Why doesn’t the verge just do this the whole time. They could be just as big as any of the other techtube review brands…this is seriously the best review I’ve ever seen on RUclips. Bravo!!!!!
This review should be a benchmark for anyone who wants to do tech product review. 30min I couldn't even skip and forgot that I'm watching a video .. feels honest, personal , and to the point. The other reviews of the AVP feels like they are afraid to piss off Apple.
because if they piss of Apple, then Apple won't send them stuff to review. Then they have to buy the stuff to do review!!!. OMG!!! Can you imagine the horror?? Buying tech to review? That absurd and preposterous.
Agreed. The AVP is promising a new computer experience so it’s great how they carried us through that experience before giving us an evaluation based on some fundamental questions.
Never watched a verge review before but this was one of the best tech reviews I've seen in a while and, considering I basically live on techtube, is saying something. Bravo to the reviewer, dude killed it
This is one of THE best product review videos Ive ever seen. The editing. The pacing. The narration. 100/100 presentation. I stopped caring about the headset halfway through and was just amazed on the production value of this. Well done Verge! And Well done Nilay Patel!
What are you talking about? This the worst review on ytube. Focused on technicalities and philosophical stupid questions nobody asked instead of experience and real life everyday scenarios.
This is a review I doubt MKBHD can top. And that's saying a lot. Insights, conclusions, b-roll, flow. That's a masterpiece. What a turn (for good) The Verge. Hats off.
I agree. Sad thing in this case, MKBHD will have millions more views that this video and people need to see this video before dropping some much money on this device
Same thing happened with Cybertuck review. MKBHD review was weak sauce compared to for example Hagety review, which was absolutely fantastic, but got a way less views (19M vs 5M). And I say this as a big MKBHD supporter!
@@epavlov those numbers are the same order of magnitute. this vid has 30k as of writing. just the unboxing by MKBHD has 830k+ views so far. thats almost 30x more. if his review gets ~20M like the one you mentioned and this one doesnt hit 50k, that is already over a 400x difference in reach.
That's very instinctive. It really is a nightmare world that we're being dragged to here. I think most can sense it but are powerless to stop it from happening.
@@robhunt8378 I mean, $3500 isn’t being dragged out of my wallet to buy this thing. I doubt this kind of technology will ever get cheap enough that everyone will have one. Sure, we’ll sometimes get in a Zoom call and have a weird digital person there, but it’s not like we’re being dragged into a nightmare VR world. You can always choose to not accept new technology.
I was sitting here watching this thinking “Is this one of the best product reviews I’ve ever seen?” Then I went to the comments and realized I wasn’t alone; this truly was a spectacular review. Thoughtful, informative, critical without being cynical, funny at times, and passionate. This review was the moment I decided to subscribe, because if this is the quality of reviews that I can expect from The Verge, I’m all in.
Reminds me of the Eagles Auto Biography Movie. Nearly Every band member and/or affiliate "looked" at an angle to the camera, EXCEPT, Henley and Frey. I found that interesting, and certainly was a show of "seniority"!
Sadly, poorly done in terms of content. The complains are made in this review ridiculous, and you will not hear them in the reviews of other headsets that have much bigger compromises than this headset. The whole framing is negative while reviews of much worse headsets than this had good vibes.
Bro this the best review for this item so far. Every other reviewer has like a series planned because they know we won't get it for a while and trying to maximize engagement or whatever. Just show us everything dammit. Kudos.
Yep the hand-controller-centric design is going to be a flop. I say this having used VR since the Oculus DK1. Humans need dedicated controllers for things.
just finished it. Absolutely fantastic review. Transparent, honest and exactly what I expected for a device that is supposed to be a game-changer. Thank you... especially to you art director who did an amazing job with this video!
Might be higher res, but with a much smaller FOV and the detailed reviews I've seen of the pass-through say it is pretty poor compaired to the Quest 3.
Quest 3 also functions as a traditional VR device with game controllers. Like it or not, that remains the main selling point for now. MR as a productivity focus will very likely arrive some time when they are small and comfortable to wear for a full day. But the Vision Pro is clearly not there yet.
Forreal. FOV plays a huge part in immersion, it's crazy that all of Apple's engineering muscle couldn't get a wider FOV especially considering how bleeding-edge its screen tech is.
@@goinginzane To think about it, the wider the view, the more pixel you have to put it to fill out the view. And I think they choose to put more clarify to it instead of POV. I mean, they call it "Spacial Computer", not VR headset so they want their device to be a topnotch display, not an immersive device.
Just charging. EDIT: Seems like I misunderstood what he meant by not being able to share the experience. You can do so via AirPlay, which is great. Most TVs nowadays are AirPlay enabled.
Thank you, every video I've watched so far seems to just be using the on-headset screenrecording. It doesnt seem that bad for short stuff, but long recordings or trying to do something may be impossible.@@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep
Nilay, I have to say that you have the best takes in Tech. It's not that you understand tech, or understand software, or hardware, or UI, but you also understand why companies do what they do. The extra insight into the behind the scenes company thinking and strategy just adds a bit extra to your reviews. Thank you so much for your thorough review of this Apple device. You aren't just a tech enthusiast but also a tech futurist.
@@JimboJones99God bless the people who have broken away from the Trump cult. Wait, why are we even talking about this on a video about the Apple Vision Pro?! 😂😂😂
Agreed, this review was absolutely wonderful and really helps people understand these sorts of products and their capabilities as well as their setbacks. Thanks Nilay!!!
Rarely post comments but this video absolutely deserves it. Brilliant work of all the people involved, amazing tech journalism as it is supposed to be.
It doesn’t look like looking through binoculars 😂 he was showing that for the purpose of explaining his point, it doesn’t look like that all if you care to watch the other segments of the video. You see none of the edges.
This is far beyond most VR headsets I've tried. It's truly a taste of "what could some day be" -- not yet a product in its "iPhone 4 or iPhone 15" stage of maturity yet. Nilay is understandably critical, but I see those little smiles when he's using it -- so does Apple. I'll say if it was $2000 I'd already have bought it. But close to $4000 is out of my price range for "geeky curiosities"
Exactly _what_ part of that sounds dystopian? Eating a sandwich? Doing literally _anything_ with this headset on? There's *literally nothing* dystopian about that. If you wanted to make the argument that sitting alone in a dark room watching truedepth videos of your kids who died twenty years ago (ala Tom Cruise in Minority Report), then yes, _that_ is dystopian all day. But doing _anything_ with a headset on is not by its very nature dystopian.
