By Aaron Lee
Released for public purchase in February 2024, Apple’s long-awaited mixed reality headset — the Apple Vision Pro — has since taken the tech world by storm. More recently, a user on the social network platform Reddit posted a video where he runs the MOBA game League of Legends (LoL) on the headset.
In the video, viewers can see the LoL gameplay at the center of the mixed reality’s interface, surrounded by other windows, like a Safari tab showing the build guide for his champion. The Redditor also had a Twitch stream of someone else playing LoL open on the Vision Pro and instant messaging platform Discord open.
While seemingly an impressive feat on paper, the consensus on this showcase was mixed. Other users joined in on the discussion, commenting that the method seems like an expensive way to buy two extra monitors. Others chimed in, describing the video as “playing a videogame in the worst manner possible”.
On his part, the original video poster explained that he was simply showcasing what was possible using the Vision Pro’s technology and features and was not trying to suggest it was the best way to game. Another point of note is that while the Vision Pro is popularly controlled by eye movement and hand gestures, the Redditor clarifies that he was playing on a mouse and keyboard in the video.
Gaming on the Apple Vision Pro
Of course, the Redditor is only one of many tech enthusiasts experimenting and pushing the boundaries of what Apple’s headset can do. Since its release, many users have posted videos and tests of Vision Pro gameplay for titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, Grand Theft Auto 5, PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty, and many others. Some of the footage online shows Vision Pro users gaming on Apple’s default “virtual” environments, like the moon, while others have their games augmented into real-life environments, like their home office or living rooms.
Many Vision Pro users also use gaming cloud services like NVIDIA’s GeForce Now or direct streaming to launch their games on the headset. Meanwhile, Apple’s official gaming platform — Apple Arcade — offers 12 spatial games and over 250 titles that can be run on the Vision Pro. These include hyper-realistic tabletop games like chess and cards and an immersive VR port of a long-time favorite title, Fruit Ninja.
Still, as public reaction to the Redditor’s LoL showcase exemplifies, the Vision Pro may need more time to be considered a viable gaming machine or console for the more passionate gamers. This doesn’t mean, however, that users can’t enjoy other aspects of gaming on Apple’s headset. For example, the video showcasing LoL gameplay on the Vision Pro is an excellent illustration of how gamers can make use of the headset’s multi-window capabilities.
Instead of directly gaming using the tech, Vision Pro users can enjoy eSports broadcasts and streams while having other vital information open. Speaking of League of Legends, for example, this LoL betting guide lists the many ways the game can be an information overload sometimes. Due to its MOBA structure, LoL has many moving parts and various names, items, and terms to keep track of for viewers to enjoy the experience. While seemingly a straightforward five-on-five team game, a LoL match can be tough to keep track of.
This is where the Vision Pro can help. Thanks to its immersive and seamless multi-window features, viewers can use the headset to have other informational windows open when watching gameplay or tournaments like LoL. Like the Redditor, this can include a Google search for a champion’s build guide or crucial stats on eSports teams and players you may want to learn more about.
So, while certainly not the best gaming device on the market yet, the Vision Pro’s features can still be maximized to help elevate your eSports entertainment and create an immersive viewing experience.
Apple and gaming
Of course, the history between Apple devices and gaming technologies has long been complicated. Most gaming enthusiasts swear by dedicated gaming consoles like the PlayStation or other operating systems like Windows for gaming just because games tend to run better on these. However, as discussed in a previous post, gaming on Apple devices isn’t a new concept. From the App Store to the dawn of the iPad, Apple has since made moves to make gaming more accessible and convenient on its devices.
While the Vision Pro is still new to the scene, it’ll be interesting to see what future updates and changes to the device can do for the VR and mixed reality enthusiasts to be able to game it out.
