How Vision Pro technology could come to the Mac | Digital Trends

Written By Adarsh Shankar Jha

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Apple Mac Studio and Studio Display. — Apple / Apple

You’re probably familiar with Apple Vision Pro, which uses spatial computing technology to bring content to life in the world around you. VR headsets and 3D displays exist to make games and other content feel more immersive. Apple, however, wants to be the best of the best and is looking to bring spatial computing experiences to computer screens, possibly to run your Mac.

A patent for “Tunin pixel selective brightness displaysg” was published on April 4, showing the company’s interest in the technology. A large part involves the use of a lenticular screen and lenticular lens film so that the viewer can see what looks like 3D images without wearing a headset.

Images can be displayed in controlled zones and the pixel values of each pixel are adjustable for better quality. Multiple people can also see the same image, implying that the screen could have more than one viewing angle.

“A plurality of lenticular lenses can span the entire length of the screen. The lenticular lenses can be configured to allow stereoscopic projection of the display so that the viewer perceives three-dimensional images,” Apple explains in the patent.

Apple does not mention any of its products in the patent, but this is a common practice with many companies. Apple protects the idea of technology, and just because Apple has patented something, it doesn’t always become a finished product. Still, it’s nice to read about the concept and dream of a future Apple Studio display with this technology — or even a MacBook display that can display 3D content.

We’ve already seen companies toy with the idea of 3D displays. 3D TVs (which required glasses) were once all the rage, but the technology fell by the wayside. 3D is in the midst of a comeback, however, like Samsung’s upcoming display, a glasses-free 3D display that features similar spatial technology to what Apple is playing with in this patent.

However, such technology is expensive, as the Apple Vision Pro costs $3,500, and we can’t imagine how much a 3D display from Apple can cost. The Apple Studio Monitor already costs $1,600 and the Pro Display XDR $5,000.