Apple Vision Pro reflected glare

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Level 1

17 points

Apple Vision Pro reflected glare

HI. I hope to communicate with any team working on optical inserts for the Apple Vision Pro.

I have 20-20 vision after cataract surgery in both eyes, so I declined any optional Zeiss prescription inserts when puchasing my Apple Vision Pro on March 1. However a deal-breaker resulting in my returning this wonderful product was bright areas reflecting off my eyes onto dark areas and back to my eyes. Since nobody else has this problem, I suspect the light is reflected off my IOL implants. The result is that, although black areas of the image should be true black, those areas in mixed light and dark display have annoying grey smears as if the lens is dirty, but the effect varies with every change in combined light & dark areas.

A simple test of this problem is to open the Sky Guide app, which is a night scene with stars being the prevailing light source. However there is a bright menu bar at the bottom which causes reflected light boucing off my eyes to the headset lens and back into my eyes. In this test, you can grab that menu and swirl it around in circles, left/right/up/down/ and the reflected light swirls around the dark areas in unison, degrading the dark star-lit areas.

Apple was unable to duplicate this on their own, possibly because none of them had had cataract surgery. We simply gave up and I returned the product for a full refund.

I am hoping there is a solution with a different kind of insert for the Apple Vision Pro. Because this problem is absolutely without question reflection off my eyes to the screen and back to my eyes, I think it can be solved with polarization. I am not certain how polarization works, but I think there is something called circular polarization that passes light through a filter at a 45 degree angle, and rotation of the reflection rotated another 45 degrees totally blocks the reflection attempting to pass back through the filter.

Do I understand the concept correctly, and if so can anyone offer a fix? I have sent this question to Zeiss, but in the meantime I am also looking at circular polarizing filters for cameras that might somehow be adapted to fit the Apple Vision Pro.

Apple Vision Pro

Posted on Mar 15, 2024 12:04 PM

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Answer 1

wkrasl Author

Level 1

17 points

Mar 16, 2024 7:12 AM in response to Zedairder

Understood. See the third brief paragraph in my post, "Apple was unable to duplicate this on their own, possibly because none of them had had cataract surgery. We simply gave up and I returned the product for a full refund." That is their Case ID: 102243269565. So this post is actually aimed at the User-to-User Community, not Apple.

I am hoping I am not the only Vision Pro owner with this glare problem and that someone else has attempted and found any solution.

About 45 years ago, back when I was a software engineer at Martin Marietta Data Systems, we used anti-glare filters for computer monitors which polarized incoming light from behind the user and rotated it 45 degrees. When that light was reflected off the computer screen it would be rotated again for a net 90 degrees from the unwanted original incoming light behind the user and was therefore blocked. In the meantime the computer screen image is only rotated the first 45 degrees and is therefore glare-free.

I don't know if any current anti-glare computer screens work the same way, but I didn't find any on Amazon with 45 degree polarization in their description. However, knowing cheap alternative "matte anti-glare screens" are NOT polarizing, since I can use one anyway for my laptop with a window behind me, I ordered a pair which will arrive tomorrow. I'll sacrifice one of them to put circular cutouts on some reading glasses which can be used with my Meta Quest 3 that has the same glare problem. If that test fails I will order the more expensive sheets that specifically say they do 45 degree circular polarization and repeat the test.

Bottom line, if either matte film or 45 degree polarizing film works, I will repurchase the Apple Vision Pro with reader inserts and attempt to attach cutouts to the inserts. So, any reply from any Vision Pro user with the glare problem and any attempted solution will be greatly appreciated.

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Answer 2

Apr 24, 2024 4:55 PM in response to wkrasl

I also have 20/20 vision, but no cataracts.

I noticed, especially in the iMax app, when there was a bright screen with a dark background, there was glare that was unmistakable. To the point, that i had to turn my head a little and move my eyes so that the glare was not right in the middle.

I diligently made sure the optics were clear and there were no smudges. I understand this is a function of the pancake lenses and is an optical physics issue.

I don't know how they can fix this whether they will do something with contrast ratio, lens coat, or something else.

I loved them, but the strain of the glare was too much for me to deal with

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Answer 3

Zedairder

Level 3

834 points

Mar 15, 2024 9:09 PM in response to wkrasl

Hi there. This is unfortunately a user-to-user forum. You can only get in contact with Apple through Apple support.

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