"Thanks to Apple for providing me with free entertainment credits (And. making sure that all legalities in regards to the National Ministry of Desert are fulfilled.) to purchase some of the most interesting apps on the marketplace. I ate my usual daily ration grasshopper sandwich with this headset (Microfood Inc.. "Quarterpounder" if you are interested.) on with "Ham sandwich" AR skin (One of 37 available skins approved by the Ministry of Wellbeing so far.) and it really transformed the experience." This is dystopian.
Listen to me: This is the best Verge review of many to come with this Dude (Nilay Patel). Please do more; I enjoyed his sense of humor, adept review, and astute questioning. Do you want your computer ...?
Yeah, I would love to have one. But it doesn't fit my workflow in a way that I could justify the price. If I had more money lying around I could definitely appreciate what it does offer.
You definitely don’t need one, but it really is worth trying out. Seeing spatial video is truly surreal and there are no words to describe how realistic it feels.
amazing review, which actually managed to get the verge (back) on my radar. i only really subscribed for the conference/launch event summary videos, but after watching this review i started listening to the vergecast and have been steadily working my way through the backlog. i'm now in march 2022 and really glad i happened to click on this video
To the entire Verge team - what a great video! I can't imagine how much work it was to create it - but thank you for it! Thank you for the honest review of the device and the great visuals. Looking behind the marketing curtain of the AVP I now I have the feeling what this product is really about, how it works. You rock!
Echoing others - this is perhaps one of the best, if not the best, reviews I've ever seen. Complex tech explained succinctly - abstract implications presented sensitively - funny, thoughtful, informative. Chef kiss
@@JSilv3r I mean, yeah. It’s definitely less expensive. But I would be curious to see how close you could get to recreating the Apple Vision Pro for $500. I’m not saying you’re wrong, I just don’t know that it would be possible for that amount of money.
Coming back to watch this once again after using the AVP for a week now. What a masterpiece by Nilay and the team, one of their best reviews ever. I agree with everything said: some incredibly brave ideas in the AVP, but some of them might just never be feasible. Right now, it's great for movies, but that's about it. It needs a lot more apps, lack of support for 3D content was frustrating and it also needs much better multitasking management. Apple might need to go back to the drawing board to make this one work. The first one will most likely be a flop of even bigger proportions that Apple expected.
I know Nilay is busy with his job but I really wish he would come back every now and then for reviews. I miss the top tier Verge reviews during the Nilay-Dieter era.
18:10 that capability is whats missing in most XR headset, multiple room pinning is important if you want this headset to not be such a hassle to use day to day, open apps in the correct place. easy to walk around with. i hope the demo in apple store would have that baked in so people can just walk around in store interacting with set windows.
That sounds good in theory but in reality you going to get notifications each time something has moved in the room since the last time you put it on. On my Quest 3 this happens every time I put it back on so I just do a new room scale each time cause it's easier then trying to figure out what has moved
This review did the justice to Vision pro. Very honest and very realistic review. Exactly what I needed to know about, the FOV, the pixelation, the latency, the little tradeoffs, the amazing things which actually work.. props to the team and this guy
This is an excellent review of a product that’s fundamentally hard to review since it’s 1) very different to any product the viewers have and 2) Impossible to really show on a 2D video. I think the most important point is that VR headsets may never become mainstream regardless of how good the tech get. Well done Verge!
I think a lot of AR/VR enthusiasts are honestly the tech's own worst enemy with the constant attempts to push them as fully replacing conventional interfaces instead of allowing them to be more specialized. Because while the tech is really cool and has some neat applications, conventional interfaces will still dominate, for the same reason accurate speech-to-text didn't replace keyboards.
@@jmiller6066 i think it becomes a level of how good does it really get to be used in daily life. As it stands from here its a hard no, ive personally been a AR, VR fan for a long time buying a Occulus back when they first came out for gaming. but to implement something like this into daily life isnt impossible but i believe we just arnt there yet. Once it gets to a point of, it making life so much easier to the point of efficiency then it will be used. As we no longer press the number pad on our phones 3 times to get the correct letter to type a message. It would need to be at a point of the film Ready Player One. And i also dont believe this will happen for another decade or two due to companies refusing to work together to benefit the technological progress of this industry.
20:15 This was the main reason I thought about getting the Vision Pro. Instead of buying three 4K screens for my work, which could cost around $3500, I considered investing that money in the Vision Pro. In this scenario, the extra cost wouldn't be a big deal because you get additional features. However, since you mentioned that extending your Mac screen to multiple screens or one ultra-wide screen isn't possible, it's not an option for me. Apple always limits you in one way or another.
That limit is not necessary Apple's intention. It's the limit of streaming video over WiFi bandwidth to a device that also needs that limited bandwidth to connect to the web. Maybe in the future where WiFi bandwidth increases dramatically to allow multiple streams of video, that's when you can overcome this limitation.
I think you’re misunderstanding something here. When you have 3 4k monitors you’re using multiple windows on each and only looking at a portion of one of them at a time. You can fill your Vision with windows to your hearts content.
@@wisdomyaw03 Or just have a direct connection to the vision pro. Not a massive compromise to have one additional cable that enables a huge selling point.
@@wisdomyaw03usb-c exists it can transmit audio and internet i just don't understand why they don't do it, it's just apple being apple but it hurts the customer especially with a product so expensive
I want a computer where I can show someone else who has their own headset what I'm looking at. Ultimately AR/VR headsets are going to be like phones, everyone will have one. They're not designed long-term to include outsiders.
I've always rated this host, but this particular video must be the most exemplary review work done by him. His arguments naturally converged to a crisis of personhood by the end of the video: do you want to live in a world so artfully manufactured by an interlink of megacorps? Where the inputs methods are so seamlessly intimate that the computer necessarily sees every bit of you, and Apple, of all companies, could monopolise the shine of your eyes, the gestures at your fingertips? That last bit where he got DRMed by Disney is hauntingly and satirically Black Mirror-ish. I couldn't speak for everyone's needs, but personally, I like the computer contained in my phone, and no where else. I hope this product fails miserably sooner than not, because at some level, I kinda really fucking want one.
