The Apple Vision Pro: Useful Mixed/Augmented Reality (MR/AR) Headset for Archaeology or Not Quite There Yet?

Hayk Azizbekyan; Peter J. Cobb; Elvan Cobb

doi:10.1017/aap.2025.7

The Apple Vision Pro: Useful Mixed/Augmented Reality (MR/AR) Headset for Archaeology or Not Quite There Yet?

Hayk Azizbekyan, Peter J. Cobb^*, Elvan Cobb

^*Corresponding author for this work

Academy of Chinese, History, Religion and Philosophy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Digital eXtended Reality technologies enable users to view and interact with spaces and objects in three dimensions (3D), thus supporting a variety of potential innovative embodied applications in archaeology. Here, we review the Apple Vision Pro as a Mixed/Augmented Reality (MR/AR) headset to determine where it might fit within current archaeological practice. Our interest in this device spans primary field data collection, in situ visual–spatial interpretation, and public education and tourism. Overall, we find that although it makes certain advances on prior eXtended Reality hardware, it does not yet represent a significant enough shift forward to have a major impact on archaeology. However, we do plan to continue our field experiments with this technology to push its limits and to prepare for future improvements to this product and its competitors.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	346-355
Number of pages	10
Journal	Advances in Archaeological Practice
Volume	13
Issue number	2 (May 2025)
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/aap.2025.7
Publication status	Published - 11 Aug 2025

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10.1017/aap.2025.7

Cite this

@article{566c9e9bec6d44a78013f8ce07a52e7d,

title = "The Apple Vision Pro: Useful Mixed/Augmented Reality (MR/AR) Headset for Archaeology or Not Quite There Yet?",

abstract = "Digital eXtended Reality technologies enable users to view and interact with spaces and objects in three dimensions (3D), thus supporting a variety of potential innovative embodied applications in archaeology. Here, we review the Apple Vision Pro as a Mixed/Augmented Reality (MR/AR) headset to determine where it might fit within current archaeological practice. Our interest in this device spans primary field data collection, in situ visual–spatial interpretation, and public education and tourism. Overall, we find that although it makes certain advances on prior eXtended Reality hardware, it does not yet represent a significant enough shift forward to have a major impact on archaeology. However, we do plan to continue our field experiments with this technology to push its limits and to prepare for future improvements to this product and its competitors.",

author = "Hayk Azizbekyan and Cobb, {Peter J.} and Elvan Cobb",

note = "The Tam Wing Fan Innovation Wing of the University of Hong Kong provided support through their Funding Scheme for student projects and activities by the Tam Wing Fan Innovation Fund and the Philomathia Foundation Innovation Fund. Further funding support for our archaeological and technological research was provided by the University of Hong Kong, two grants from the Research Grants Council (RGC) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), China (project no. HKU 27602920 and project no. HKU 17607022), and by a Teaching Development and Language Enhancement Grant (TDLEG), 2022–2025, from the HKSAR University Grants Committee (UGC). Publisher copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for American Archaeology. ",

year = "2025",

month = aug,

day = "11",

doi = "10.1017/aap.2025.7",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

pages = "346--355",

journal = "Advances in Archaeological Practice",

issn = "2326-3768",