The Vision Pro headset may be one of the most exciting releases of 2024, but Apple still has work to do. The spatial computer, first unveiled at last year's WWDC, is set to go on sale on February 2. Some analysts predict that it will sell out quickly, but that number is far from the usual Apple product launches.

According to supply chain rumors, Apple plans to have only a maximum of 80,000 Vision Pro headsets available at launch and only 500,000 units shipped in 2024; if you're interested in the $3,500 device, pre-orders will open Friday. But for a company accustomed to producing new iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks by the millions and preparing for global rollout, the Vision Pro will be a remarkably slow start.

In fact, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, even the largest Apple stores can only have up to 12 demo units available at a time. He also said that the highly-tuned process for a trial takes nearly 30 minutes.

First, an Apple Store employee scans the customer's face (a process similar to setting up Face ID), then selects the appropriate light sticker, band size, and foam cushion for the headset. If the customer wears glasses, the lenses are also scanned so Apple can select the Vision Pro lenses that match the prescription.

Customers can pick up the headset for a bit, then follow instructions on how to put it on and adjust settings with the help of "various tracking and tapping exercises," Garman says. This includes looking at dot patterns and changing brightness levels.

Once the setup is complete and the headset is comfortably in place, the fun begins; Gurman says the entire experience takes about 20 to 25 minutes and includes viewing photos and videos, using Vision Pro like a MacBook with productivity tools, and finally using the checking out some of the third-party apps available for the device.

Whether the photos and videos will change over time is a mystery, but two of the scenarios Bloomberg mentions are a 3D photo of a child hitting a piñata and a "spatial video" of a birthday party (the type that the iPhone 15 Pro will be able to shoot).

On the computing side, you can scroll pages in Safari and move multiple app windows around to configure the virtual workstation however you want. The one thing you can't do would be to use the device's virtual keyboard.

Finally, there is the chance to watch immersive video clips with the "Cinema Environments" feature that Apple showed off at the headset reveal: by turning the dial on the Vision Pro, you can, in Apple's words, "turn your room into your personal movie theater. Turn your room into your personal movie theater," in Apple's words. For example, you can watch a documentary about the ocean in a quiet underwater environment.

Given the relatively small number of devices available and the stratospheric level of hype and interest surrounding Apple's new gadget, you'll have to get in line.

Apple will offer in-store demos, but of course you have to sign up and get on the list first.

"Starting Friday, February 2 at 8 a.m., you can sign up for an Apple Vision Pro demo at your local Apple Store. Demo slots will be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Friday and continuing through the weekend."

Being able to try before you buy will go a long way toward convincing those who are on the fence about investing $3,500 in the company's visionary new device. It's fair to say that Apple is positioning the Vision Pro as an entirely new way of computing, not just an addition or sideshow to its current product portfolio. the Vision Pro streams movies from behind the headset's two OLEDs, play games, browse the Internet, run applications, and interact socially all from behind the headset's two OLEDs.

The company is silent on the main features of the Vision Pro, including RAM and storage options available with the headset. It is widely known that the base model comes with 256GB of onboard storage, and that up to 1TB of storage can be added for more money. According to Apple's software development application, the headset comes with 16 GB of RAM.

The Vision Pro will initially be available only in the United States. Other countries will follow, but Apple has not provided details on when and where it will be available.