@@LeseanDeVonI know. It's a cliche to muse or fuss about social/familial disconnects and whatnot, because it's such a intimate and nuanced matter. Most people would snort and say "it's my freedom to do as I please...", and go about their day. But it's true. I found out about my wife's untreatable cancer last year. No one has as much time as they think they do. I personally find it insidious to have your entire face swallowed up by a computer. A future as advocated by soulless corporate drones, who insist that the tenderness and spontaneity of a face could be captured by a smooth-skinned 3D model. It's tone-deaf, and offensive to me. Reminds of that livestream event where Zuckerberg was walking down a VR farm with hundreds hooked to machines, looking at... the Metaverse. Pardon my strong opinion.
“The best I’ve ever seen, but not perfect” and “The best anyone has ever made ‘in there’ look, but it’s still not as good as ‘out here’” are the best ways to describe this headset. It’s extremely impressive (especially for a first generation product), and good at doing everything it needs to, but definitely has room for improvement. I think the best addition might be a controller like the Quest. I’m excited to see where this product line goes, and I’m excited to demo one someday. It looks beautiful. Thank you to The Verge and Nilay Patel for this extremely high-production review, I will definitely keep an eye out for your review of whatever Apple makes next.
The bezels are huge compared to the promo materials. What's even the point of a virtual screen when you can get a real life one for the same price or less.
apple displays are pretty high, even higher than the vison. but in all honesty as a person with 4 normal vr headsets, and triple screen setup. a lot of what sounds cool about this i can do in vr already, you can place different windows in spaces in vr, exact i cant see though my vr headset. also from apple apps, and other apples features i dont see the point either for most people unless they using it for work and have limited space at home or work.
Tech journalism at its finest, props to the team at Verge! This will probably be the best review of the Vision Pro (even tho it wont get as much views). Loved the insights.
LOL I’ve been using mine everyday (6-8 hours to study for medical school and 1-2 hours watching RUclips and movies) and I LOVE it. Sure there is room for improvements but as far as first gen products go it’s crazy how good it already is! All of my family and friends who have tried it have had their mind blown!
So VisionOS has a less restrictive windows management than iPadOS which it's based on. iPad Pro users have been asking for this for years. This is ridicoulous.
The cable is not permanently attached to the battery pack. There’s a release pin, presumably so they can sell replacements, or maybe higher capacity versions in the future.
Excellent review! What's missing is how it interoperates with other libraries - if at all? The lack of a library of already made VR games is probably the biggest downer to all VR enthusiasts. Having to purchase the same software over again with DRM is completely unreasonable.
Nope doesn't support them at all. Doesn't supports the OpenXR standard. Doesn't support unreal engine. Does support the unity game engine but you have to pay an extra subscription for it. And of course adapt it to the vision pro. Adoption will be very slow for VR games if at all. I haven't even started with the lack of motion controllers or limited GPU Hardware.
i think the biggest problem is that people want VR headsets to be everything at once, so they also have to compete with TVs, Computers, and phones all at once, a headset can't just be better than one of those devices.
@@jacob476 and that's the problem, if it only had to compete with one of them it wouldn't have to be so complex. But for a lot of people simply having 3D goggles that are a monitor replacement isn't enough, they also have to have full color pass-through and face tracking and good audio, and a strong enough processor to be usable standalone, and the list goes on.
Verge reminds everyone yet again why it's the best in the tech business. Amazing review, production must have been a colossal effort and love all the detail you went in to
It screams classic Apple first product to me. The difference being the $3500 intro price. It will be interesting to see where the eventual non-pro device sits.
The bigger issue, aside from the price tag, is that Apple is literally a decade late to this whole product segment, and they haven't meaningfully improved on the VR experience over existing products that cost a literal fraction of the price.
By far, my most favorite review from you and the best I have seen on this tech. I genuinely felt your intent to educate us, not just inform us. That's difficult and I appreciate your effort.
Amazing review! I love how in depth it was. Enough detail for experienced VR users (like myself, a quest 2 owner) while also covering all baseline stuff for new comers. I think you summed it up well at the end. I think most people's minds will be blown when they put it on (rightfully so) but at the end of the day who wants to wear a heavy headset for hours on end? I love what my Quest 2 can do but after the initial few weeks with the device I only occasionally comeback to it.
I have the same issue with buying anything like this. wtf is the point lol, I already have a computer with multiple 4k screens and it plays the games I like. Novelty is not worth the pricetag and im not sure it ever will be.
99% of the time humanity overall has spent so far in VR is not playing video games but sitting in front of a virtual mirror with friends and strangers in VRChat. The problem is this thing doesn't even have that, so not even VR's biggest fanatics will see the value.
@@kazioo2 This is a step on a ladder that leads to smartglasses, it's not really a true VR headset. But it makes sense they try to incorporate all the free VR goodies already out there. What is important is that people have a tool to realize their AR ideas. I don't think Apple wants VRchat, they want to invent their own version so they can own the whole eco-system. That's what they always do.
I'm still waiting for a VR headset that lets me plug my Blu-ray player's HDMI cable in and watch my 3D Blu-ray discs, without needing to buy digital copies of films I already own.
15:30 But you always looking at the cursor and at the place where you are clicking. Not at your mouse or hand. I think the confusion of controlling the Vision Pro is only because it's unusual and not precise. With mouse you also can not flail your hand anywhere, you need to operate in very certain borders of the mouse pad.
But it a vr headset, do you really think you can use it to click and touch without looking at where your hand at? Whenever I use my mouse or my laptop trackpad i already know where they are so I don't have to check if my hand is in the right position.
As someone who bought a Apple Newton oh so many years ago, this extremely thorough review has me experiencing the technical equivalent of déjà vu. I think I'll skip the eventual buyer's remorse on this one.
that last thought was so well said; this is tech that is first gen, but will open up the possibilities for creatives and engineers to know that what can be possible is not as far as it seems.
Which is more rude - talking to someone wearing an AVP or talking to their “persona” on a Zoom call?
Neither
Why are you always so negative? Stop being such a killjoy.
I tried to kiss my mother in law on our Christmas party. Nothing is rude anymore.
Or, The Verge's lame a$$ self-conscious display of "worldly" cynicism.
Please don’t be rude to people wearing Vision Pro.
This is one of the best reviews I have ever seen.
Thumbs up
Why doesn’t the verge just do this the whole time. They could be just as big as any of the other techtube review brands…this is seriously the best review I’ve ever seen on RUclips. Bravo!!!!!
