Apple's Vision Pro Headset Doesn't Matter. Augmented Reality Does.

The coverage of Apple's newly announced $3499 Vision Pro Augmented Reality (AR) Headset is mixed, ranging from lazy observations of the obvious (it won't replace TV!) to a perfect summary from YouTuber Marques Brownlee, who described it as essentially "a rich person's toy and a developer's muse." The headset itself is far less interesting than the growing trend of "experiential hyperlocalism" enabled by AR.

Consider the example of animated British rock band Gorillaz, who created a virtual concert in the middle of Times Square last year featuring animated projections, full screen takeovers and an immersive experience enabled by AR. All of it could be experienced just with a mobile device and the idea has wide ranging implications and questions.

What happens to all the Times Square advertisers whose ads are hidden by virtual content? How will our experience of any place be transformed by the virtual overlaid experiences that can augment it? Will the ability to recreate nostalgic moments in any location (such as this band's geotagged single release) transform the way we remember them? These are the futuristic questions that AR is raising and they are much bigger than whether a three thousand dollar headset is worth the money.