The release of Apple’s new augmented reality headset, the Vision Pro, has sharply divided opinion online regarding the technology’s societal impacts. Many social media users used humor and sarcasm to highlight the dystopian aspects of Apple’s latest gadget this week.
NBC News reports that the $3,500 Vision Pro headset, which overlays digital imagery and information onto real-world views, officially launched last week. Since then, videos of users testing the device in public have gone viral, fueling a debate around whether the Vision Pro represents an exciting technological leap or a dystopian future.
Vision Pro enthusiasts insist the product offers a “profound” and “futuristic” experience. YouTuber Casey Neistat called it the “most profound piece of technology [he’s] ever experienced,” while creator Canoopsy said the Vision Pro felt “like one of the most exciting pieces of technology I’ve ever used.” Both emphasized revolutionary aspects like seeing apps and playing video games integrated into their surroundings.
Apple Vision Pro Ad (Apple / YouTube)
However, many social media reactions have been far more skeptical. Critics argued wearing the bulky headset looks absurd and antisocial in public settings like transit, comparing scenes of users gesticulating wildly to characters in dystopian fiction like science fiction series Black Mirror. Viral memes depicted distracted Vision Pro wearers obliviously crossing roads or getting arrested. Others condemned the device as an expensive toy for the wealthy.
Apple Vision Pro making me feel like we’re in a black mirror episode. It’s got to be the most dystopian technology we’ve seen in years.
What we’ve witnessed over the past 4-5 years is a sinister, well orchestrated and incremental conditioning process that is programming the… https://t.co/A9OLQt5yc1 pic.twitter.com/6zsI9quFJW
— Magnus Vigsø (@MagnusVigso) February 4, 2024
Many users posted humorous memes and images about the device:
The meme is now changed forever #AppleVisionPro 😂 pic.twitter.com/4bTrycflCp
— Vincent | Leap (@r3curx) February 4, 2024
The Simpsons predicted the Apple Vision Pro. Unreal!
🔗 THE WHITE RABBIT 👁 (https://t.co/wv5NwsfWg0) pic.twitter.com/FtS4RmUW6D
— nikola 3 (@ronin19217435) February 9, 2024
POV: the year is 2035 and HR is about to fire you pic.twitter.com/RK4UJzPm8f
— gaut (@0xgaut) June 5, 2023
Some guy on the bus using Apple Vision Pro pic.twitter.com/DaoQNt7Pq7
— Dr Sean Travers (@seanjetravers) February 5, 2024
It’s called Apple Vision Pro, T. It lets you do all the things you can do on your phone but you look like even more of an asshole than you normally do. pic.twitter.com/9EvcQQDiVH
— socialist sopranos memes (@gabagoolmarx) February 6, 2024
According to Neistat, the Vision Pro has flaws as an “imperfect product,” including its hefty hardware design. But he believes it represents a major step forward like the leap from horses to cars. Canoopsy agreed the technology holds exciting potential, predicting it suggests the direction Apple is headed.
While debate continues over whether augmented reality headsets represent progress or decline, early adopters insist the Vision Pro offers a glimpse into the next generation of computing. Still, even enthusiasts admit fully integrating such devices into daily life will require social adjustment.
Read more at NBC News here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