The verge isn’t just a RUclips channel 🤦♂️
Is the first time I spent almost 30 min watching a review and ended wanting more. What a great experience. 😮🎉
It costs money to make these videos, so it's only worth doing for products that they know will attract lots of viewers
I really liked Nilay's presentation style. Calm, with a degree of philosophical heft
Agree. This was an insanely good and transparent video!
This review should be a benchmark for anyone who wants to do tech product review.
30min I couldn't even skip and forgot that I'm watching a video .. feels honest, personal , and to the point.
The other reviews of the AVP feels like they are afraid to piss off Apple.
because if they piss of Apple, then Apple won't send them stuff to review.
Then they have to buy the stuff to do review!!!. OMG!!! Can you imagine the horror?? Buying tech to review? That absurd and preposterous.
Agree, this felt well balanced and unbiased compared to every other review I’ve seen so far.
mkbhd?
Agreed. The AVP is promising a new computer experience so it’s great how they carried us through that experience before giving us an evaluation based on some fundamental questions.
I know the ones you are talking about. MKBHDGSJA loving the external battery.
"Listen to me, do you really want a computer that is always looking to your hands." had me laughing.
which is the sole reason blankets were invented before AR headsets.
Best line !
hahaha, me too, I snorted out loud at that bit!
Sameee
Perv
Never watched a verge review before but this was one of the best tech reviews I've seen in a while and, considering I basically live on techtube, is saying something. Bravo to the reviewer, dude killed it
He doesn't do many reviews but Nilay Patel is the best tech reviewer in the game. And it's not close lol.
Nilay... he's been in the game... well, since before techtube. Definitely good at what he does and then some.
you need to get out more
same, the whole video was insanely done had me captivated throughout the 28 minutes. def earned a subscriber
More Nilay, less…well less of almost everyone else…
This is one of THE best product review videos Ive ever seen. The editing. The pacing. The narration. 100/100 presentation. I stopped caring about the headset halfway through and was just amazed on the production value of this. Well done Verge! And Well done Nilay Patel!
very well put
no really had to stop and sub of how good this was all put together and every word was on point.
Basically you're saying the product really isn't that interesting, and Nilay is more fun to listen to. Well done Apple.
Where is the first jacket from!?
This is the first review I've heard that sounded like it wasn't written by Apple thank you
And from The Verge of all places, it's wild
ja bcause its written by Meta
@@LiliumOrientalis The Verge isn't really pro Apple though. So this review tracks.
@@simulacrae You must be new here!
Forget the product for just a second. This is one of the best reviews I have ever seen.
Super appreciate the effort in this episode. 10/10 hats off
What are you talking about? This the worst review on ytube. Focused on technicalities and philosophical stupid questions nobody asked instead of experience and real life everyday scenarios.
Next: Quest3 vs Apple VR
Until it's not :P
This is a review I doubt MKBHD can top. And that's saying a lot. Insights, conclusions, b-roll, flow. That's a masterpiece. What a turn (for good) The Verge. Hats off.
I agree. Sad thing in this case, MKBHD will have millions more views that this video and people need to see this video before dropping some much money on this device
Same thing happened with Cybertuck review. MKBHD review was weak sauce compared to for example Hagety review, which was absolutely fantastic, but got a way less views (19M vs 5M). And I say this as a big MKBHD supporter!
@@epavlov those numbers are the same order of magnitute. this vid has 30k as of writing. just the unboxing by MKBHD has 830k+ views so far. thats almost 30x more. if his review gets ~20M like the one you mentioned and this one doesnt hit 50k, that is already over a 400x difference in reach.
Relax. MKBHD doesn't even have a review video app only an unboxing, let's wait before judging..
Well MKBHD is massively overrated, so that's kind of to be expected.
Most of us will just have to wait till Vision Pro SE is released 5 yrs from now for $1k.
Man, just buy quest 3
At that point you can probably buy a Quest 6 for like 50 bucks xD
Just save up or put it on credit.
@@alphagodvonif it’s not essential, like a Vision Pro, don’t buy what you can’t afford credit is the worst possible option
@@Play-nn3bt it’s not the same tho. Different experiences, ecosystems, and abilities.
This is the first time that I've sat through a 30 min review without skipping even a second.
Wait a sec, was it 30 minutes long?!
@@Clodd1 lol didn't even notice
Every second second? 😂
me too! Nilay has instantly become my favorite tech reviewer
Wow, y'all must be easily entertained, I skipped through it... Meh 😑 not impressed
13:04
"You look like... like someone drew you from a memory."
"From a nightmare they had of me"
💀
😂😂😂
That's very instinctive. It really is a nightmare world that we're being dragged to here. I think most can sense it but are powerless to stop it from happening.
@@robhunt8378 I mean, $3500 isn’t being dragged out of my wallet to buy this thing. I doubt this kind of technology will ever get cheap enough that everyone will have one. Sure, we’ll sometimes get in a Zoom call and have a weird digital person there, but it’s not like we’re being dragged into a nightmare VR world. You can always choose to not accept new technology.
@@robhunt8378 money talks. If people don't buy the headset we can stop this from happening.
@@DailyRants89just like Zuck's Metaverse.
I was sitting here watching this thinking “Is this one of the best product reviews I’ve ever seen?” Then I went to the comments and realized I wasn’t alone; this truly was a spectacular review. Thoughtful, informative, critical without being cynical, funny at times, and passionate. This review was the moment I decided to subscribe, because if this is the quality of reviews that I can expect from The Verge, I’m all in.
I think he comes across as arrogant and cynical.
Are you fool?
@@TaoMike-n3x Explain?
@@royevans1882what?? He seems critical but fair to me
@@royevans1882 That's because he is.
Why is this filmed like a true crime doc. Those random angles on the guy 😂😂😂😂
verge forgot theyre not vice
All that’s missing is the creepy music lol
Yeah but I love it
Reminds me of the Eagles Auto Biography Movie. Nearly Every band member and/or affiliate "looked" at an angle to the camera, EXCEPT, Henley and Frey. I found that interesting, and certainly was a show of "seniority"!
😂😂
This was quite a detailed review of Vision Pro. Well done, Verge!
npc lol
Same! I didn't think I would watch the whole thing, but I did lol
First time I've seen The Verge review an Apple product with the same level of scrutiny they give to non-Apple products.
@@Cakebatteredreally? The Verge has been Google partner for more than decade both for its software and backend. And it shows in reviews like this.
