Much like the headset for which they were designed, Apple’s Personas are constantly evolving. The initial beta versions of these avatars were described as “nightmarish,” but Apple has taken steps to improve and bring them to life. Even now, the company continues to refine their 3D captures.
On Tuesday, Apple introduced “spatial” Personas for their Vision Pro headsets running visionOS 1.1 or later. While the feature previously only worked with chat platforms such as FaceTime and Zoom, the new version adds a collaborative aspect to the headset.
The spatial experience still begins with FaceTime, but now the proprietary videoconferencing platform acts as a gateway to other apps when combined with SharePlay. From there, users can select the spatial persona option, which utilizes the Vision Pro’s built-in sensors to place the Persona in the same room as the user.
Spatial audio technology also adds to the immersive experience, giving the Persona a specific location in space relative to the Vision Pro user.
In a demonstration video shared by Apple, two Personas sit on either side of a window showcasing the app Freeform. When combined, this replicates the feeling of a physical collaboration around a conference table. In this case, the conference table is actually the user’s own desk at home.
Is the effect cool? Yes. Is it a little creepy? Also yes. Vision Pro users will have to embrace the uncanny valley for now, as being an early adopter comes with its own set of challenges.
In addition to work collaborations, this feature can also be used to watch movies or play games together. It supports up to five users at once.
