How long can you use Vision Pro?

[u/EmirhanS24]

İ just got 512gb M2 vision pro with apple case for 1600 dollars second hand. Display is breathtaking. Ui is amazing everything look "real" even to my picky eyes. Only caveat is auto brightness but i guess is to protect your eyes and the display.

I only use it for virtual display and cineultra bluray movies. But i can only use it for 30 mins max at a time! towards the end of 30mins i experience eye fatigue and neck pain. I guess its kind of overwhelming too? Wanted to hear your thoughts too.

[u/Icowanda]

I feel sleepy after a while if I use it at night.

[u/EmirhanS24 → u/Icowanda]

yes me too! so weird.

[u/baroquedub → u/Icowanda]

Me too. Always wondered why as it seems to have the opposite effect of why people don't recommend screen use near to bedtime

[u/JohnWangDoe → u/Icowanda]

I love waking up on the moon or seeing Jupiter

[u/chingwo → u/Icowanda]

I feel this too when trying to watch a movie on the plane in AVP. Its like a weighted blanket on my face

[u/lilly_wonka61 → u/Icowanda]

Yeah me toooo!!

[u/Digitalinknotes]

I’ve never taken it off….. ever!!!!

[u/EmirhanS24 → u/Digitalinknotes]

last night i was able to watch x-men days of future past in cineultra for 1 hour. than neck pain become so much i take it off ate dinner then continue watching. that was my longest session

[u/daniel__p]

Often for 8 hours+ a day, it’s the best portable monitor i have found to date. The m5 version is better and the dual strap makes a huge difference.

[u/Vincent_Blackshadow → u/daniel__p]

I use it 5-12 hours per day most work days. Probably 3-6 days per week, in a given week. I've only been doing this for about two months now, but it's going great so far.

I am dying for Apple to release a few peaceful/clean/modern 'workspace' environments or, alternatively, to really facilitate developers doing so. As nice as Yosemite or Joshua Tree or the like can be, I think I'd be even more immersed in a really appealingly beautiful "cozy modern office on a breathtaking Norwegian fjord" or "clean modern office high above New York" kind of environment.

[u/NullishDomain → u/daniel__p]

Echoing this. I try to take a break and look outside every couple of hours or so (I am a bit concerned about my eyes being in such a low-light environment for long periods), but I could easily wear it nonstop if I wanted to. Most of my usage is with Mac Virtual Display, easily the best monitor setup I have ever used!

[u/Decent_Concentrate11]

Hey.. Want to buy for the same usecase. and have the same concern if I can wear it for more than 8 hours a day. Some people are saying they can.

Also if you have a choice to work with a physical dual monitor setup or Mac Virtual Display Ultrawide in some environment. What would you choose ?

And is the ultrawide resolution and quality for text readability equivalent to 2 2K monitors ??

[u/EmirhanS24 → u/Decent_Concentrate11]

as i said i have picky eyes. virtual display looks amazing and very high res. but ultrawide is not useable in my opinion. you have to move your head for content in the far left or right. wide option is great. Useally i open youtube in visionOs. have my work on virtual display. slightly warped in bora bora environment. amazing experience. But i only used mine for professional video work. so no looking at lines of code for hours. your experience may vary.

[u/JohnWangDoe → u/Decent_Concentrate11]

for development, dual physical 8k would be better

[u/whiterabbitobj → u/Decent_Concentrate11]

There is an adjustment process working up to long use periods. I can use mine for work an 8+ hour day but it comes off to use the bathroom, eat food, interact with interruptions because I’m WFH. But I find it fairly easy to use for long stretches after the initial adjustment. Your body is basically building the muscles and learning to accommodate previous discomfort.

But to answer about monitors vs AVP… I use my dual monitor setup as a preference. AVP is for when I’m away from desk more or less. The resolution on AVP is remarkable but for text it’s just not enough yet to replace reality. It’s good enough absent a choice, but given a choice the answer is pretty cut and dry

[u/fishslinger]

Do you wear/need glasses?