Sadly, poorly done in terms of content. The complains are made in this review ridiculous, and you will not hear them in the reviews of other headsets that have much bigger compromises than this headset. The whole framing is negative while reviews of much worse headsets than this had good vibes.
Bro this the best review for this item so far. Every other reviewer has like a series planned because they know we won't get it for a while and trying to maximize engagement or whatever. Just show us everything dammit. Kudos.
This guy is a professional complainer man. This is typical of his style.
@donoryan I don't think this came across as complaining at all. Clearly it's not a perfect product
I think people has a series planned on it mostly because it hasn’t been very long since they recieved it.
MKBHD 😂
@@donoryannah, this guy’s great. He’s just not willing to jump on the hype train like most other reviewers.
Personas = basically Polar Express characters
Haha YES! Pretty accurate analogy.
Nailed it
Hogwarts paintings
reminds me of la noire
@@o_q You're right!
This is not only the most grounded Apple Vision Pro Review yet but might just be the best video review of a consumer electronics device ever made
Yeah this guy is pretty good, made me like a Verge video for the first time in my life.
After watching both MKBHD‘s unboxing, and Joanna Stern‘s review, seeing them all on the FaceTime call together felt like a tech nerd’s No Way Home
"Do you want to use a computer that is always looking at your hands?" That last question really got me lol. Man I've really missed Nilay's reviews.
That was hilarious
Or do you prefer the one that's always touching them?
🤣🤣 fap fap
Yep the hand-controller-centric design is going to be a flop. I say this having used VR since the Oculus DK1. Humans need dedicated controllers for things.
@@rhadiem I think you missed the joke he was making. 😆
🍆👋🏻
just finished it. Absolutely fantastic review. Transparent, honest and exactly what I expected for a device that is supposed to be a game-changer. Thank you... especially to you art director who did an amazing job with this video!
thank you! and yes our video team killed it!
Actual journalism in 2024? This video was so great and informative! Really a great piece of journalistic work!
The head tilt at 27:26 is the greatest moment in any Verge review.
The intense eye contact and the knowing lean in 😂
Naughty Nilay!
Nilay: Tim I knew what you were thinking
apple: we have decided to discontinue the apple vision pro after learning what our users are using it for
I can't BELIEVE I didn't get that. I feel ashamed.
Quest 3 may not have the same resolution. But I feel like for the lower price, you get a lot more enjoyment then the vision pro has to offer.
Might be higher res, but with a much smaller FOV and the detailed reviews I've seen of the pass-through say it is pretty poor compaired to the Quest 3.
The Meta Quest is the best. The Vision Pro is only woe.
It is terrible for that price. A meta headset at 75% of the price would have been way better
Quest 3 also functions as a traditional VR device with game controllers. Like it or not, that remains the main selling point for now.
MR as a productivity focus will very likely arrive some time when they are small and comfortable to wear for a full day. But the Vision Pro is clearly not there yet.
@@nikl.astrophotoThe library for games doesn’t exist
That narrower field of view compared to the Quest 3 is a huge miss
Yeah that's a shock.
Agreed, but also wondering if this may be more of a personal thing. I haven't heard any of the other reviewers talk about it.
Forreal. FOV plays a huge part in immersion, it's crazy that all of Apple's engineering muscle couldn't get a wider FOV especially considering how bleeding-edge its screen tech is.
@@goinginzane To think about it, the wider the view, the more pixel you have to put it to fill out the view. And I think they choose to put more clarify to it instead of POV. I mean, they call it "Spacial Computer", not VR headset so they want their device to be a topnotch display, not an immersive device.
Thanks for this. Really informative!
If I’m honest, it probably makes me appreciate my quest 3 more.
There’s not really anything ground breaking here.
Marques saying good thing about the vision pro and the Verge just roasting it💀
Well marques is very biased
@@hawkraider0078very bought
how@@hawkraider0078
@@hawkraider0078this is better than any other virtual/augmented reality device we have right now. How is that being biased?
You took this as a roast? He pointed out what it could do and why it’s not there yet. I thought there was just enough positive with negative.
Does the USB-C port on the battery function for data transfer and an HDMI output? or is it simply for power/charging?
Just charging.
EDIT: Seems like I misunderstood what he meant by not being able to share the experience. You can do so via AirPlay, which is great. Most TVs nowadays are AirPlay enabled.
Screen mirroring is literally listed on the website.@@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep
Thank you, every video I've watched so far seems to just be using the on-headset screenrecording. It doesnt seem that bad for short stuff, but long recordings or trying to do something may be impossible.@@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep
@@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep ofcourse they will add that stuff, but you need to pay. It's apple,
then he's wrong. It's been documented to have screenshare to mac or iPhone
Ive seen many tech reviewers do reviews but this dude killed it goddamn
Nilay, I have to say that you have the best takes in Tech. It's not that you understand tech, or understand software, or hardware, or UI, but you also understand why companies do what they do. The extra insight into the behind the scenes company thinking and strategy just adds a bit extra to your reviews. Thank you so much for your thorough review of this Apple device. You aren't just a tech enthusiast but also a tech futurist.
God Bless Nilay 🙏📲🤙
God Bless President Trump 🙏🇺🇸
@@JimboJones99 Jimbo stop wasting time on RUclips, get back to work, how else are you going to help Trump pay his 83 million
@@Nighthunt01 God Bless Nighthunt01 🙏🤙
God Bless President Trump 🙏🇺🇸
@@JimboJones99God bless the people who have broken away from the Trump cult. Wait, why are we even talking about this on a video about the Apple Vision Pro?! 😂😂😂
Agreed, this review was absolutely wonderful and really helps people understand these sorts of products and their capabilities as well as their setbacks. Thanks Nilay!!!
coming back to watch this because it’s one of the best review videos i’ve ever seen. the first two minutes should win awards
Rarely post comments but this video absolutely deserves it. Brilliant work of all the people involved, amazing tech journalism as it is supposed to be.
thank you!
That’s a great honor ❤❤❤
Smaller FOV than the quest? That's rough for $3500. Hard to sell immersion when looking through binoculars.
It doesn’t look like looking through binoculars 😂 he was showing that for the purpose of explaining his point, it doesn’t look like that all if you care to watch the other segments of the video. You see none of the edges.
@@k.vn.k bro has - 25 iq
i believe it’s due to the lens choice they made
@@blueboy3990 exactly my point but i am just being polite
@@k.vn.ku don't see edges because it's a screen capture...
