Apple announces WWII short film almost no one will ever see
Apple has announced a unique WWII-themed short film titled Submerged, which almost no one will be able to watch—unless they own an Apple Vision Pro headset. Directed by Edward Berger, the Academy Award-winning director of All Quiet on the Western Front, this immersive film focuses on a WWII submarine crew facing a life-or-death torpedo attack. However, it will only be available to Apple Vision Pro users starting October 10, 2024.
What makes this short film so exclusive is its format: it was specifically created to leverage the Vision Pro’s advanced spatial computing capabilities, allowing viewers to feel as if they are inside the story, not merely watching it. This move is seen as part of Apple’s efforts to push Vision Pro as a groundbreaking platform for entertainment and immersive storytelling, especially after lukewarm early sales【7†source】【8†source】.
This approach, while innovative, limits the potential audience to a small group of early adopters of Apple’s expensive headset. The Vision Pro’s unique capabilities, like spatial photos and enhanced navigation gestures, are also being upgraded with visionOS 2【9†source】. However, this also means Submerged will be one of the rarest and most exclusive films, accessible only to a select few.
- Spatial photos: With visionOS 2, users can revisit past memories by creating spatial photos directly from their library in the Photos app.
- New hand gestures: visionOS 2 makes navigating Apple Vision Pro faster and easier for users to access key functions with new hand gestures to get to frequently used features like Home View and Control Center. New gestures allow users to see important information at a glance, like the current time and battery level, and perform actions like adjusting the volume.
- Home View: Users can now personalize their Home View by rearranging apps and placing them wherever they want, including their compatible iPhone and iPad apps
- Travel Mode for Trains: Travelers can experience their favorite apps on the go, even on trains
- Guest user: For those moments when a user wants to share their Vision Pro, a family member or colleague can be added as a Guest User and have their eye and hand data saved for 30 days.
- The Apple TV app brings support for multiview to Apple Vision Pro for the ultimate sports-viewing experience. Later this year, fans will be able to watch up to five simultaneous streams so they can keep track of all their favorite sports and teams.
