Despite being unveiled during WWDC 2023 earlier this month, it will be awhile yet before the Apple Vision Pro gets in the hands of the general consumer. It’s quite a different story for developers though, who have until early next year to figure out what makes its operating system, visionOS, tick. And in the code of said OS, there is a reference to something called Travel Mode.
As reported by MacRumors, this Travel Mode is one that is specifically for enhancing the user experience while in a flight. The mode introduces a couple of restrictions to the use of the Apple Vision Pro, giving it parallels to a phone’s Flight Mode. While the report does not mention restrictions in wireless tech like WiFi and Bleutooth, these restrictions are more towards physical movement while using the headset.
The report notes a few lines within the first developer beta for visionOS. This includes lines like “Turn on Travel mode when you’re on an airplane to continue using your Apple Vision Pro” and “Remain stationary in Travel Mode”. There’s also one line that reads “Some awareness features will be turned off”, which may indicate limitations of the headset’s sensors when operating in a cramped environment. Notably, even the use of users’ Digital Persona avatars are unavailable, which is understandable considering you’ll really only need them in a video call.
To some degree, these restrictions make sense. It would probably be very awkward if you had your hands outstretched to the front or sides as you try to use the gesture controls to interact with the visionOS interface. But on the other hand, some drawbacks like gaze accuracy reduction make less sense.
Also, while it’s nice that there is a Travel Mode for the Apple Vision Pro and its visionOS, the headset itself does not seem like something you’d take on a flight. It’s pretty bulky as it is, and you’d probably use that space for a pair of noise-cancelling headphones that will see much more use.
(Source: MacRumors)
