The unexpected strength of Vision Pro: ambient environments
Vision Pro has a feature literally called "Environments." In macOS terms, it feels something like wallpaper, and a little while ago a new Environment was added.
The new Environment named "Lake Vrangla" was previously shown only as an icon labeled "Coming Soon." There is currently one more "Coming Soon" icon, and I am looking forward to that becoming available too.
Some Environments animate and some do not, though perhaps they have subtle animation somewhere. "Lake Vrangla" is the type where the water surface animates. The setting feels like being beside a lake covered in morning mist. It seems good for meditation too.
Is Vision Pro high resolution? Compared with other XR devices, I do not think its resolution is dramatically higher. But when it comes to whether the image feels natural, it is overwhelmingly natural. That natural rendering works well with Environments, and personally I spend quite a lot of time enjoying this kind of thing.
Conversely, for applications that display 3D objects, I do not feel it differs all that much from other XR devices. When we look at nature, perhaps we do not see it in such high detail. Maybe Vision Pro deliberately emulates that aspect too.
The strength of natural rendering also shows when watching 3D video. Other XR devices can display 3D objects beautifully, but I have always felt that video display is a bit subtle. Because of that, I am close to subscribing to Apple TV, which has various 3D videos, though for now I am somehow holding myself to the trial.
Now, when I say ambient environments in the title, I do not mean only the built-in Vision Pro "Environments." I am referring not to AR/MR spatial computing as an active use of Vision Pro, but to the VR-like use cases that have existed since the GearVR era: content where you immerse yourself in the displayed world rather than actively operating things. Because the display style works well with natural objects, apps that let you immerse yourself in environments also feel highly satisfying.
For example, planetarium-like apps such as Sky Guide also exist on other XR devices, but in terms of naturalness, Vision Pro feels one step ahead.
Ambient experiences, quiet or static immersion, non-flashy content: I feel there is a lot of potential in this direction. Vision Pro may be very compatible with non-interactive environmental content where you wear it and simply do nothing.