Apple Vision Pro external display has more potential than we thought

An examination of the newly released VisionOS beta for the Apple Vision Pro reveals new potential for the external ‘EyeSight’ display.

Though the Apple Vision Pro has still not officially launched, more information is emerging about what can be expected from Apple’s venture in the world of VR. One of the more surprising aspects of the Vision Pro is its external display, which Apple has dubbed the ‘EyeSight’. This moniker comes from what appears to be the primary use – the ability to show the wearer’s eye ‘through’ the headset.

This enables those nearby to tell if the headset user is looking at them, or fully engaged with whatever virtual world they are inhabiting.

Apple

Of course, the Vision Pro isn’t displaying the real face of the user. Instead, users create an avatar by using the Vision Pro cameras to create a scan of their face, using several different angles to create a complete picture. This is then used as the basis for the avatar seen through the EyeSight display.

Notifications and advertising on EyeSight display

As reported by Road to VR, the full procedure for how the avatar is created was added to VisionOS beta 6, which was made accessible to developers. A close examination of the process reveals that Apple uses prompts on the external EyeSight display to guide users through the procedure, which to many has opened up a host of possibilities.

With this in mind, it seems like developers could leverage the external display for other purposes, such as displaying messages or even advertisements.

The display could even have a use when not being worn, such as glowing indicators to show low battery, or that an update is available. If Third-Party developers are given access to this functionality, it could end up being pleasing to fans of Cyberpunk, given the whole look and feel of the concept.