Ask HN: Are you still using your Vision Pro?

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Early adopters of Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro are sharply split between those who use it regularly and those who have shelved or returned it. Fans describe it as an excellent personal cinema and portable multi‑monitor workspace—especially for travel, late‑night work, and immersive environments—while critics cite discomfort, isolation, immature software, hand‑tracking limitations, and the lack of “killer apps” beyond video. Many compare it to cheaper headsets like Meta’s Quest 3, seeing Vision Pro as an impressive but early, expensive step toward more practical AR wearables.

Overall Usage Patterns

  • Responses span the spectrum: some use Vision Pro daily or several times a week; others shelved it, use it rarely, or returned it within the return window.
  • A notable minority say it has become part of their regular work setup or travel kit.
  • Several commenters explicitly did not buy it, citing price, lack of compelling use cases, or waiting for later revisions.

Primary Use Cases

  • Most common: “fancy iPad” / personal cinema for movies, TV, YouTube, flights, and hotel rooms; many describe it as the best screen they’ve used.
  • Work: virtual Mac display with large/high “monitor,” email, tickets, light coding, and late‑night work without lighting up the room.
  • Environment and focus: immersive scenes (Yosemite, volcanoes, beaches) used for calm, focus, or “alternative posture mode.”
  • Niche: VR fitness is mostly done on other headsets; porn is described by some as a “killer use case” via sideloaded 3D video players; a few use 360 cameras and 3D scans (art, food, family moments) to relive memories.

Comparisons to Other Headsets

  • Some argue Vision Pro and Quest/Bigscreen are “all just VR”; others insist AVP is in a different class (screen quality, OS refinement, passthrough, input).
  • Debate over effective resolution: raw pixels favor AVP, but one link suggests Quest 3 can appear sharper in practice.
  • Controllers vs hand‑tracking: many prefer physical controllers (especially for games/fitness) and see AVP’s lack as a major limitation.

UX, Comfort, and Hardware

  • Complaints: heavy, uncomfortable for long sessions, stuffy, headaches, confusing sizing, hand tracking lag/false gestures, latency and blur in Mac mirroring.
  • Third‑party straps and “open face” setups significantly improve comfort for some.
  • visionOS 2 beta is widely anticipated/praised for better hand tracking (higher frame rate), foveation, environments, Mac Virtual Display improvements, and seeing keyboards in immersive scenes.

Content, Ecosystem, and “Killer Apps”

  • Many feel non‑movie content is thin: few immersive videos, limited games, missing hits like Beat Saber, and weak shared‑AR experiences.
  • Shared AR / co‑presence is seen as a potential killer feature; some point out existing FaceTime/SharePlay support but others want richer, object‑anchored collaboration.
  • Skepticism that it truly increases productivity vs a good physical monitor; some see current uses as solving non‑problems.

Constraints and Future Outlook

  • Lack of multi‑user support blocks family and work use for several people.
  • Price is repeatedly cited as prohibitive, especially given current limitations.
  • Many expect a lighter “Vision Air” or second‑gen device to be the point where the form factor and software become compelling for everyday use.