no matter what you might think about the franchise, there is no denying that it is hugely popular. The Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile game is already available on the iPhone and iPad, but there's nothing quite like playing the real thing — and in an AR/VR world, no less. That's what someone has been able to make happen, and it's all really very impressive indeed.
Gaming with friends
One complaint that has been leveled at the Apple Vision Pro is the way that it closes wearers off from the outside world, including their family and friends. Spatial Personas could go a long way to changing that, as a Reddit thread by u/liamneeesons shows.
You can play Call of Duty in Apple Vision Pro via GeForce NOW and have other Vision Pro friends virtually sit alongside as you play. Video: u/liamneeesons pic.twitter.com/R9TYSrbtIUApril 3, 2024
In the thread, we see a video of the Apple Vision Pro owner playing Call of Duty via Steam all while interacting with their friends, who also had Apple Vision Pros, thanks to the magic of Spatial Personas.
When asked how it all came together, the Reddit user said that they were using GeForce Now via the Nexus+ app to play the Steam version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. They said that there was "virtually no lag" of around 2ms and that they were streaming at 4K with a "virtually perfect" experience.
The Nexus+ app is a frameless browser for visionOS that can be used to stream games via various services, including GeForce Now. The headset also supports a number of wireless controllers for gaming including the PS5 and Xbox controllers.
Native gaming on the Apple Vision Pro is something of a mixed bag right now, and while new games are being added to Apple Arcade all the time, none of the titles are anything like the ones gamers will find on streaming services like GeForce Now and similar platforms. That makes this a great way to play, although you'll need a fast internet connection and a reliable Wi-Fi setup to get the very best out of these services.
As for the Apple Vision Pro itself, that's available from $3,499 for the 256GB model which is likely to be plenty if you plan on streaming all of your content and games. Alternatively, 512GB and 1TB options are also available with each tier costing an additional $200.
A global Apple Vision Pro launch is expected within the next few months, although Apple hasn't yet confirmed which countries will be included in the expansion.