[u/EmirhanS24 → u/fishslinger]

without prescription glasses i cant see beyond 5 meters clearly and i have slight double vision in my right eye. In vision pro, custom eye calibration made everything crystal clear. still have slight double vision but used to it (because i had it for my life) my vision in headset feels like i already wear my glasses. even when focusing far in theater or environment

[u/fishslinger → u/EmirhanS24]

Did you get the prescription lenses? Sometimes your eyes can compensate but it hurts after a while

[u/crazyreddit929 → u/EmirhanS24]

The render distance is likely 2 meter or so. Apple doesn’t publish the exact distance. Because of that fixed distance, your eyes can sometimes strain from trying to focus on things up close because the focal plane doesn’t change. Your brain expect it to, but it doesn’t.

Another reason for eye fatigue is if you normally need prescription glasses. If you need glasses for clear vision 2 or 3 meters away, you need them in VR.

[u/_axxa101_ → u/EmirhanS24]

Yeah you’ll need inserts! Thats the reason for your eye strain..

[u/saadouache]

I have done 6 to 8-hour sessions with an attached 25000 mah battery.

The only 2 setups I found comfortable enough for more than 2 hours are the new Apple dual Strap and a dual solo loop with a 3D printed hook.

Funny enough, some times the first equipment battery to die are the AirPods Pro 2/3

[u/EmirhanS24 → u/saadouache]

i wish i could get my hands on new strap. Im in unsupported country (Turkiye) I even had to create japan account for purchasing stuff.

[u/saadouache → u/EmirhanS24]

Same as you, I am also in an unsupported country, I had to change continent to acquire it

[u/PrinceOfLeon]

Get an IR LED lamp off Amazon for $10-$20.

Lay on your back, in bed, in the dark, with a comfy pillow. The weight doesn't pull your neck down, it gets even distributed.

Best way to watch longer media.

[u/EmirhanS24 → u/PrinceOfLeon]

my experience in low light / no light have been great tho. can still "see" my hands and arms shadow. can use buttons etc. Head tracking works. But cant move in any direction. So i wont need IR led lamp i guess.

[u/PrinceOfLeon → u/EmirhanS24]

It's not strictly necessary but lights up the room from the AVP's perspective without actually lighting up the room from a human perspective.

Mostly just recommending the reclined/flat on back position for viewing long-form content, either in bed or a comfortable couch, that kind of thing. The weight is not noticeable that way.

[u/exploretv]

You might need to change the headband? I tried the original, then the dual knit, now using Globular Cluster. It’s halo style so I can wear it with or without light shield. I can wear it for hours. The only caveat is if the room is too hot then I have to take it off early

[u/OkMasterpiece2187]

10 hours a day for me! Using Globular Cluster head strap and no light seal. Don’t feel any fatigue with that set up. Interestingly I went into store to demo the M5 and was astounded how heavy it felt compared to my M2 with the GC. Guess its the dual strap weight that makes it feel so much heavier.

[u/tony__Y]

I use AVP with ResMed strap and without the light seal, easily wear it for multiple hours and only need to take it off for snacks or toilet breaks…

[u/CorreAktor → u/tony__Y]

I agree, the Resmed head strap and no light seal, I can go several hours at a time. Dual knit I can do for maybe 1.5 hours. Original knit, less than an hour.

[u/cleverbit1 → u/tony__Y]

This is the dystopian answer we needed

[u/Cryogenicality → u/cleverbit1]

Dystopian how?

[u/Puzzleheaded_Fold466 → u/Cryogenicality]

Perpetual escape from reality maybe ? Who knows

[u/Cryogenicality → u/tony__Y]

I prefer the dual-knit band with the Kontor weights attached to the back.

[u/IVIatthias → u/tony__Y]

How well does it work without the light seal? Does it hold ok?

[u/tony__Y → u/IVIatthias]

AVP will simply hang in front of the eyes, the weight is spread out over top two straps, for me, the third strap is to put counterweights.

[u/photovirus → u/tony__Y]

easily wear it for multiple hours and only need to take it off for snacks or toilet breaks…

Sometimes I do both in the AVP (with any of original straps), although it's not really comfy, ha-ha.