The editing went so hard in this video. Fantastic video showcasing all of the questions we could have about the device. Really great stuff!
This is far beyond most VR headsets I've tried. It's truly a taste of "what could some day be" -- not yet a product in its "iPhone 4 or iPhone 15" stage of maturity yet. Nilay is understandably critical, but I see those little smiles when he's using it -- so does Apple.
I'll say if it was $2000 I'd already have bought it. But close to $4000 is out of my price range for "geeky curiosities"
The production quality on this video is next level.
Yea, it just screams buy me buy me buy me.
27:24 HARDEST LINE FROM THE VERGE REVIEWS LOVE IT
Yeah that part was very well done
Took me a while to get the joke 😂😂😂😂😂😂 ya guys.. this might not be it😂
It's all local though, that data doesn't leave your device
@@laden6675 its not supposed to*
data does a lot of things its not supposed to.. this could be the next epstien, haha
@@Voidroamer Why the next Epstein?
I’m looking forward to the third iteration of this thing. Let’s see in 10 years.
probably more like 4 years! I'd say they release a new model at least every two years
They need to make it smaller and stylish which can be worn or implated throughout the day
I'm eager to see Google or Samsung's response lmao.
"I ate a sandwich with this headset on" sounds mad dystopian yet I'm still intrigued overall 😂
Exactly _what_ part of that sounds dystopian?
Eating a sandwich?
Doing literally _anything_ with this headset on?
There's *literally nothing* dystopian about that.
If you wanted to make the argument that sitting alone in a dark room watching truedepth videos of your kids who died twenty years ago (ala Tom Cruise in Minority Report), then yes, _that_ is dystopian all day.
But doing _anything_ with a headset on is not by its very nature dystopian.
"Thanks to Apple for providing me with free entertainment credits (And. making sure that all legalities in regards to the National Ministry of Desert are fulfilled.) to purchase some of the most interesting apps on the marketplace. I ate my usual daily ration grasshopper sandwich with this headset (Microfood Inc.. "Quarterpounder" if you are interested.) on with "Ham sandwich" AR skin (One of 37 available skins approved by the Ministry of Wellbeing so far.) and it really transformed the experience." This is dystopian.
@@Soniti1324I think you're taking this too seriously.
It's a testament to how far we've come in video resolution and quality that we can see Nilay's contacts in the video
Layering effects onto the screen capture was a great idea, props to the team for that one
The intro is amazing, specially where Nilay grabs the vision pro
Listen to me: This is the best Verge review of many to come with this Dude (Nilay Patel). Please do more; I enjoyed his sense of humor, adept review, and astute questioning. Do you want your computer ...?
Agreed this guy is a rad journalist.
I am yet to see ONE thing that has me like “I NEED that”
Yeah, I would love to have one. But it doesn't fit my workflow in a way that I could justify the price. If I had more money lying around I could definitely appreciate what it does offer.
You definitely don’t need one, but it really is worth trying out. Seeing spatial video is truly surreal and there are no words to describe how realistic it feels.
especially at this price point. that's a hell of a lot of money for what is, let's be honest, a novelty right now.
Yeah no, I am not fooling around with that kind of technology
You obviously haven't watched the video , no vr motion sickness , watchng 3d videos , multiple windows etc etc , there are alot of features.
Personas are giving me strong GOLDENEYE on N64 and Max Payne vibes haha
I was thinking the NHL videogame circa 2002, but Max Payne is actually a great comparison
Not really. Marques is right when he says it looks more like a painting than a photo. Max Payne was a photo.
I really don't like using hand tracking on the Quest 3. It just feels so much more efficient to use physical controllers.
amazing review, which actually managed to get the verge (back) on my radar. i only really subscribed for the conference/launch event summary videos, but after watching this review i started listening to the vergecast and have been steadily working my way through the backlog. i'm now in march 2022 and really glad i happened to click on this video
To the entire Verge team - what a great video! I can't imagine how much work it was to create it - but thank you for it! Thank you for the honest review of the device and the great visuals. Looking behind the marketing curtain of the AVP I now I have the feeling what this product is really about, how it works. You rock!
Do I rock too?
And from the entire Verge crew - thank YOU! 🙏
The FaceTime reminds of the scene from robocop 2 where the Kain showed his face 😂😂😂😂
Echoing others - this is perhaps one of the best, if not the best, reviews I've ever seen. Complex tech explained succinctly - abstract implications presented sensitively - funny, thoughtful, informative. Chef kiss
This is my first time on this channel and damn the production and editing is crisp
Quite possibly one of the best product reviews I've seen in a really long time.
The vision pro really highlights just how impressive the quest 3 is
in what way
@@ilovedagreendayfor one it’s a seventh of the cost 😂
@@JSilv3rbut not better in no way
@@JSilv3rit is so bad in comparison that the price difference looks perfectly justified
@@JSilv3r I mean, yeah. It’s definitely less expensive. But I would be curious to see how close you could get to recreating the Apple Vision Pro for $500. I’m not saying you’re wrong, I just don’t know that it would be possible for that amount of money.
Coming back to watch this once again after using the AVP for a week now. What a masterpiece by Nilay and the team, one of their best reviews ever. I agree with everything said: some incredibly brave ideas in the AVP, but some of them might just never be feasible. Right now, it's great for movies, but that's about it. It needs a lot more apps, lack of support for 3D content was frustrating and it also needs much better multitasking management. Apple might need to go back to the drawing board to make this one work. The first one will most likely be a flop of even bigger proportions that Apple expected.
I know Nilay is busy with his job but I really wish he would come back every now and then for reviews. I miss the top tier Verge reviews during the Nilay-Dieter era.
Yeah this really was an amazing review.
I have zero interest in this product and couldn't stop watching. Spectacular video.
What’s the most important thing in your life?
Him: my hairstyle.
18:10 that capability is whats missing in most XR headset, multiple room pinning is important if you want this headset to not be such a hassle to use day to day, open apps in the correct place. easy to walk around with.
i hope the demo in apple store would have that baked in so people can just walk around in store interacting with set windows.
That sounds good in theory but in reality you going to get notifications each time something has moved in the room since the last time you put it on. On my Quest 3 this happens every time I put it back on so I just do a new room scale each time cause it's easier then trying to figure out what has moved
Apple made an API to support multiple rooms not long ago. They will most definitely use it in the future features themselves.
