One of the biggest criticisms of the Apple Vision Pro was the lack of collaboration. The Vision is designed to be used alone, but that changes with Spatial Persona. The feature is currently in beta and is expected with visionOS 1.2.
Using Spatial Persona it is possible to virtually place a 3D avatar of a person in the room, so that you can use an app together. This allows you to watch a video together, play a game or collaborate on a document. Virtual meetings at a table in an office are also possible.
Differences Spatial Persona and Persona
It is useful to know the difference between the regular Persona and the Spatial variant. When you have a FaceTime or video call with an Apple Vision Pro, your Persona is shown to the other participants. The default persona is displayed on a transparent tile and is a ‘flat’ digital 2D version of yourself.
Spatial Persona is like a digital 3D version of the user and ‘floats’ in space without a transparent background. In addition, the Spatial Persona can also clearly display body language and hand movements. This gives the impression that the person is present in the room.
Function Spatial Persona
A person participating in SharePlay activities on Apple Vision Pro has the option to participate using their Spatial Persona. The spatial variant of the digital avatar will mainly be used to experience activities with other Apple Vision Pro users. With this function you can collaborate on a document, watch a video together, play a game, etc. In the video below you can see an example of two virtual people using a freeform canvas with the help of the Apple Vision Pro.
As you can see, Spatial Persona allows you to share experiences using SharePlay via FaceTime. This makes the Vision Pro much more productive and you can even have an experience with Apple’s spatial computer with several people. The system arranges Spatial Personas around the activity content, giving each person a clear view of the content and each other.
Each person sees the facial expressions of other participants, what they are looking at and what they are pointing to. This experience creates the feeling that they are in the same physical space, interacting with shared content and with each other.
Posting personas
When an activity takes place in a space, the system creates a shared coordinate system for the participants and the content. In this new coordinate space, the origin of the environment is not the same if a participant were to use the Vision Pro alone.
This system can place users in the room in three ways: side by side in front of a window with the starter in the center or in a surround setup around a virtual subject with the starter placed directly below the subject. When no window or subject is present, the system uses the surround presentation style and places the starter in the center of the group.
3D avatar limitations
A total of five people can be present in the same room, the starter determines in which room the Personas are located. As a use, you can give the persona a different place in the room. As you get closer to a Spatial Persona it will change into a floating contact photo to keep things organized. You can also place regular Personas with transparent tiles in the room.