- RATING
Apple’s Vision Pro is one of the most remarkable devices we've ever used. It offers a unique and powerful new way to work, play and consume immersive content. The future has arrived.
Anyone who tries the Vision Pro is always amazed at the quality and the experience and Apple has just given the product an upgrade that’s made that experience even better.
When it was launched in Australia in July 2024, the Vision Pro was powered by the M2 chip but it has taken the leap to M5 for this latest version.
And the pricing has remained the same starting at $5,999.
To be clear, the Vision Pro with M5 has not added any new features or capabilities.
The use of the device is precisely the same.
But the existing features have improved thanks to Apple’s new silicon.
This is a spatial computer after all – and a powerful one at that. And now it’s even more powerful.
There are no physical controllers – all you need are your hands to navigate and your eyes to select the apps and menus you want to use.
And you have the same access to Apple Intelligence and most of the apps you’re already familiar with on the Mac.
The Vision Pro with M5 also has an all-new Dual Knit Band that offers a better fit and that’s more comfortable to wear.
The addition of the M5 chip has sharpened up the already impressive device in a number of key areas.
Across the board, performance has improved for better speed and smoother operation.
Apps and widgets now load faster and web browsing is noticeably more responsive.
The M5 chip has also improved the gaming experience thanks to the advanced GPU architecture with ray tracing and mesh shading.
Games look even better and offer a smoother playing experience.
And if you prefer to use a controller instead of your hands you can pair your PlayStation VR2 sense controllers which come with PlayStation’s VR headset.
The new M5 chip with Apple’s Vision Pro can also render 10 per cent more pixels on the custom micro OLED displays then it could on the original model.
The result is sharper images and crisper text and even detailed visuals across apps and games.
The refresh rate has also increase to up to 120Hz say there’s even less motion blur when you are looking through the device’s cameras at your surroundings.
The improvement in the capabilities is one thing but it’s good to see that Apple has also increase the amount of content that can be enjoyed with the Vision Pro.
This includes the Apple Immersive content which can be found on the Apple TV app.
This really highlights the strength of the product being able to put you in a completely different place whether it’s Yankee Stadium or in the front row of a Metallica concert.
It’s remarkably realistic and lives up to its name as completely immersive.
Users can enjoy 3D movies and watch content like there sitting in their own personal theatre.
But one of our favourite features is a productivity tool called Mac Virtual Display.
This is where you can connect your Mac to the Vision Pro just by looking at it and create a desktop that fills the room.
It means you are suddenly freed from the smaller laptop display – in our case it was the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 – with a 5K resolution display that wraps around you.
It’s the equivalent of two 5K monitors side by side creating a massive 32:9 curved display.
And thanks to the M5 chip it looked even better with 120Hz refresh rate and 10 per cent more pixels rendered so our content and our work looked amazing.
The Vision Pro with M5 is an excellent device for entertainment, productivity and collaboration.
It’s surprisingly easy to connect and collaborate with the Vision Pro and one powerful way of doing that is with FaceTime.
The original Vision Pro provided an excellent experience when connecting via FaceTime but this new model has made it even better.
With the new visionOS 26, users can create even more lifelike personas – this is the need photo realistic representation of yourself that other people see when you’re connecting via FaceTime on the Vision Pro.
Users can create their persona in the setup process with the Vision Pro in a similar way to setting up Face ID on your iPhone.
You need to hold the Vision Pro up at eye level and turn your head from side to side and make a couple of expressions before it can create your persona.
When you’re on a FaceTime call on Vision Pro and there are multiple people on the call it’s like sitting around a table and having a conversation.
And when people speak the audio comes from the same direction where you can see them just like real life.
The new Dual Knit Band offers a much more comfortable fit with the top band taking the weight of the device off your face so you can use it for hours.
It can be easily fitted thanks to a new jewel function fit dial.
The dial can adjust the fit of the band at the back of your head.
Then you pop out the dial to then fine tune the fit of the top band as well. Typical Apple design that just works.
The Vision Pro with M5 still has an external battery that runs for about 2.5 hours of general use and 3 hours of video playback – M5 has improved that slightly.
Apple’s Vision Pro starts at $5,999 it is unfortunately still out of reach of most customers.
We’ve heard of plenty of people who spec up PCs and spend similar money and sometimes more to guarantee top level gaming performance.
With that rule of thumb, Vision Pro with M5 will no doubt be attractive to the user who wants to immerse themselves in content, enjoying excellent gaming and entertainment experience and take their productivity to an all-new level.
The Apple Vision Pro with M5 is available now.
VERDICT
Apple’s Vision Pro is one of the most remarkable devices we’ve ever used. It offers a unique and powerful new way to work, play and consume immersive content. The future has arrived.
