Key Takeaways

• Sandbox COO called Apple’s Vision Pro headset – a game changer
• It is expected that Apple and Octane X (product tied to RNDR) form a relationship soon
• Game developer Unity and Apple Vision Pro announced a co-lab
• Decentraland CEO praised Vision Pro as ” so much needed better software”
• Disney’s material has been included on Apple’s new device

The Apple Vision Pro is a game changer in the world of augmented reality headsets, with cutting-edge capabilities that promise an unrivaled experience in metaverse. 

Integrating the Apple Vision Pro into the metaverse expands opportunities for both producers and users. This headgear allows users to explore virtual landscapes, interact with virtual items, and connect with other participants in real-time by seamlessly integrating the physical and digital worlds. Vision Pro enhances the metaverse experience by allowing users to participate in virtual events and collaborate on creative projects.

This, of course, can be a big step up for blockchain and crypto companies operating in the metaverse realm, as the Apple Vision Pro will become a new resource for these companies. 

Providing Blockchain Gaming Companies with New Resources

Blockchain gaming firms are well positioned to capitalize on the Apple Vision Pro’s transformational power. These companies may give gamers improved immersion, engagement, and new gaming experiences by implementing this AR headset into their platforms. The combination of the Vision Pro with blockchain technology enables decentralized ownership of in-game assets and supports a lively environment in which users control their virtual property. This convergence of blockchain gaming and augmented reality technologies paves the path for a more inclusive and inventive gaming ecosystem.

Some blockchain and metaverse companies have already signed some sort of partnership with Apple, while some might do it very soon. Here is our top 5:

Sandbox (SAND)

Some open metaverse supporters and most obvious Apple Pro Vision future users, such as The Sandbox’s game  (SAND) co-founder and COO Sebastian Borger, predict  the Vision Pro will be so reliant on Web3 apps and blockchain-powered experiences that Apple will be forced to embrace the technology. 

Apple’s Vision Pro headset is a game changer for creativity and social connections in the metaverse. 👀

With virtual Avatars seamlessly bridging digital and physical realms, interactions can extend beyond channels like the metaverse, social media and gaming platforms.… pic.twitter.com/y3WB4ZU2bW 

— The Sandbox (@TheSandboxGame) June 6, 2023 

According to Borget, Apple’s action will allow the creation of new immersive experiences that will bring us closer to the metaverse, opening up new opportunities for artists.

And, owing to generative AI technologies, developers will be able to create immersive environments without having to manually code dozens of elements, shortening the time it takes from concept to creation. This could spark a new wave of innovation in how games may exist in mixed reality, allowing designers to create intriguing new experiences.

For example, a developer may rapidly combine AR components with a forthcoming avatar drop to provide users with an aspect of engagement. A mixed-reality game might also react in real-time to relevant inputs, populating the game with new items and elements. 

Render (RNDR)

As part of the keynote address on Monday, Apple mentioned a product tied to the Render network (RNDR), which allows distributed GPU rendering on the blockchain. Cryptocurrencies based on artificial intelligence, such as Render and SingularityNET, have recently acquired prominence. 

Meanwhile, despite widespread anticipation, AI chatbots and other companies have yet to integrate cryptocurrency payments. With the release of the Vision Pro headset, it was believed that the 2023 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference would pave the road for crypto integration.

During Monday’s Apple keynote event, the iPhone maker highlighted Octane X , a GPU rendering capability available on the Mac App Store. Octane is linked to the Render (RNDR) token because OTOY is the business behind both products. Jules Urbach, OTOY’s CEO, developed Render Token in 2016 to deliver decentralized GPU-based rendering solutions. As a result, it is expected that Apple and Octane will form a relationship soon.

Unity

Shares of the game-development software maker Unity jumped by 26% on Monday, right after Apple announced its co-lab  as part of the release of its Apple Vision Pro headset. This was the company’s stock’s biggest rise since the company’s initial public offering in 2020.

According to Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations, Susan Prescott, Unity will provide its real-time 3D tools and capabilities to Apple Vision Pro, and developers will then implement  both new and existing Unity-created apps and games to the new spatial computing platform

Decentraland (MANA)

Yemel Jardi, the Executive Director of Decentraland, stated  he is being bullish on the product and what it means for the whole industry. “The open metaverse needs to be based on hardware. We want to have better hardware,” he said.

Also, one of the most critical metaverse difficulties addressed by the Vision Pro is the digital persona. The capacity for users to communicate virtually with one another is one of the most appealing characteristics of the metaverse, but many people find it difficult to engage with cartoon-like avatars.

The Vision Pro tries to solve this problem by allowing users to create hyper-realistic digital personalities. Therefore, users might be able to scan their faces in order to build digital avatars of themselves for the Decentraland metaverse.

Be it as it may, it won’t be strange if soon, you’ll be able to visit your Land in Decetraland by using Apple Vision Pro.

BONUS: Disney

The inclusion of Disney  material on Apple’s new device is most likely a continuation of the company’s metaverse strategy, which it initially announced in mid-2022. Disney said at the time that it had selected blockchain Polygon and hired executives to oversee its venture into immersive virtual experiences. Following this, they made a drive to increase resources for Web3 activities by posting a job for a specialized in-house counsel for NFTs and decentralized finance (DeFi).

However, Disney appeared to put a crimp in its plans in March, cutting off 7,000 employees, including those on its Metaverse team.

Disney’s increased interest in virtual technology might herald the reopening of that chapter, albeit with Apple’s resources. It further legitimizes the nascent technology and demonstrates the breadth of its potential applications for billions of Disney fans worldwide.

Conclusion

As true digital ownership arises in the real world, there will be innovation in interactivity, inventiveness, and utility. Virtual assets may now be bent, exploited, and utilized in the actual world thanks to AR. Avatars can be included in a variety of ways in this new mixed reality, providing additional utility for those assets. 

With new AR and VR tools everything seems more possible – from gaining a store discount for possessing a specific avatar, to being prompted to watch an AR music video that interacts with one’s own avatar—or perhaps featuring the avatar as the primary character in the video itself. The interactive convergence of avatars, digital ownership, and mixed reality will provide numerous intriguing opportunities and Apple seems to be on the right path.

However, Apple has long seemed to regard gaming as a low priority, and today’s Vision Pro announcement only served to strengthen that perception. Granted, it’s possible that Apple hasn’t displayed all of its cards for AR gaming and is holding them back until later in order to maintain momentum ahead of the 2024 debut.