Hello. This is Realworld, a playable content platform. On November 15th, Apple's Vision Pro, a spatial computing device, was launched in Korea. While Apple's new product is certainly intriguing, the reality is that its high price point of around 5 million won makes it difficult for ordinary consumers to readily purchase.
Perhaps for this reason, Apple continues to create reasons why people should use the Vision Pro. Looking at Apple's recent moves, they are enticing consumers by securing exclusive immersive content for the Vision Pro. They are also gradually expanding the format and scale of content through collaborations with various content companies and artists. Let's take a look at what kinds of immersive content Apple has to offer.
Movies
In October 2024, Apple released a 17-minute short film called 'Submerged.' This work, Apple's first scripted film, depicts the struggles of submarine crew members during World War II. According to Apple's marketing representative, 'Vision Pro will take you inside a confined submarine, shoulder-to-shoulder with the crew, into the story.' From reviews of those who experienced 'Submerged' through Vision Pro, the level of immersion was reportedly incredible.
Interactive
Apple has joined hands with Marvel to secure content. The Vision Pro exclusive content 'What If...? - An Immersive Story,' based on Disney Plus's animated series 'What If...?', features notable interactive elements. Viewers become chosen beings, experiencing journeys across the multiverse of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While this would have been passively watched content if it were a regular animation, viewers can actively participate in the story by moving their hands to use Mystic Arts (magic) techniques.
Music
In November 2024, Apple released music content based on artist The Weeknd called 'The Weeknd: Open Hearts.' Available exclusively on Vision Pro for a limited time, it reportedly delivers an immersive experience as if you're inside the content, utilizing ultra-high-definition video and spatial audio.
Beyond 'The Weeknd: Open Hearts,' 'Concert for One' was also released, allowing users to enjoy performances by the world's top artists as if watching from right beside them. This is also Apple Vision Pro exclusive content, and the released music is also provided with spatial audio exclusively on Apple Music.
In this way, Apple is working hard to secure content exclusive to Apple Vision Pro. In particular, they appear to be trying to maximize Vision Pro's performance through ultra-high-definition video and spatial audio to provide consumers with new immersive experiences. However, due to the limitation of being a single-user device, there are still barriers to overcome in sharing these experiences with others.
From 'Nice to Have' to 'Must Have' Device
In the US, where it launched in January this year, first-half sales were 170,000 units, significantly below the expected 300,000-400,000 units. Consumer response has indeed been lukewarm, with a survey by entertainment publication Variety showing that only about 10% of consumers are interested in Apple Vision Pro, while the rest show little interest. Naturally, the cause of this indifference was the price.
However, for people interested in Vision Pro, the entertainment/immersive content experience appears to be more attractive compared to other devices. As we've seen, Apple is also putting significant effort into securing content in this area.
Apple Vision Pro and other MR devices still remain 'nice to have' devices for now. To transform them into 'must have' devices, they will need to prove their reason for existence. We'll be watching with interest to see if Apple's strategy of securing Vision Pro exclusive content will be effective. Thank you.