Pundits Praise Vision Pro for Immersive Baseball Broadcast

Macworld's Michael Simon was among the most enthusiastic. He said the first-ever live Major League Baseball game recorded in 3D 8K with a 180-degree field of view, showing the Red Sox-Yankees game, was almost as breathtaking as being at Yankee Stadium. "I've never had a desire to buy a Vision Pro," he wrote, but the broadcast changed his perspective.

Daring Fireball's John Gruber called the whole thing "legit exciting." He acknowledged that the Vision Pro has received a bad rap because Apple hasn't sold many units and won't until future models are cheaper, lighter, and less fussy. Still, he said, "these immersive experiences are fucking cool," and an immersive live experience adds something ineffable. "Feeling like you're at another place watching something happen live is magic," he added.

Jason Snell was more restrained but similarly impressed. "In the end, it felt much more like I was sitting at Yankee Stadium watching the game," he said. Snell approved of a change Apple made from its basketball footage: not cutting between many camera angles.

The 9to5Mac report explained that each half inning was shown from a single camera on the dugout rail next to the on-deck circle, giving a view of the pitcher, hitter, and infield, plus activity in foul territory. The camera switched between innings to the at-bat team's dugout perspective. Apple also added a "virtual jumbotron" floating in the sky, with graphics and a video feed of the standard 16:9 telecast, allowing viewers to catch replays or get a better view of the outfield without obstructing the game.

The report's author, who said he considers a far less expensive and lighter face monitor better for most TV viewing, wrote that he can see the appeal of the Vision Pro for this kind of fully immersive experience, but added he is still waiting for a compromise product.