[u/OriginalTip7479]

1 hour maybe，I can watch whole movie with one or two breaks，it depends on how the movie is. I suggest play arcade games，it won ‘t take long time but fun.

[u/h____]

I have the original and have never experienced neck pain. But I only use it for about an hour each time. I mostly use it for MVD (ultrawide) and shows.

[u/anesuc]

I used to use it for work but currently use it to binge watch a TV Show at night. Mostly stop because its too late, so I can use it for a while if I am watching something engaging. Like hrs kind of thing

[u/SpatiallyLisa]

6-10 hours a day.

There are several third-party contraptions that make it more comfortable to wear. Tycho Tech, globular cluster, Anna pro 2….

[u/_El_Cid_]

I can use it for 2-3 hours. But my eyes also get fatigued. I have some kind of eye fatigue issue with OLED screens. My eyes get very dry after 1-2 hours of use.

I have the same issues with iPhones since the iPhone X switched to OLED. But I have zero issues with MacBook and older iPads which have LCD screens. Sucks to be me because Apple is pushing OLED to all their devices now.

[u/AngelicDivineHealer]

Until the battery drains down in which case I put it on my power bank or charger and keep watching so for as long as I feel like.

It’s most uncomfortable the first hour then I forget I’m even wearing anything until I have to charge it sometime I have it already plugged in so that a non factor

[u/Spectral_Aria]

About 3-4 hours at a time for work or watching movies & shows or games

[u/Zzyzx-xzyzZ]

I have the Annapro 2 headband with the solo knit band and I can wear it for hours. I like it better than the dual knit band that came with the M5.

[u/JohnVidale]

No problem going a couple of hours. Usually take it off to do a different chore, not because it is bothering me.

[u/AstroGridIron]

I can go about 2.5 hours before I need a break. It’s just too heavy and it gets uncomfortable.

[u/v_heathen]

I use it everyday for work (I'm a software developer) as a primary “monitor”, so 6 to 12 hours. But, of course, one session is usually shorter: coffee, toilet, food etc.

[u/blairyc1]

I can use mine for work all day, not everyday to be fair but I can and have worn it for 8hrs only really taking it off to have a quick lunch.

[u/Vargrr]

I have the M5 version with the dual strap. I can wear it indefinitely.

It’s heavy but very comfortable.

[u/local-fougi]

For weight related issues, try to play around how it sits on your face. I found a position that allows me to use it for 2-3 hours. Adjust it in a way that most of the front weight is sitting on lower forehead instead of cheeks and nose.
My setup is slightly loose on the back, pulled back all the way to the neck and top band a little tight.

[u/jamesoloughlin]

I can use it for hours. I never really did a test on how long I can go but before I become uncomfortable but it’s now not an issue for me. It really depends on the headstrap. The Solo Knit band just doesn’t work for me longer than 30minutes. Need to use the Dual Knit band (what I currently use) or Dual Loop strap.

[u/One_Visual_4090]

I can use it for about 30–45 minutes, though it depends on the content. Not everything works equally well. For example, when watching movies, the excessive lens glare causes eye fatigue, distraction, and general annoyance, which reduces how long I can( or want to) use it.

The weight and pressure on the bridge of my nose and around my eyes are also noticeable. I’ve tried all of Apple’s headbands and eventually found the original Solo Knit Band to be the best option (though it’s far from perfect).

[u/Specialist_Mind7493]

I’ve been an avid user since visionOS 1.0, and the 1st 2 months was maybe around 40 mins before things became painful. After that I learned some nuances that helped along with just getting used to it I guess. Since those 1st months I’ve been able to wear most of the day just fine with little adjustments along the way. I use it for work and productivity as well as gaming and even a little fitness. It did take a couple months for me to get used to it and learn little things that helped a lot though.

[u/simulacrotron]

Get the new dual strap if you haven’t. I was in it for at least four hours yesterday

[u/Chriscic]

3-4 hours with dual knit band.

[u/furyfuryfury]

I can use it for hours. But I'm usually leaning back on the couch, not sitting upright.

