I've been working on a grant for my exact setup to showcase to my XR students as the ultimate platform. Nice to see others thinking along this same line. Pure awesomeness. BTW, the power button complaint is a non-issue...you never have to turn off.
It looks really good. Now you still can’t mirror from the virtual desktop while it’s running in the AVP. But you can use other apps during that time like bezel.
You missed the part with the initial setup, right? You HAVE to have a monitor to begin using the Mac Mini, don’t you? When you boot up, you have to log in, etc before you can use the AVP. As far as I know, you literally cannot have a completely headless Mac mini. You have to have it connected to a monitor at least some of the time. If I’m wrong, please correct me and tell me how you worked around all that.
No, you are correct. You will need some form of monitor during the initial setup. That can be any TV you have, so you wouldn't need to buy a monitor. Another option that I used was a cheap $20 capture device I got at Walmart and connected it to my iPad during setup. So that works too. Then, if you wanted to further remove the need for a monitor, you could setup auto-login for a user and also turn on the start-up automatically after a power failure feature in the settings. You would almost never need a monitor after that.
You do need a monitor to login. But you can use your iPad or any TV. Then just set your Mac Mini to auto-power on after power loss and auto-login. Works really good for a headless setup.
I do not notice any. I mean, I assume there is some, but it's so minor it feels like it's near real-time. I have used this for gaming and editing videos along with programming, and it all feels the same. Now, if you use something like Immersed, then you notice some delay.
How usable is that really as a work setup? I really like the idea and the first time I tried this was with the Oculus Quest 1 and the Immersed app I guess. But it had 2 big problems, a) It was hot, sweaty and painful after some hours in there and b) the resolution was bad. It had no real benefit over a screen, because I had to scale the screen so big to be readable, that it just hadn't lots of space. I guess if both of these problems were fixed, the idea would be really cool. Especially for travel or staying at places where no screen is available. Working just with my MacBook screen is somewhat of a productivity killer for me. I really need my big screen(s). And another small concern I have is the latency / connection problems. I guess you can't use a cable to connect to the Mac like with continuity camera (which actually uses the usb connection if connected) and I don't really trust Apple with wireless connections. I often have problems with AirPlay lagging, AirPods stuttering etc. so how reliable is the connection to the headset and does it have any delay? It probably uses the connection to the wifi router you're currently using, so what happens if I use a crappy hotel wifi?
I use it all the time when I travel. I have not had any issues with lag or delays in the Virtual Display. If anything, it has actually gotten better with every update. Add in the new ultra wide, and it's crazy how much it's like having my main setup with me. I also use Immersed, which I really like, but that does have some delay issues because it's network-based. As far as hot and sweaty goes, I have not noticed that unless it's really hot in the room I am in. Also, the resolution is really, really good. I can't use my Quest anymore because it's like watching a 240p video on a 4k monitor. Text is unreadable at anything past arm’s length. I would really suggest going to an Apple store and checking it out. Then, for comfort, there are a lot of head straps and mounts now that make it so much better than it was at launch.
I am fond of the idea but I am not too fond of the headsets. May be in 5-6 years when it is the size and weight of a normal sunglasses, then sure, I will definitely use a virtual monitor. But not before the tech is optimised.
Amazing. Just what I was looking for. I heard Apple will be releasing an updated Vision Pro in spring 2025. That's when I will probably get one with an M4 Ultra Mac Studio!
So sick!!
I bought AVP after watching this video. Subscribed, thanks from South Korea.
Awesome! Thank you!
Do you find yourself using your Apple Vision Pro as a complete monitor replacement or do you often fallback to your physical monitors?
It really depends on what I am doing. I would say it's about 50/50. The ultra wide setting has made it more usable then it was in the past though.
A simpler headset as a monitor replacement would have been such an easy sell...
The xreal ones are that basically.
Just got my m4 Friday paired with AVP and ultra wide …just beyond awesome
I've been working on a grant for my exact setup to showcase to my XR students as the ultimate platform. Nice to see others thinking along this same line. Pure awesomeness. BTW, the power button complaint is a non-issue...you never have to turn off.
Good video.
