In the spring of 2017, I was shown an early prototype of a VR headset. The application demoed on it was an immersive 3D video of a Cirque du Soleil act. It was so immersive that I was put on the stage with acrobats and jugglers in the scene doing their acts around me. It was so realistic that I flinched when the juggler threw the bowling pins around my head to the other juggler across from him.
From then on, I understood the potential of immersive 3D for all types of entertainment, especially concerts and sports.
When Apple introduced the Vision Pro last fall, one of the demos they showed was how users can view concerts and music venues in a more visually immersive experience. The example they showed was a rehearsal session of Alicia Keys and her musicians, and it puts you in the center of the session to watch it closely.
Apple’s decision to make concerts available on the Vision Pro in 2D and eventually immersive 3D is crucial to its success.
I am not one to attend many concerts in person, partially because I’m not too fond of big crowds and enjoy the music in different ways. That is not to say I have not attended concerts over the years. My first concert was to see Bob Dylan at the Cow Place in San Francisco, and I have enjoyed many major music acts in person many times. And while big crowds are not my thing, I often go to the New Orleans Jazz Fest, where most music acts are in smaller tents.
Last week, Disney+ released the concert video of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. This is the first significant concert released that is viewable on Apple’s new headset for those with the Vision Pro. Although it was filmed in 2D and you could see the same show on a TV, computer, or tablet, viewing it on the Vision Pro’s large screen made the concert experience come alive.
Kudos to the cinematographers who captured the film so that the experience on all platforms is excellent. But it became even more personal on the Vision Pro when I watched it on the headset and listened with the AirPods Max. Like the Cirque Du Soleil example mentioned above, I felt like I was on the stage with her and her troop of dancers and musicians.
While watching The Eras Tour on the Vision Pro, I tried to imagine what it would have looked like had it been shot in immersive 3D for the Vision Pro. Currently, there are three full-length 3D movies on Vision OS and other immersive 3D examples. These examples give a user a good idea of what concerts, entertainment, and sports events will look like.
However, my experience of watching The Eras Tour on the Vision Pro underscores the potential of watching immersive 3D concerts in the future. I spoke with quite a few people who went to the Live Eras Tour. Besides the high price of the ticket itself, the cost of what they spent at the event in ways of souvenirs, food, travel, other related expenses was at least $400-500 per person on average. Also, many had to travel to a major city to see this concert in person. In one case I talked to a couple who flew in from Reno and stayed two nights in a hotel, ate dinner out twice, and spent nearly $3000 on this trip and concert alone.
Of course, seeing a concert in person with friends is, in most cases, a better experience. Both my granddaughters went to see Taylor Swift in two locations, and even though their seats were far from the stage, the show experience was worth it to them and others who saw the show live. On the other hand, from those seats, you miss the fantastic details of the costumes worn, the brilliant staging, lighting, dancers and musicians, and the up-close expressions of Taylor Swift that are instrumental to her performance and stage presence.
As more concerts become available to view on the Vision Pro, especially if they are captured in immersive 3D and it allows a user to watch a concert for under $20.00, people may decide to go to more concerts virtually. As Apple expands the way a user can share a Vision Pro experience with others with the same headset, viewing a concert with friends becomes more of a draw.
It would be wrong to call viewing live concerts on the Vision Pro a killer app. However, for many entertainment and sports fans who enjoy concerts, games, and other events, Apple’s Vision Pro could save money by providing an immersive 3D experience that makes you feel like you’re there in person.
Disclosure: Apple and Disney subscribe to Creative Strategies research reports along with many high tech companies around the world.