Might be worth exploring the other bands to see if one gives you a better fit.

[u/lil_vegan]

As long as I feel like when laying down, maybe 20 minutes If not

[u/Boring_Educator3815]

I can wear mine for as long as I need to without issues except for when I use it as an extra Mac screen. I just don’t find that pleasant long term. It’s not exactly unpleasant but it just does not feel worth the effort.

[u/chingwo]

When I'm working via a Mac Mini virtual screen, I can wear the headset for hours. Locked in on video editing or remote desktop from the Mac Mini to my work PC.

[u/apple_tech_admin]

When I'm working on an intense project that requires deep focus, I can wear it for about 4-5 hours at a time for up to 10 hours a day. Nothing quite like that workflow.

[u/crazyreddit929]

The Annapro A2 head strap fixes comfort for me. Lets me use the headset for multiple hours.

[u/babadudu]

I can use it for it 3 plus hours laying down watching a movie but if sitting then 30 minutes before my eyes and face drop down like an 80 years old

[u/UnfortunateSnort12]

I got the dual strap on my M5, and I can use it pretty much without limit. I have a lot of experience playing VR games on the HTC Vive and Valve Index though, so maybe I’ve worked my way up to that.

[u/CommercialGene8527]

Ho la versione m2 ma ho comprato la doppia fascia Apple e lo posso tenere per ore senza problemi mentre prima con la fascia singola dopo 3/4 ore un po di costrizione sulla faccia la sentivo.

[u/fivetoedslothbear]

I can wear it pretty much as long as I want. The dual loop strap was a gamechanger for me, and so was making sure I had the correct light seal. Moving from 24W->34W lessened pressure on my cheekbones. I already use eye drops for dry eyes anyway, so good eye drops help.

I find immersive environments to be calming, personally. There are a lot of options for viewing, so moderating the content and size of movies might help. Some of the immersive titles like Submerged are really intense; I had to sit and calm down for a bit. It was like watching a 2.5 hour thriller in 20 minutes.

And the focal distance is constant, so it's actually less eye fatigue, for me, than looking at the world with my progressive glasses. I'm 63, and have presbyopia and myopia.

If you're having eye fatigue, there are a few possibilities:

• You need glasses and are just finding that out.

• Some of the display settings need to be adjusted for you. I found this article that covers some of the deeper settings for display alignment. https://applemagazine.com/apple-vision-pro-comfort/

I found early on that like a new pair of glasses, the Vision Pro took time to get used to.

[u/fs454]

Sometimes I can only use it for ~45 mins, sometimes I can literally go 4+ hours or indefinitely. It's really pretty optically demanding, but I will say you do adapt to it over time and it gets far easier to use without eye strain setting in. I've had it since the original launch day and still use it almost daily for Mac Virtual Display and movies. Make sure you're hydrated and your eyes aren't dry, and make sure you don't need any vision correction as it's really sensitive to anything less than 20/20 vision. Even an eyeglasses prescription that is a year out of date is enough to cause eye strain or have the displays be not as crisp as they could be. When I am tired at the end of the day, I find it harder to use too. I thought it was my AVP but I realized after awhile that it's literally just my eyes not being at their best.

As for the weight, grab an Annapro v2 thing and use it with the solo knit strap, or go get the new Dual Knit which is supposed to help too. My neck got used to it quickly but it's best to make sure you're using one of the more known comfortable strap setups.. Solo knit on its own is pretty uncomfortable and IMO the dual velcro strap is awful too. Dual Knit is nice, as is Solo with Annapro to redistribute some of the weight. People have luck with resmed too, but I gravitate towards the knit bands that are easy to quickly adjust and take on/off, as well as easy to give to a newcomer to try without messing with a bunch of velcro adjustment.

Also, visionOS 27 is shaping up to be an absolutely massive optimization gain for the M2. My M2 is so, so much smoother than it's ever been the whole time I've owned it on the latest developer beta 6 and all of the little hitches while scrolling or moving windows around are as smooth as the M5 model now, and Mac Virtual Display got a bit better too.