6:03. Wrong, the cable is not permanently attached. In other reviews and the iFixit teardown they show it.
This review did the justice to Vision pro. Very honest and very realistic review. Exactly what I needed to know about, the FOV, the pixelation, the latency, the little tradeoffs, the amazing things which actually work.. props to the team and this guy
This is an excellent review of a product that’s fundamentally hard to review since it’s 1) very different to any product the viewers have and 2) Impossible to really show on a 2D video. I think the most important point is that VR headsets may never become mainstream regardless of how good the tech get. Well done Verge!
I think a lot of AR/VR enthusiasts are honestly the tech's own worst enemy with the constant attempts to push them as fully replacing conventional interfaces instead of allowing them to be more specialized.
Because while the tech is really cool and has some neat applications, conventional interfaces will still dominate, for the same reason accurate speech-to-text didn't replace keyboards.
@@jmiller6066 i think it becomes a level of how good does it really get to be used in daily life. As it stands from here its a hard no, ive personally been a AR, VR fan for a long time buying a Occulus back when they first came out for gaming. but to implement something like this into daily life isnt impossible but i believe we just arnt there yet. Once it gets to a point of, it making life so much easier to the point of efficiency then it will be used. As we no longer press the number pad on our phones 3 times to get the correct letter to type a message. It would need to be at a point of the film Ready Player One. And i also dont believe this will happen for another decade or two due to companies refusing to work together to benefit the technological progress of this industry.
@@jmiller6066your last point hit the nail on the head. This isn’t reinventing the wheel. It’s a wheel with several extra steps.
20:15 This was the main reason I thought about getting the Vision Pro. Instead of buying three 4K screens for my work, which could cost around $3500, I considered investing that money in the Vision Pro. In this scenario, the extra cost wouldn't be a big deal because you get additional features. However, since you mentioned that extending your Mac screen to multiple screens or one ultra-wide screen isn't possible, it's not an option for me. Apple always limits you in one way or another.
That limit is not necessary Apple's intention. It's the limit of streaming video over WiFi bandwidth to a device that also needs that limited bandwidth to connect to the web. Maybe in the future where WiFi bandwidth increases dramatically to allow multiple streams of video, that's when you can overcome this limitation.
It's also just not comfortable to do so
I think you’re misunderstanding something here. When you have 3 4k monitors you’re using multiple windows on each and only looking at a portion of one of them at a time. You can fill your Vision with windows to your hearts content.
@@wisdomyaw03 Or just have a direct connection to the vision pro. Not a massive compromise to have one additional cable that enables a huge selling point.
@@wisdomyaw03usb-c exists it can transmit audio and internet i just don't understand why they don't do it, it's just apple being apple but it hurts the customer especially with a product so expensive
The combined hand data from my Apple Watch and now Vision Pro will give Apple the exact length and girth.
Don't forget strokes per minute and heart rate.
Can't wait for it to start telling you how to optimize your stroke like it's a golf instructor
"Do you want a computer where you can't show others what you're looking at?"
*yes*
Privacy!!!!!
I want a computer where I can show someone else who has their own headset what I'm looking at. Ultimately AR/VR headsets are going to be like phones, everyone will have one. They're not designed long-term to include outsiders.
@@rhadiem you know what would be really cool? being able to record stuff going on inside your vision pro with your iphone. that would be dope.
“Sir, this is a Starbucks”
I've always rated this host, but this particular video must be the most exemplary review work done by him. His arguments naturally converged to a crisis of personhood by the end of the video: do you want to live in a world so artfully manufactured by an interlink of megacorps? Where the inputs methods are so seamlessly intimate that the computer necessarily sees every bit of you, and Apple, of all companies, could monopolise the shine of your eyes, the gestures at your fingertips?
That last bit where he got DRMed by Disney is hauntingly and satirically Black Mirror-ish. I couldn't speak for everyone's needs, but personally, I like the computer contained in my phone, and no where else. I hope this product fails miserably sooner than not, because at some level, I kinda really fucking want one.
I like ur comment, but I really kinda gag at the reference u just threw there bc it’s corny but slightly valid concern
@@LeseanDeVonI know. It's a cliche to muse or fuss about social/familial disconnects and whatnot, because it's such a intimate and nuanced matter. Most people would snort and say "it's my freedom to do as I please...", and go about their day.
But it's true. I found out about my wife's untreatable cancer last year. No one has as much time as they think they do.
I personally find it insidious to have your entire face swallowed up by a computer. A future as advocated by soulless corporate drones, who insist that the tenderness and spontaneity of a face could be captured by a smooth-skinned 3D model. It's tone-deaf, and offensive to me. Reminds of that livestream event where Zuckerberg was walking down a VR farm with hundreds hooked to machines, looking at... the Metaverse.
Pardon my strong opinion.
“The best I’ve ever seen, but not perfect” and “The best anyone has ever made ‘in there’ look, but it’s still not as good as ‘out here’” are the best ways to describe this headset. It’s extremely impressive (especially for a first generation product), and good at doing everything it needs to, but definitely has room for improvement. I think the best addition might be a controller like the Quest. I’m excited to see where this product line goes, and I’m excited to demo one someday. It looks beautiful.
Thank you to The Verge and Nilay Patel for this extremely high-production review, I will definitely keep an eye out for your review of whatever Apple makes next.
"These displays are the main reason this thing is so expensive"
No, the main reason is the Apple Logo on it.
That DRM thing is straight out of white christmas
Or Black Mirror
Or it’s the exact same thing as on your phone…
@@Undercoverfire white christmas is an episode of black mirror
The bezels are huge compared to the promo materials. What's even the point of a virtual screen when you can get a real life one for the same price or less.
apple displays are pretty high, even higher than the vison. but in all honesty as a person with 4 normal vr headsets, and triple screen setup. a lot of what sounds cool about this i can do in vr already, you can place different windows in spaces in vr, exact i cant see though my vr headset. also from apple apps, and other apples features i dont see the point either for most people unless they using it for work and have limited space at home or work.
Response time for apple displays is horrible, promotion display is great but 120hz on phone looks more responsive than my macbook pro
This is the best tech video I have ever seen, amazing narration, brisk editing, pleasing color grade, engaging writing.
like fr this doesn't have that youtube review feel to it, so cool!
