Zoom meetings are set to transform with the upcoming Vision Pro. Vision Pro wearers will now have the ability to portray digital avatars during video calls, marking a significant development in virtual communication.
Zoom’s newest innovation propels the company into the new world of spatial computing, giving users new ways to feel more connected with others
Transforming Virtual Meetings
Elevating the landscape of virtual meetings, Zoom is poised to introduce a distinctive element with the Vision Pro. This forthcoming enhancement will empower Vision Pro wearers to present themselves as digital avatars during video conferences.
Scheduled to debut alongside Apple's latest headset on February 2nd, The Verge reported that Zoom's Vision Pro app will enable users to project their virtual "persona," a digital avatar crafted from facial scans.
This feature ensures that the recipient of the video call perceives facial expressions and hand movements with seamless integration, creating an illusion of the wearer being headset-free, paralleling Apple's FaceTime app for the Vision Pro.
The impending Zoom app will harness augmented reality functionalities. This integration allows the digital avatar to seamlessly assimilate into the user's physical environment, manifesting as a floating window throughout the video call.
The spatial experience of the app can be adjusted to the ideal size, ensuring that users don't feel distantly removed from someone's Persona. While Vision Pro users will be portrayed as Persona, those participating in the call from different devices will be presented as a floating tile.
Future of Video Conferencing
Zoom has outlined its intentions to introduce additional features to the Vision Pro app later in the spring, notably incorporating a concept termed "real-world pinning."
As stated in its press release, this feature aims to enhance the immersive nature of calls for Vision Pro users by enabling them to pin up to five Zoom meeting participants within their physical space, simultaneously eliminating the backgrounds of the callers.
Moreover, the videoconferencing application is set to integrate 3D object sharing, empowering users to share 3D files and visualize them within their immediate environment.
Additionally, Zoom plans to incorporate its Team Chat, a competitor to Slack, into the Vision Pro app, offering users a comprehensive collaboration platform within the headset.
While Apple has confirmed the availability of native Vision Pro apps for streaming services such as Disney Plus, Max, Paramount Plus, Peacock, and more at the launch, there are notable omissions.
Netflix and YouTube, two prominent services, will not have dedicated Vision Pro apps upon release. Consequently, users will be compelled to access these platforms through a web browser, resulting in a potentially less immersive experience.
While Zoom might not be the go-to app for entertainment seekers adopting the Vision Pro, Engadget reported that it's noteworthy to track the advancements introduced by third-party companies in harnessing this technology.
Initially, a Zoom call might not starkly contrast with a FaceTime chat, but the integration of features like 3D object sharing could position it as a more compelling option for mixed-reality utilization.
