Apple Vision Pro may come with a ‘travel mode’ for plane rides: How will it work

Apple showed off its first mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, WWDC 2023, held earlier this month. Apple’s latest VisionOS software-powered AR/VR headset is expected to hit the US market as early as 2024. The Cupertino-based tech giant recently launched the first beta version of Apple’s latest VisionOS software. VisionOS. As MacRumors reports, the beta includes a hidden feature that should be on Apple’s Vision Pro space calculator.

This feature, dubbed “Travel Mode”, is specifically designed to improve the user experience when traveling by air. The limited space and unique environmental factors inside the aircraft cabin can be challenging for VR devices. Vision Pro’s motion mode will be Apple’s solution to ensure a smoother experience.
Apple Vision Travel Mode: How will it work?
The report notes that several text strings hinting at the functionality of this new feature were discovered in the first developer beta for ‌visionOS‌. These strings of text suggest that Travel Mode is designed to adapt the functionality of the ‌Apple Vision Pro‌ to handle enclosed spaces such as an airplane cabin. One of the text strings suggests that specific sensors and features based on spatial awareness may be turned off or down when using the Vision Pro’s Movement Mode. These features may not work properly inside an aircraft with limited space and the user being very close to other passengers. Travel Mode disables or limits these features to ensure an uninterrupted VR experience for users.

Move mode can also disable the digital Persona or avatar that will be available on Vision Pro in FaceTime. The report does not explain the exact reason for the deactivation of Digital Personas, however, it could be related to limited space and disabled awareness features. These conditions can affect the accuracy and representation of the avatar. The headset position may not be accurate depending on how the user is sitting on the flight. This may affect the eye tracking function of the device. Move mode can recognize this problem and will adjust to compensate.