What Resolution Is Apple's New Vision Pro AR/VR Headset?
Since the reveal of Apple's Vision Pro AR (augmented reality) headset at WWDC 2023, there's been a lot of buzz, speculation, and disappointment. Despite the curtain finally being pulled back, and quite a few details being revealed, there are still a number of questions and uncertainties surrounding the $3,500 device.
Granted, most of the uncertainties revolves around the market and user base itself. What about the hardware? There's no shortage of AR/VR headsets already available that offer similar immersive experiences and high resolution displays. Does the Vision Pro do enough to stand out?
Much of that remains to be seen, as the headset won't be out until early 2024, but we can dig into what's been revealed so far to at least figure out how powerful the Vision Pro's display will be. Going by Apple's specs, it's going to look pretty darned nice — and is also likely one of the big contributing factors to that MSRP everyone's discussing.
What is the resolution for the Vision Pro?
For the moment, at least, Apple hasn't provided any exact resolution numbers. All we can do is make rough estimates based on the somewhat vague details Apple has revealed thus far. What is known is that the Vision Pro utilizes two separate postage stamp-sized displays (presumably one for each eye). Apple also asserts that both are "ultra-high-resolution" screens using "micro-OLED technology."
This amounts to what Apple says is 23 million pixels across the pair of displays, with both supporting HDR for more vivid color contrasts. Adding up to something akin to a 4K video display (a bit higher than that, really) for each eye. Think of it as having two really small MacBook screens, featuring even higher resolution, placed an inch or two away from your face.
On paper, and in practice, the Vision Pro looks to provide what amounts to something more than an OLED 4K HDR visual experience for each eye. We just haven't developed the necessary shorthand to discuss it yet since there's no exact measurement of resolution for the headset's display currently.