Vision Pro leaves its mark on a Wall Street Journal tech writer in more ways than one

Wall Street Journal tech reporter Joanna Stern doesn't need to keep thinking back about her experience testing Apple's $3500 spatial computer the Vision Pro. That's because Stern has a reminder that she can see when she looks in the mirror. Per Insider, testing Vision Pro for 30 minutes left Stern with red marks on her forehead and nose. The highly-regarded tech scribe recorded a video during which she showed the marks on her head and face. During the clip she stated, "By the end of the demo, the top of my nose and forehead started to feel the weight."

In her nearly five-minute video, Stern explained that the Vision Pro is the best AR/VR headset she's ever used. She said wearing the headset felt like Apple had stuck a giant Apple Watch on her head, but in a good way. The headset was a breeze to put on and a knob let her adjust it to her head. At first, Stern said that the headset was comfortable to wear. She said it was more comfortable than the Meta Quest Pro and the Quest 2. She chalked that up to the battery pack that lives in the user's pocket and connects via a cable to the headset.

Stern said the battery pack, which lasts for about two hours before needing to be charged and/or replaced, is light and it fit in her back pocket easily. But the weight of the headset was more noticeable toward the end of her demo time with the Vision Pro. Apple blamed the blotchy red marks on Stern's forehead and nose to the limited sizes of light seals available for the headset. These are used to get a good but comfortable fit between the device and the user's face. Apple says that there will be more sizes available when the device is launched early next year.

"Pretty insane" is how Stern says it feels to look through the Vision Pro's headset. "Apple is really focusing on blending the digital real with your real world," she notes. That pretty much defines the AR experience and when you spin the Digital Crown in one direction, you see more of the real world. Spin it the other way and you see less. But switching between VR and AR left the writer feeling queasy even if she didn't throw up. The Vision Pro navigates by tracking the user's eyes and a pinch gesture is used to select things.

The device left its mark on Stern in more ways than one. She says that after trying the Vision Pro for 30 minutes, "it really does feel like the next big thing," she said.