Apple Vision Pro is available for pickup for those who don’t mind floating $3,500 for a glimpse at the future of computing. To be clear, it is amazing tech and will be a great purchase for a certain type of geek. But right now, that is probably the limit of Vision Pro’s addressable market.
The good news is that there are many other options in the form of AR glasses that can do the main thing low-vision users need from such devices. They can place a big screen in front of the face of the user. In its most basic form, it works with desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. However, there are quite a few caveats. Let’s begin there:
Not for you
The elephant in the room is that none of these AR glasses were made for you unless you happen to be a teen or adult man-baby who spends all their time playing video games. This category of product is all about gaming. The other things that fill out the brochure are afterthoughts to make it look like the product is about more than gaming. Don’t be fooled. At the current time, AR glasses only exist as gaming accessories.
That doesn’t mean you can’t use them for other things. Just understand that you are discovering a secondary usage and not primary. The companies that make these devices don’t seem to have any interest in making them better for things like productivity. Let’s face it: If you spend most of your day shooting fake aliens, you are not the kind of person who cares about how spreadsheets look on an AR monitor.
Even so, it is a large display that you can plug into most any computing device with a USB-C port and display out via USB. If that is the only thing you really care about, you still might find these devices useful.
Content not available
As a low-vision device user, you might want a big screen so that you can watch your favorite movies and TV shows. That is a great use for this sort of device because very few people can afford the 200″ screen TV it would take for them to actually enjoy their shows comfortably.
Unfortunately, your favorite content might not be available to view on these devices because of DRM restrictions. Companies like Netflix Max, Prime, and YouTube are terrified that someone might illegally record their content on an unauthorized device. That is why you cannot view a lot of your favorite content on a secondary display if you happen to have one hooked up. You will hear the sound but not get the video. You can only watch certain content on the primary display.
Any content that get’s blacked out of a second display will not work on AR glasses unless the makers of the glasses have a special arrangement with the content provider. Even then, you can only get that content via a special app or by using optional hardware that you have to buy separately. You might not be streaming your favorite shows at all. But you can still watch them through the glasses if you have the shows downloaded and are not relying on streaming.
Software shananagons
The dirty little secret is that for the most part, all of these new AR glasses use the same components and are largely the same when it comes to hardware. There are small differentiating hardware choices that can add up. But the biggest difference is the software choices each company makes.
There is no onboard software. But there is usually a companion app for the platform being used at the time. Thing is, not one of these products supports all the major platforms. Almost none support iOS devices with their apps. Most, not all, support Android. One has a Mac app but nothing for the PC while another has a PC app with nothing for the Mac. You have to make sure you are getting a product that supports your device. And don’t buy one thinking that support for your device is on the way. It probably isn’t.
Worse, the software determines major attributes of the device. If you want object permanence for your digital display (and you do) you will need the companion app. If there is no app for your platform, you are out of luck. At least one product I know of doesn’t support it at all. That takes us to the display size:
Some boast a 102″ apparent display size. One cranks it up to slightly over 200″. But what does that even mean? Every screen is a big screen TV if it is close enough to your face. These physical displays are an inch away from your eyes. That is why we can only speak of apparent size. The one that is 200″ includes the caveat that it is equivalent to that size monitored if viewed from 18′ away. How far is 18′? Do you even have a room in your house that is 18′? For a person with low vision, that distance might as well be in the next zip code. Unlike others in the category, that particular pair of AR glasses does not allow you to move the monitor closer to you. So the apparent distance can be quite misleading. The devil is in the details, and the software.
Glasses for your glasses
The final caveat I’ll mention here is that AR glasses are not exactly glasses. They are displays that are shaped like glasses. You will still need to get your prescriptions into the devices. Some of them come with blank inserts that you can bring to a glasses store and have your prescriptions inserted. Some devices sell that insert separately. Others have built-in diopter adjustability that you can dial in yourself for each eye. Don’t expect a huge range of adjustment though. In essence, you need glasses for your glasses.
Even if you can get away with no additional prescriptions or diopter adjustments, the clarity of text on the display is not guaranteed. You have low vision for a reason. Remember that these glasses weren’t intended to help you see better. So you have to be in the range of low vision that works for this type of device. My first experience with AR glasses was a mixed bag. Expect your milage to vary. That said, it is not all bad. Here is why you might want to give them a try:
The price is right
You can get a good pair of AR glasses for less than $500. If that seems expensive, just remember that Vision Pro is $3,500. When it comes to assistive tech, you can hardly find anything useful for $500. Small and limited digital magnifiers cost more than that. Being able to comfortably use a 13″ laptop as if it were a giant, floating display is well worth it if it can reliably be that for you.
The big picture
These glasses offer their most basic function on a large variety of computing devices, even smartphones. However, don’t get too excited about smartphone integration. A smartphone is still a touchscreen. You have to be looking at the phone to use it. The glasses just show you what is happening on the phone. Still, you can enjoy video content on your phone, or anything else that doesn’t require interaction.
Computers are really where you will find the most use. Most people like having a small laptop but don’t like the small display. It is the best of both worlds to have a small laptop and a large display that floats in front of your face. This solves two problems: First, you get a bigger and more usable screen. Second, you can keep the laptop in your lap while looking straight ahead. No hunching required. The ergonomic win is almost worth it all by itself.
Big things in small packages
Remember, you get a giant display but without having to carry around a giant display. The entire package is literally the size of a pair of bulky sunglasses. You can keep them in a breast pocket. There is no battery to charge or lug around. It draws all the power it needs from whatever they happen to be plugged into. You will have no problem bringing them with you everywhere.
Eye of the beholder
Even the least attractive of these AR Glasses still looks pretty good. The nicer units look like high-end sunglasses. They are the most fashionable wearables the tech industry has on offer. Many people will not even realize they are tech gadgets at all. People with low vision shouldn’t worry about what others think about how they look. We know what it is like to wear thick glasses, bioptics, and such. Your ability to see should not be determined by what someone else thinks of your appearance.
That said, you don’t really have to worry about that with these AR glasses if you tend to be self-conscious about your appearance. Nothing about them would be off-putting to anyone around you. The only thing that really indicates that you are wearing technology is the cable snaking from the left temple to whatever it happens to be connected.
There is a world of possibility. While it seems that all of these AR glasses are using the same Sony hardware, they have little differences making none much better than the others. I will not be reviewing AR glasses because I have tried two and watched countless reviews of others. However, I have reviewed the Meta Quest 3 to see how the leading VR headset stacks up. Stay tuned…
David Johnson