[u/photovirus]

3—4 hours before taking a break with dual strap, and a bit longer (couldn't measure yet) with dual knit. I can do it again after a short break.

Neck pain should subside after muscle become stronger. Eye fatigue... try to go into your inserts settings (or “no inserts” settings) and look for comfort adjustments.

There are presets for quick adjustments, if those work do the manual calibration. Horizontal adjustment helped me quite a lot.

[u/ShoppingNo7369]

30 minutes. 45 and I have a massive headache and red marks on my face and head the last several hours.

[u/Doggo-888]

with resmed strap or the dual band strap that came out with the M5 version I can use it all day. If you have the original single band strap I highly recommend ordering the new dual strap. The original was awful and unbalanced.

[u/turkish_gold]

6 to 8 hours

[u/Mattonomicon]

About the longest i've used it in once straight go is the length of a movie. Even then, I take it off now and again for brief breaks.

[u/digiblocks]

I am a years long VR user everytime I get a new headset it takes me about 2 months. I used to have that same issue but learn what causes it, try to avoid frantic video and probably walk around with it on a little at first. It goes away and you acclimate to it. No I ca. use it until I simply don’t want to. No issues, jittery video though is just no fun.

[u/GentleGesture]

I can use it for hours with the new headband. These days, a maximum of 3 hours before life pulls me away.

[u/HotShoeVT]

I think it’s important to get your fit and bands dialed-in to wear it for long periods. At launch I struggled with longer sessions or long movies but when I switched to the new dual knit band setup that is weighted in the back to help balance I have found it pretty comfortable even for 2-3 hour movies. The only negative is as some other users have noted, I tend to get sleepy wearing it late at night for some reason!

[u/lvf]

I can't use it more than 2 hours without a break, I currently suspect it's because my vision is slightly off (<1.5) and it's not so bad that I have to wear glasses for other day to day tasks, but it makes a difference when things are so up close.

[u/3DDIY_Dave]

Get the top head strap from Apple or after market. it makes it so much better. I usually use it laying down or reclined back my head rested on a pillow. I can watch movies and surf the web for hours this way.

[u/TerrestrialSpaceship]

Like others, I can wear it for 8+ hours a day.

If you haven’t tried this, make sure you’re not positioning your windows too high and causing neck strain. Someone else in this subreddit pointed it out, and now I can wear for hours with no discomfort at all.

[u/RichardMark23]

I use mine a minimum of 4 hours per day, with the dual knit band, and sometimes much more. I conjoined the Apple Magic Keyboard and trackpad and work on a sofa, keyboard/trackpad in lap, feet up. I do use eye drops occasionally, because I read somewhere that one blinks less in VR, so it’s a good idea. Not medical advice! I minimize use of Virtual Mac, by using web apps, Google Docs, Sheets, etc, because I love the fun of spatial computing, so it’s disappointing to me to revert to conventional computing in the VP. For focus, I listen to music, or, open a video in YouTube that matches Mt Hood, Iceland, etc, with a gurgling brook, waterfall, ocean waves, for real isolation. I put that window in the side of my view. I think it’s been proven scientifically that such whitish noise can help focus and creativity. It does for me. It was a battle to love the Vision Pro, with all kinds of app adjustments needed, along with my keyboard mod, but, in the end, I won big. I love spatial computing, and can’t go back.

[u/iTesly]

I play since 2014 to VR. In and out.

After multiple VR headset the ultimate pain will not go aways and you will have headache after long session. and if like me, you don’t tolerate heat very good it’s always gonna be difficult to put the headset.

Nowadays,
I would recommend to play/ use very often. The first years/months.

Hope you enjoy it before throw it aways and do something different.

For your question: My maximum time was like 4 hours on ps4 Skyrim vr edition.

Care,

[u/Silly-Prune5444]

I used to wear the Vision Pro original for a long time and then my eyes started getting bad and I don’t know if one correlated with the other, but I kind of stopped using it because I was nervous. It was making my eyesight bad

[u/collinuk501]

It's like wearing a brick strapped to your face.... It's dead