Spatial Bouncy Balls is an innovative application designed for the Apple Vision Pro that promises to immerse users in an interactive and playful augmented reality experience. The app is developed by Veep LLC and is available for free. It utilizes the latest ARKit technology combined with advanced LiDAR Scanner integration to accurately map your environment. This allows users to transform various spaces, such as their living room, bedroom, or office, into dynamic playgrounds where digital balls bounce off the furniture, walls, and even unseen planes.
One of the core features of Spatial Bouncy Balls is its precision tracking. Leveraging Apple’s ARKit and LiDAR Scanner, the app ensures that the digital balls interact with the real-world environment with impressive accuracy. This means that when a ball is thrown or swiped, it will bounce and react according to real-world physics, creating an immersive experience where the lines between virtual and reality begin to blur. Users engage with the gameplay by simply swiping their hands in the air, making the balls react in real-time. This interactive feature is designed to evoke a sense of nostalgia while simultaneously offering a glimpse into the future of gaming through a mixed reality lens.
Despite its advanced technology and promising concept, Spatial Bouncy Balls has received mixed reviews from users. One major point of criticism is the appearance of the polygon mesh that covers the room. While it demonstrates the Vision Pro’s capability to perceive the geometry of a space, many users find it unattractive and potentially indicative of a bug. The polygonal mesh detracts from the visual appeal and disrupts the overall immersive experience.
Additionally, the user interface has been described as awkward, unpolished, and confusing. Users find the process of adding balls to the room cumbersome and not as intuitive as it could be. The design and movement of the balls also leave much to be desired. They are noted to be quite large and lack realistic rendering that aligns with the lighting in the room. Although the balls respond to gravity and hand movements to a certain extent, their behavior when bouncing off surfaces fails to meet realistic expectations. Furthermore, the big green dots on users’ hands, which are supposed to facilitate interaction, appear more like a visual glitch than a functional feature.
Several suggestions have been made by users to improve the app. Realistically shaded and light-reflective rendering for the balls would enhance their appearance and make the overall experience more visually appealing. An option to hide the polygon mesh but still make it accessible for those who are curious about its functionality would also be a welcome change. Simplifying the user interface to allow intuitive interactions, such as tapping anywhere to create a ball, using two-hand gestures to resize all balls simultaneously, and double-tapping a ball to destroy it, would significantly improve user experience. Moreover, removing the green dots from the hands would clear up the visual noise and contribute to a more seamless interaction.
Spatial Bouncy Balls has the potential to be a fascinating tech demo for Apple Vision Pro, showcasing the capabilities of ARKit and LiDAR integration. However, to truly shine, it needs refinement in its visual presentation, user interface, and interactivity. By addressing these concerns, the app could offer a more polished, engaging, and visually appealing experience for users.