Thank you.
Nicely done, how does the iPhone mirroring look?
It looks really good. Now you still can’t mirror from the virtual desktop while it’s running in the AVP. But you can use other apps during that time like bezel.
You missed the part with the initial setup, right? You HAVE to have a monitor to begin using the Mac Mini, don’t you? When you boot up, you have to log in, etc before you can use the AVP. As far as I know, you literally cannot have a completely headless Mac mini. You have to have it connected to a monitor at least some of the time. If I’m wrong, please correct me and tell me how you worked around all that.
No, you are correct. You will need some form of monitor during the initial setup. That can be any TV you have, so you wouldn't need to buy a monitor. Another option that I used was a cheap $20 capture device I got at Walmart and connected it to my iPad during setup. So that works too. Then, if you wanted to further remove the need for a monitor, you could setup auto-login for a user and also turn on the start-up automatically after a power failure feature in the settings. You would almost never need a monitor after that.
Awesome video, thanks!!
How do you login? Can you do that without a monitor?
You do need a monitor to login. But you can use your iPad or any TV. Then just set your Mac Mini to auto-power on after power loss and auto-login. Works really good for a headless setup.
How much is the delay between a mouse movement and visuals?
I do not notice any. I mean, I assume there is some, but it's so minor it feels like it's near real-time. I have used this for gaming and editing videos along with programming, and it all feels the same. Now, if you use something like Immersed, then you notice some delay.
But is it honestly usable typing on the keyboard with passthrough?
Ya it is and seems to be getting better. Now it still has an issue when you’re in low light, that’s the only time it’s harder to see.
How usable is that really as a work setup? I really like the idea and the first time I tried this was with the Oculus Quest 1 and the Immersed app I guess. But it had 2 big problems, a) It was hot, sweaty and painful after some hours in there and b) the resolution was bad. It had no real benefit over a screen, because I had to scale the screen so big to be readable, that it just hadn't lots of space. I guess if both of these problems were fixed, the idea would be really cool. Especially for travel or staying at places where no screen is available. Working just with my MacBook screen is somewhat of a productivity killer for me. I really need my big screen(s). And another small concern I have is the latency / connection problems. I guess you can't use a cable to connect to the Mac like with continuity camera (which actually uses the usb connection if connected) and I don't really trust Apple with wireless connections. I often have problems with AirPlay lagging, AirPods stuttering etc. so how reliable is the connection to the headset and does it have any delay? It probably uses the connection to the wifi router you're currently using, so what happens if I use a crappy hotel wifi?
I use it all the time when I travel. I have not had any issues with lag or delays in the Virtual Display. If anything, it has actually gotten better with every update. Add in the new ultra wide, and it's crazy how much it's like having my main setup with me. I also use Immersed, which I really like, but that does have some delay issues because it's network-based. As far as hot and sweaty goes, I have not noticed that unless it's really hot in the room I am in. Also, the resolution is really, really good. I can't use my Quest anymore because it's like watching a 240p video on a 4k monitor. Text is unreadable at anything past arm’s length. I would really suggest going to an Apple store and checking it out. Then, for comfort, there are a lot of head straps and mounts now that make it so much better than it was at launch.
I am fond of the idea but I am not too fond of the headsets. May be in 5-6 years when it is the size and weight of a normal sunglasses, then sure, I will definitely use a virtual monitor. But not before the tech is optimised.
Do the text is better rendered than before.
Yes it really is. Everything is just clearer.
Amazing. Just what I was looking for. I heard Apple will be releasing an updated Vision Pro in spring 2025. That's when I will probably get one with an M4 Ultra Mac Studio!
Could you please include the benchmarks of Mac mini as well in the next video ☑️( randomly found your channel and subbed) 🙂
Sure thing already looking into it.
If you just have VP otherwise 1Vision Pro = 2Studio Display🤔
Can the cheapest Mac mini m4 model do what you did smoothly too?
Yes, it sure can! And at a really decent price point.
Apple didn’t give us anything. They have offered us new iMacs and Mac Minis which are offered with a minimum of 16gb of RAM.
I need windows and head stabilizer 😂