Apple rates the Vision Pro’s external battery pack with 2.5 hours of video playback on a single charge when watching a 2D movie in a virtual reality (VR) environment.
Apple hasn’t specified a battery hit when watching 3D movies | Image: Apple
The Vision Pro page has been updated with stats about the Vision Pro’s external battery pack, which provides two hours of general use on a single charge.
When watching a 2D movie purchased or rented through Apple’s TV app in one of visionOS’s VR environments, however, your run time increases to 2.5 hours.
Vision Pro movie playback with an external battery pack
The bottom of the Vision Pro page explains that general use involves tasks like FaceTime calls, internet browsing, spatial video capture and video playback.
Sometimes you just want to shut the outside world off | Image: Apple
“Testing consisted of full battery discharge while performing each of the following tasks: video playback, internet browsing, spatial video capture and FaceTime.”
For 2D movies streamed from the TV app that run longer than 2.5 hours, you may want to connect the battery pack to an external power source.
What about 3D movies?
Apple hasn’t specified a battery hit when watching stereoscopic video, which it refers to as Spatial Video. visionOS supports viewing spatial video captured on the headset itself or with an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Aside from 2D entertainment in the TV app from streaming services like Apple TV+, Disney+ and Max, there are about 150 titles available to watch in 3D.
Watching a movie on the moon’s surface | Image: Apple
Pre-orders for the $3500 headset begin January 19. Retail availability will start on February 2. The headset is equipped with 256 gigabytes of storage.
Environments and Cinema Environments. What are they?
The visionOS software includes Environments and Cinema Environments, which are 3D scenes that users can immerse themselves in completely.
The Environments feature is a selection of immersive landscapes that include the Yosemite National Parks, Moon surface, Haleakalā, Joshua Tree, and more. Cinema Environments, on the other hand, create a theater-like backdrop.
Apple says a VR environment can make you feel as if you are watching a movie on a screen that feels 100 feet wide with support for HDR content.
VR scenes available in visionOS | Image: Joey Rideout/Twitter
You can activate either an Environment or a Cinema Environment when watching a movie, with the Digital Crown providing control for your level of immersion. The EyeSight feature—the Vision Pro’s outward-facing display—shows visual clues to those around you when immersed in an environment or using an app.