The M5 Vision is a marvel of technology that most people can’t afford

I was an original adopter of the Apple Vision Pro and recently upgraded to the new, M5-equipped version. In a nutshell, it packs a faster chip, provides slightly longer battery life, much better Personas, and, best of all, a much more comfortable strap. 

First a quick disclaimer: I would have loved to test out how visionOS 26 allows two of the spatial computers to work together, but  I get no review units from Apple. And, alas, I couldn’t afford to buy the new Vision Pro without selling my original to help finance the purchase.

Okay, let’s move on. 

Setting up and Personas

Setting up the Vision Pro takes a while and involves a bit of a learning curve. One of the first things you do during set-up is create a Persona, which can be a little tricky. You take the spatial computer off to use the cameras on the front to capture your likeness. The trick part (at least for me) was moving about jugging the Vision Pro with one hand to get more light on my face as visionOS kept complaining that there wasn’t enough light on my mug. 

Thankfully, Apple has significantly overhauled Personas with a rebuilt engine that captures more of a user’s head for realistic side profiles and improved details like hair, lashes, complexion, and freckles. The new, more expressive Personas offer greater customization and realism for applications like FaceTime and collaborative workspaces, providing a much more natural-feeling digital representation of the user.

The new Persona engine makes these digital replicas of their users look real in a way that the previous versions didn’t. By the way, a Persona is a dynamic, natural representation of your face and hand movements that allows others to see you while you’re using Apple Vision Pro for FaceTime and other videoconferencing apps. The set-up process also sets up EyeSight, which reveals your eyes on the front of your Apple Vision Pro.

The tech improvements

The big technical news about the tweaked Vision Pro is being upgraded from a M2 processor to an M5 chip. Built using third-generation 3-nanometer technology, M5 on Vision Pro features an advanced 10-core CPU that delivers higher multithreaded performance, resulting in faster experiences throughout the system, including faster load times for apps and widgets and more responsive web browsing. 

The next-generation 10-core GPU architecture brings support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading. I’m not a developer, but Apple says this allows developers to add “remarkable detail to lighting, shadows, and reflections in games.”

Thanks to the M5, the Vision Pro renders 10%t more pixels on the custom micro-OLED displays compared to the previous generation. The result is sharper images, crisper text and more detailed visuals. 

The updated spatial computer also revs the refresh rate up from 100Hz to120Hz, which means less motion blur. One of the big advantages of this is if you use the Vision Pro as a Mac Virtual Display.

Small speakers direct the spatial computer’s audio to your ears, though the Vision Pro can be configured to work with in-ear headphone.

There are two small displays in the headset, one in front of each eye. The micro-OLED screens are around the size of postage stamps and have more than 23 million pixels between them.

Mac Virtual Display

The aforementioned Mac Virtual Display lets you view your Mac screen on an Apple Vision Pro, and use your Mac trackpad or mouse to share the pointer between your Mac and Apple Vision Pro. You can also change the aspect ratio of the Mac screen—up to a 32:9 ultrawide screen that wraps around you—and hear audio from your Mac through the Audio Straps on Apple Vision Pro.

Mac Virtual Display lets you use your Vision Pro as a virtual display for your Mac.

It’s a very cool feature and fun to use. Sadly, even with the new, comfier strap, your neck will get tired too quickly to allow you to work for hours using the Mac Virtual Display feature.

The new Dual Knit Band

The new Dual Knit Band that comes with the M5 Vision Pro combines the best features of both the original Vision Pro straps:  the Solo Knit Band and the Dual Loop Band. 

Thankfully, the new Dual Knit Band is backwards compatible with the original Vision Pro, so uou can buy it separately for $99. 

It has a convenient dual-function dial that allows you to customize the fit to your noggin. The single Fit Dial adjusts both the tension in the back and the top band. You can pull it out to tighten the top, or push it in to tighten the rear. 

The Dual Knit Band that comes with the M5 Vision Pro combines the best features of both the original Vision Pro straps.

With the new strap, I can wear the Vision Pro for about three hours before it began to feel a little uncomfortable. And that’s about an hour longer than either of the original straps allowed.

The Dual Knit Band has a soft, breathable band on the top of the head and a rear strap equipped with flexible tungsten rods in the bottom part of the band that counter-balances and lifts the device.

These rods and the dual straps mean there’s a slight increase in overall weight from the original Vision Pro. However, the spatial computer actually feels lighter than the original thanks to the clever design of the Dual Knit Band.

Battery life 

Thanks to the efficiency of the M5 chip, the new Vision Pro has a bit better battery life. The original Vision Pro was cited as having two hours; the new model has 2.5 hours of mixed use and three hours of video playback.

The downsides

Of course, the biggest downside to the Vision Pro is its starting price of US$3,499. I was hoping that Apple would shave a bit off the price, or at least offer more storage for the same price, but it didn’t happen.

Also, the Vision Pro app store still lacks native Netflix and and YouTube apps. However, Apple’s immersive content is growing. In the company’s words, “users can experience concerts like never before with Amplium; tune into their favorite teams with apps from major sports leagues; or enjoy a personal theater with apps from popular streaming services on a screen that appears up to 100 feet wide.”

And the company promises that lots of Apple Immersive is coming. Later this season, users in the Lakers’ broadcast territory will be able to watch select live games in Apple Immersive, and new titles from the Audi F1 Project, the BBC, HYBE, and Red Bull will launch in Apple Immersive in the coming months. The Apple TV app is also home to lots of 3D movies such as “Superman,” “Jurassic World Rebirth,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” and “Wicked.

Conclusion

If you bought an original Vision Pro, there’s no great need to upgrade. Yes, there are benefits to the new model, such as faster performance, longer battery life, and faster refresh rates in the displays. However, you’re probably only going to notice incremental improvements in ordinary use. 

And, much to my consternation, unlike with all its other devices, Apple isn’t offering a trade-in for purchasers of the first gen Vision Pro.

That said, if you haven’t bought a Vision Pro and can afford it, it’s truly a marvel of technology.

Apple World Today rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★★★