SUMMARY
- During the recent game between Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies a fan was spotted with the mixed reality headset by Apple.
- The fan's immersive mixed reality experience, interacting through hand and eye gestures, hints at the future of sports consumption.
Recently the Apple Vision Pro made a surprising appearance at the NBA game between the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies. Just hours after its release in the United States, the mixed reality headset was spotted courtside on a fan’s face, sitting less than ten feet from live NBA action.
This incident highlights a big shift in how technology, especially virtual reality making its way to live sporting events. The NBA and other pro sports leagues have long tried to incorporate virtual or augmented reality into the game-watching experience.
This fan was using Apple Vision Pro on courtside during the Celtics-Grizzlies game 😂
(via @barstoolsports/ IG)pic.twitter.com/vH3J2oVOPn
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 5, 2024
This fan was fully immersed in the mixed reality experience, interacting with the game through hand and eye gestures. Seeing him gives an idea of the potential future of how live sports consumption could be.
All you need to know about the Apple Vision Pro
The Apple Vision Pro is a mixed-reality headset that combines both augmented and virtual reality, users can interact with a digital interface using just their hands and eyes. As per Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations, the device has over 600 new spatial experiences available in the all-new App Store, along with compatibility with over a million apps from iOS and iPad.
Somebody: I’m not buying the Apple Vision Pro.
Apple: pic.twitter.com/aOEPZscyV0
— Sergio ⭐ (@sergio_de_ennin) February 5, 2024
Priced at $3,499, the Vision Pro looks to expand the boundaries of digital interaction. The headset’s introduction to public spaces, such as NBA games, suggests that mixed reality technologies have a lot of potential in various fields, from entertainment to sports.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver plans on incorporating virtual reality cameras during NBA All-Star Weekend
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Apple CEO Tim Cook have announced plans to further incorporate virtual reality into the NBA viewing experience, starting with the installation of virtual reality cameras at the NBA All-Star Weekend. This initiative follows the successful launch of the league’s new app for the Vision Pro platform highlighting the use of visionOS’ spatial computing features.
NBA League Pass on the Apple Vision Pro looks incredible. pic.twitter.com/8XFs9CQ9qk
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) February 1, 2024
The app allows users to place up to five games on digital screens in front of them, while also viewing other apps or those in the room with them. The NBA’s approach to reinventing sports viewing through a 3D, immersive environment could revolutionize how fans engage with the game, providing perspectives previously unimaginable, such as the viewpoint of a player on the court.