I went shopping for an ultrawide monitor and bought an M5 Vision Pro instead. One month later, I don’t want the monitor.
I went shopping for an ultrawide monitor and bought an M5 Vision Pro instead. One month later, I don’t want the monitor.
I spent last month shopping for a newer, higher-resolution ultrawide monitor. Instead, I made the considerably less sensible decision to buy an M5 Apple Vision Pro.
After using it as my primary work display for a month, my answer is surprisingly clear:
Yes, it genuinely replaces my monitor.
What works
Mac Virtual Display is the real centerpiece of Vision Pro for me.
The Ultrawide setting gives me enough room to keep my editor, terminal, browser, notes, and research visible at once. I spend less time cycling through tabs because applications can stay open as separate spaces.
I can also reshape the workspace around how I want to work:
- Ultrawide for research and multitasking
- Wide for normal development work
- Standard when I need to focus
- Move the display lower when my neck is strained
- Bring it closer when I want larger text
- Take my keyboard into another room and bring my Mac desktop with me
A physical monitor tells me where and how to sit. Vision Pro lets the workspace mold around me.
The unexpected benefit of discomfort
After a few hours, I want the headset off my face.
That sounds entirely negative, but it forces me to stop working, stand up, stretch, get some water, or talk to my family. A regular monitor lets me disappear into a problem for far too long.
A computer probably shouldn’t need to become uncomfortable to remind me to move, but this one does.
Environments are more useful than I expected
When I need to remove distractions, I turn on an Environment and replace my home office with a beach or mountain.
Paired with noise-canceling earbuds, it becomes an extremely effective focus tool. I’m sitting at the same desk, but it feels like I changed locations.
The honest drawbacks
- Mac Virtual Display is not as crisp as looking directly at a great high-resolution monitor.
- The headset becomes uncomfortable after a few hours.
- It isolates you from family and coworkers.
- The native visionOS app selection still feels thin.
- It costs two or three times more than the monitor I originally planned to buy.
- The long-term future of the product line still feels uncertain.
The isolation can also work as a visible do-not-disturb signal. My kids know that when the goggles are on, Dad is working. When they’re off, come in and talk.
Would that look silly in an office? Probably. I’m over 45. I have exhausted most of my embarrassment about looking silly while trying to get work done.
My verdict after one month
I would not recommend Vision Pro to the average computer user.
I would recommend considering it if you’re a developer or another desk-bound professional who values flexible screen space, works from home, and can tolerate the weight and price.
It has made working at a computer feel new again. That alone has been worth more than I expected.
If you need me, check the goggles. If they’re on, I’m probably zoned out on a beach watching my agents write code.
Is anyone else using Vision Pro as their primary monitor? I’m curious whether the novelty holds up after six months or a year.