Marques’ whispered “what?” at 28:25 had me laughing out loud😂😂
Tech journalism at its finest, props to the team at Verge! This will probably be the best review of the Vision Pro (even tho it wont get as much views). Loved the insights.
Just cancelled my preorder 😂❤
u wasnt getting it anway u broke lyin azz
stop lying you never preordered on in the first place.
this apple haters are pathetic.
1:47 such a clean transition
LOL I’ve been using mine everyday (6-8 hours to study for medical school and 1-2 hours watching RUclips and movies) and I LOVE it. Sure there is room for improvements but as far as first gen products go it’s crazy how good it already is! All of my family and friends who have tried it have had their mind blown!
The fact that Siri isnt some AR lady that assist you in Vision Pro OS
They'll probably say it would be "controversial"
@@iscander_sthis is Apple after all
That’s not a sentence
@iscander_s Or its just a bland idea
@@shawnpepin7890"umm, actually 🤓☝"️
aahhhh, so nice to hear a proper review instead of an ad. thank you
I agree.
So VisionOS has a less restrictive windows management than iPadOS which it's based on. iPad Pro users have been asking for this for years. This is ridicoulous.
that's apple for ya.
"We don't think you need that."
- Apple
Doesn’t even have Netflix
The cable is not permanently attached to the battery pack. There’s a release pin, presumably so they can sell replacements, or maybe higher capacity versions in the future.
Excellent review! What's missing is how it interoperates with other libraries - if at all? The lack of a library of already made VR games is probably the biggest downer to all VR enthusiasts. Having to purchase the same software over again with DRM is completely unreasonable.
Nope doesn't support them at all. Doesn't supports the OpenXR standard. Doesn't support unreal engine.
Does support the unity game engine but you have to pay an extra subscription for it. And of course adapt it to the vision pro.
Adoption will be very slow for VR games if at all. I haven't even started with the lack of motion controllers or limited GPU Hardware.
The editing on this was fire 🔥🔥🔥
Can you play your own videos through your own apps or does everything need to be purchased and played on the apple echosystem?
i think the biggest problem is that people want VR headsets to be everything at once, so they also have to compete with TVs, Computers, and phones all at once, a headset can't just be better than one of those devices.
for 3500 USD it better be all those things, and the best too
@@jacob476 and that's the problem, if it only had to compete with one of them it wouldn't have to be so complex. But for a lot of people simply having 3D goggles that are a monitor replacement isn't enough, they also have to have full color pass-through and face tracking and good audio, and a strong enough processor to be usable standalone, and the list goes on.
Missed Nilay’s style of reviews! This was great!
Verge reminds everyone yet again why it's the best in the tech business. Amazing review, production must have been a colossal effort and love all the detail you went in to
It screams classic Apple first product to me. The difference being the $3500 intro price. It will be interesting to see where the eventual non-pro device sits.
The bigger issue, aside from the price tag, is that Apple is literally a decade late to this whole product segment, and they haven't meaningfully improved on the VR experience over existing products that cost a literal fraction of the price.
It IS a Gen 1 device. So i really hope it gets better with more iterations.
Scrolling on the iPhone through the Vision Pro is a full on Inception moment right there
It looks horrible. 😅
Bro the production quality of this video is just stupendous.... just like an apple event😮
except it has patel. 🤢
Apple or Android? @@toasterbread75
@@toasterbread75 🤣🤣
first time that a verge video does better than MKBHD on an apple review video
No, he has 3 million views
@@GoingMock2 quality over quantity, dude
Do I need a table for it and possibly a non static surface?
By far, my most favorite review from you and the best I have seen on this tech. I genuinely felt your intent to educate us, not just inform us. That's difficult and I appreciate your effort.
Amazing review! I love how in depth it was. Enough detail for experienced VR users (like myself, a quest 2 owner) while also covering all baseline stuff for new comers.
I think you summed it up well at the end. I think most people's minds will be blown when they put it on (rightfully so) but at the end of the day who wants to wear a heavy headset for hours on end? I love what my Quest 2 can do but after the initial few weeks with the device I only occasionally comeback to it.
Yeah and also you come back because of actual fun applications. The Vision Pro has none of them.
It has Work stuff and Movies.
@@AngryApple Yeah because the Rift had so many "fun" apps when it launched too. /s
@@Kenbark42 more than the Apple Vision Pro. Even first encounter is better than anything on the Vision Pro
@@AngryApple Sounds like you alr4eady have the perfect product for you! Congratulations and enjoy your rift man.
Very special
lol@@Kenbark42
Without games i don’t know what you’re suppose to do with this thing.
I have the same issue with buying anything like this. wtf is the point lol, I already have a computer with multiple 4k screens and it plays the games I like. Novelty is not worth the pricetag and im not sure it ever will be.
Make the apps for the next version.
True i dont get it, but you never know
99% of the time humanity overall has spent so far in VR is not playing video games but sitting in front of a virtual mirror with friends and strangers in VRChat. The problem is this thing doesn't even have that, so not even VR's biggest fanatics will see the value.
@@kazioo2 This is a step on a ladder that leads to smartglasses, it's not really a true VR headset. But it makes sense they try to incorporate all the free VR goodies already out there. What is important is that people have a tool to realize their AR ideas. I don't think Apple wants VRchat, they want to invent their own version so they can own the whole eco-system. That's what they always do.
I'm still waiting for a VR headset that lets me plug my Blu-ray player's HDMI cable in and watch my 3D Blu-ray discs, without needing to buy digital copies of films I already own.
15:30 But you always looking at the cursor and at the place where you are clicking. Not at your mouse or hand. I think the confusion of controlling the Vision Pro is only because it's unusual and not precise. With mouse you also can not flail your hand anywhere, you need to operate in very certain borders of the mouse pad.
Thank you! His “complaint” was such a stretch.
But it a vr headset, do you really think you can use it to click and touch without looking at where your hand at? Whenever I use my mouse or my laptop trackpad i already know where they are so I don't have to check if my hand is in the right position.
@@daviddanielngyou may want to rewatch videos on the control paradigm of this thing.
The DRM when watching movies is dystopian
As someone who bought a Apple Newton oh so many years ago, this extremely thorough review has me experiencing the technical equivalent of déjà vu. I think I'll skip the eventual buyer's remorse on this one.
No games, no way to watch RUclips VR content, no thank you. This was a fantastic review!
that last thought was so well said; this is tech that is first gen, but will open up the possibilities for creatives and engineers to know that what can be possible is not as far as it seems.