The Bucks at Lakers game that took place on January 9 has been released in full for Apple Vision Pro in immersive video format, and all you need is the NBA app.
One of the more clear use cases for Apple Vision Pro near its launch was immersive video sports events. It has taken nearly two years to get there, but the availability of the expensive cameras and a network willing to broadcast the format has finally allowed a live professional sport to broadcast to Apple Vision Pro in Apple Immersive format.
On January 9, the Bucks faced off against the Lakers. Those that don't follow the NBA that own Apple Vision Pro should still absolutely check out these immersive experiences.
The 7-minute highlight reel was enough to get the idea across, but I recommend scrubbing through the full 2-hour game. The way the cameras were positioned, how they cut between angles, and the announcers talking directly to Vision Pro users are all interesting to experience.
Look down and you'll see a score bug, but since you're effectively in the audience, you can look at the actual scoreboards and shot clocks too. I'd show off some of the interesting graphics work here, but screenshots are still impossible for video in Apple Vision Pro due to copyright protection.
Note that while there are multiple views of the game and court, the user isn't in control. While that is true of standard games, something about the immersive environment made me think I should have access to a camera picker.
It is clear Apple went to great lengths to make this a good experience. The only downfall really is the lack of games that will be broadcast in this format in the near term.
The resolution was high enough, but not quite "see the pores and sweat" levels seen in other immersive content. Streaming this from the NBA app also means that technology stack belongs to the NBA, and frame drops, resolution drops, and slight lag when scrubbing are all elements I encountered.
The audio was excellent, at least for the piped-in audio from the announcers. The performance by the Lady Lakers was odd because the mics picked up their hand claps, but the music was distant and echoey over the PA. The announcer was mostly impossible to understand over the PA as well.
These are all bugs to work out, and for the first attempt, it went quite well. I can easily imagine how this experience might translate to other sports.
The future of Apple Immersive sports
Of course, basketball was the perfect sport for the first full Apple Immersive sports experience. The court is relatively small, and the action takes place near the goals most of the time.
Apple Vision Pro virtual headset with two strap headband on a dark surface next to AirPods Pro 3
Live sports, immersive video, and spatial audio make a perfect mix
American football and soccer may prove to be quite challenging to bring to immersive video and will require some interesting innovations in the space. I have no doubt that Apple is working to make this happen, especially with MLS, but nothing has been announced yet.
Baseball, golf, tennis, F1, and similar sports should be relatively easy to get up and running for immersive video. I'd personally be interested in seeing professional wrestling or UFC in the space, but that may also prove challenging given the format of the sport.
The start of this will no doubt center around putting Apple Vision Pro users in the same seats they'd sit in when attending a sport live. However, I do hope that new and innovative approaches are made as the cameras become more widely available.
Apple Immersive Video is in its early days. We've got short-form documentaries, very short films, and now live sports.
I hope that Apple can check two more boxes off of the immersive video checklist soon — animated content and full-length film or TV.
Watching immersive Lakers games
If you own Apple Vision Pro and want to watch these games after they've been broadcast live, they will all become available shortly after the air date. The schedule is embedded below.
You'll have to get the NBA app, which is prompted when selecting the immersive game from the Apple TV app. A login is required, and the app doesn't make it easy, as it doesn't offer Sign In With Apple, nor does the password field properly register, so you have to manually go to the Passwords app to generate and save a password.
Mike Wuerthele and I both ran into an issue getting the immersive video to load in the app. It required deleting the NBA app and reinstalling it, and only then did the immersive options show up.
Let's hope some of these more awkward bugs get smoothed out soon.
Here's the schedule for the announced immersive games:
January 9: Los Angeles Lakers vs Milwaukee Bucks
February 5: Los Angeles Lakers vs Philadelphia 76ers
February 20: Los Angeles Lakers vs Los Angeles Clippers
March 5: Los Angeles Lakers vs Denver Nuggets
March 10: Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves
March 30: Los Angeles Lakers vs Washington Wizards