Like the headset it was designed for, Apple's persona is a work in progress. The original version of the beta avatar was: Is “nightmarish” too strong a word? Subsequent updates have made it more flavorful and more life-like, and Apple says it's still working on 3D capture.
The company on Tuesday announced the “Space” persona for Vision Pro headsets running visionOS 1.1 or later. Previously, this feature was limited to chat platforms like FaceTime and Zoom, but the new version is designed to bring an even more collaborative feel to the headset.
The spatial aspect still starts with FaceTime, but Apple's own video conferencing platform acts as a gateway to other apps when combined with SharePlay. From there, users can select spatial persona options. It utilizes the Vision Pro's onboard sensors to place the persona in the room.
Spatial audio, on the other hand, also places them at a specific point in space relative to the Vision Pro user.
In the example video Apple shared, two personas are placed on either side of a window showcasing Freeform. Taken together, this feels similar to people sitting at a conference table in an office and collaborating on a project. However, in this case, that conference table is the user's home desk.
Are the effects beautiful? yes. Is it creepy? Also, yes. Vision Pro users will continue to do business in the uncanny valley for the foreseeable future. That comes with the realm of early adopters.
In addition to collaborating on work, you can also watch movies and play games together. Supports up to 5 users at the same time.