How About Them Apples?

A couple of thoughts about WWDC23:

The Game Porting Toolkit (GPTK hereafter) announced as part of the next macOS update is interesting, and making waves in gamer circles that usually overlooked the Mac platform. The underlying technology is basically just Apple’s take on Valve’s Proton layer for WINE on the Steam Deck. It translates Windows-specific system calls into something Macs can understand, and – presto-chango – you’ve got Windows software running on your Mac. CrossOver has done this for years on Intel Macs, so the GPTK just seems to be a more muscular version that Apple itself has taken the lead with for running Intel titles on M-class CPUs.

Apple during the WWDC keynote stated that the GPTK was intended for doing an initial test of a game to determine what modifications would be necessary to get it working well in macOS. That’s an interesting thing to say, actually: the implication seems to be that Apple is telling developers not to bother with traditional ports of their wares, but to instead focus on WINE on macOS as the target platform. This is essentially Valve’s request of Windows developers as well: “you don’t have to make your title Linux-native, just make sure it plays well with Proton.” This is a significant change from Apple’s stance in the past, and reflects a pragmatic recognition that it’s a big ask to get most AAA Windows game companies to produce (or fund) Mac-specific ports. Given the general ire directed at Apple ever since they ditched OpenGL in favor of Metal (even though OpenGL just doesn’t play well with the M-series SoCs, and these developers should know this by now – grrrrr), it’s a move that makes sense.

The other thing that Apple brought up that piqued my interest was the obvious: they’ve got a XR device coming out soon. The reaction from outside of Apple fandom has been interesting to see. It seems to be commonly misunderstood – even by techies – that the Vision Pro (VP) is just another in a long line of VR/AR headsets like the Quest, Index, and HoloLens. I’m actually surprised by how often that mistake is made on Hacker News and tech-related discussions on Mastodon. From that point of view, it’s understandable the amount of shock and complaints the $3500 price tag provokes.

However, that isn’t the point of the VP. This isn’t just a Quest-2-plus-Apple-tax. What Apple is doing here is releasing an entirely new class of computing platform – a Mac for your face, basically. While the keynote coverage demonstrates that the VP can be used in conjunction with other Apple devices including their computer lines, it’s primarily intended to work by itself, and this is reinforced by having an M2 running the whole show (an aside: I found it equally interesting that Apple is so far mum on details like total RAM and on-board storage for this thing). When you consider the VP as a complete computer with a VR/AR display, the price becomes a bit more understandable. Further supporting the emphasis on this device being more than just a headset is the noticeable absence of any mention of VR gaming as a use-case. Yes, Apple discusses playing games using the VP, but only in terms of “pancake” versions using a floating AR flat screen. The VP is a serious computer, Apple seems to be saying, just look at how you can use the thing as a monitor replacement with massive walls of virtual screens for doing real work.

While some folks had hoped that the VP would follow the iPad in terms of a surprise entry price tag, that was not to be. The VP is an example of Apple entering a new market without making any cuts to features or quality – this is most definitely a cutting-edge device with a lot of work invested to make it the best of the best. With that quality and functionality comes a price to match. Like the iPhone and original Macintosh before it, it’s a premium device that will no doubt take time to both establish a market as well as allow Apple the time to develop a follow-up version (I guess just called “the Vision?”) that will be affordable to mere mortals.

Just as with the GPTK, we’ll just have to see how things play out to determine if these new developments from Apple grow into something game-changing.