Apple unveiled its mixed-reality headset, the Vision Pro, on Monday, a US$3,499 device that marks the technology giant’s first step toward the metaverse—and a play that some hope will be a game changer for Canada’s augmented- and virtual-reality industry. Here’s what you need to know:

The product details: In what’s being called a “revolutionary spatial computer,” Apple said the Vision Pro is designed to blend digital content with the real, physical world. 

The device “lets users interact with digital content in a way that feels like it is physically present in their space,” Apple said in a release. With a three-dimensional display, users can place apps side-by-side and scale them to any size. Unlike other headsets, Vision Pro doesn’t use controllers. Users interact with the interface using their eyes, hands and voice to create a more “natural” and “intuitive” experience.

While the company touted its entertainment features—and the ability to relive experiences with spatial audio and a 3D camera—Apple made a strong case for its business use, with Allessandra McGinnis, a senior product manager for AR, describing it at its annual developer conference as “perfect for the office or for when you’re working remote.” The company showcased how the headset can be used with its suite of products, including Mail, Messages and FaceTime.

The headset will be available early next year in the U.S., with other countries to follow. 

The reaction: Andrew Kiguel, co-founder and CEO of Toronto-based Tokens.com and executive chair of Metaverse Group, its virtual real estate subsidiary, said the headset’s launch is part of the AR/VR evolution as the technology becomes more portable, less bulky and its battery life improves.

Kiguel also said he believes the Vision Pro will change how companies innovate as 3D expectations increase. “You’re going to have a whole new builder economy and creator economy of people who are creating products specifically for this Apple headset.”

Dan Burgar, CEO of Frontier Collective, a Vancouver group aiming to raise the profile of B.C.’s emerging tech sectors, said the news could lead to greater funding in VR and AR. “Now that Apple … has said that VR and AR is technology that’s transformational—and they’re leaning into it—shows that investors can feel like they can invest in this technology now,” Burgar said. 

“It’s not just vapourware. It’s now tangible.” 

Tempering the hype: Still, there’s skepticism around VR’s prospects. While some of Canada’s big banks are dipping their toes in the metaverse with pilot programs, companies like Disney and Microsoft recently put an end to their initiatives. 

Notably, Apple didn’t mention the metaverse while unveiling its Vision Pro. It’s “shifted that terminology,” Burgar said, given the term’s public response so far. While Apple’s offering is the same type of technology, it’s using terms like spatial computing, AR and VR to describe its device instead, he said.