If you want to demo the Vision Pro at an Apple Store, prepare to be there a while

We’re getting closer and closer to launch day for Apple’s Vision Pro headset, which means if you’re not yet sold on ordering one, you’ll soon be able to try it out in the store. But don’t expect the process to be quick and easy. In the Power On newsletter this week, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says customers hoping for a demo will each have to go through face scans and the subsequent assembly of a custom Vision Pro, a walkthrough of the interface and all the controls, and device calibration — all before a 25-minute demonstration of the Vision Pro experience.

The Vision Pro is meant to sit just right on its wearer’s face, with multiple sizing options for the light seal, foam cushion and band. And Apple isn’t planning on taking the risk of an attempted universal fit for in-store demos, according to Gurman. In addition to face scans, employees will have a device to scan customers’ glasses to determine the right prescription for Vision Pro lenses. Each store “will have hundreds of lenses on hand for demos,” Gurman says, and employees will tag-team the process, with one on the floor taking customers’ details and another in the back handling assembly.

Some stores will have at least a dozen Vision Pro headsets around for people to try. During the actual demo, according to Gurman, users will be shown a series of normal, panorama and “spatial” photos, spatial videos, immersive experiences including a “scene that makes users feel as if they’re on a tightrope,” and a glimpse at what it will be like using the Vision Pro as a computer. Signups will start at 8AM local time on February 2.

If you’re just walking in to buy a Vision Pro, the process should be much simpler. You’ll have to go through the face scans — as will anyone ordering one online — and then all the correct pieces will be boxed up for you right there, Gurman says. There will also be multiple display-only units in each store, if you just want to take a look.