Will a 15-Minute Film Make You Buy an Apple Vision Pro? The Company Thinks So

For many of us, Apple Vision Pro is something we’ve heard about but never actually seen in real life. That might be because the VR headset goes for the whopping price of $3,500 (or more). Perhaps to expand on its fairly limited user base, Apple just released its first immersive short film, along with a lineup of immersive content in the pipeline.

Apple Releases Its First “Immersive Video” for Vision Pro

Now available on Apple Vision Pro, “Submerged” is a roughly 17-minute short film about a WWII submarine attack, directed by Edward Berger of “All Quiet on the Western Front” fame. That said, the film’s greatest selling point is, according to Apple’s associated press release, its use of “ultra-high-resolution 3D video and Spatial Audio to put viewers at the center of the action.” Because, of course, what we all want is to feel like we are being personally attacked while underwater.

With the film, Apple also released a behind-the-scenes video to offer an inside look at the process, and I have to say that it’s objectively impressive. Berger and his director of photography used a camera that could capture 180-degrees of action, allowing you as the viewer to essentially control the camera while you watch the story unfold.

For example, while watching an immersive film, and you hear a door open to your right, you can turn your head and see that person walk in through the door. This undoubtedly creates an engaging virtual experience.

There’s a Lineup of Future Content for Apple Vision Pro

With its release of “Submerged,” Apple also teased what’s coming next, including an immersive music video for The Weeknd, a concert series, and a documentary capturing the experience of a free solo climber. According to Apple, the next release will be about this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend, which is scheduled to drop on October 17th.

It looks like the content will first be available in the US before rolling out more widely:

“New Apple Immersive Video episodes and films debut in U.S. English with subtitles in additional languages. Title availability varies by country or region.”

The “Future of Filmmaking”

According to the director of Apple’s newly released short film, immersive VR projects will “change the future of filmmaking.” It’s also been touted that Apple Vision Pro would change the future of computing. I’ll admit, I’m generally skeptical about sweeping statements like this. It’s impossible to predict how industries are going to adapt to new technology. Apple did not invent VR with Vision Pro, and the VR that has existed before has not affected film much. Will a wildly expensive Apple product change that? I’m not sure.

Of course, I’m (almost) always happy to be proved wrong. As a podcast producer, I’ve worked with spatial audio and immersive sound for years, and I understand the appeal. To me, immersive storytelling is like combining media with amusement parks, offering the opportunity to actually set foot inside a story. It’s a flashy idea; I just don’t know if enough of us actually want that combination, or if we’re happy to keep those two types of entertainment separate.

Without a box office, we may never know how many people will see Apple’s new immersive film. Maybe, all 20 owners of a Vision Pro headset will watch it, and I suppose that’s better than zero.