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Comment by MegaDeKay | Hacker News Reader

"Gurman says Apple will ensure that the Vision Pro fits the wearer and also outfit the device with prescription lens inserts if needed"

I wear prescription glasses and have gone from single vision to progressive lenses that are stupid expensive. Worse, my prescription changes every visit to the optometrist. How sensitive is the headset's performance to my prescription, how expensive would replacement lenses be, and how difficult would they be to change out? Could I do this myself by ordering updated lenses based on my prescription or would I have to take the headset in?

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VR’s focus plane is 4-6 feet away for all distances, so you won’t need progressive lenses.

But the screen is always 2” away. As you look from things that are drawn as if they are near or far is kind of irrelevant, isn’t it? Your focus depth won’t change because your actual focus depth never changes.

https://reloptix.com/pages/prescription-instructions

Human vision cannot focus on an object less than 9” away without fatigue. VR headsets put lenses between your eyes and the screen to give up to several feet of effective focal distance.

It’s a shame that the eye trackers are not suitable to understand the shape of the eye, so the image could be adapted for it.

I feel you on this topic. I wear glasses. Wearing a really old pair from 20 years back is painful, but I can slip comfortably into a prescription from 6 years ago, I don’t know what your experience is with that, though.

I wish there were more information about this. Should I get an updated Rx and put in a pre-order for lenses? Who knows!?! I’m astigmatic, near sighted I guess, but a close up VR lens doesn’t change focal length at all, so lenses are a must for me.

Waiting and “seeing” ;)

> Worse, my prescription changes every visit to the optometrist.

FYI, unless your vision is quite bad, this is likely to bilk you and/or your insurance for money. I have slight-to-moderately bad eyesight and had optometrists trying to change my prescription every year as well, to no noticeable effect. I started getting my eyes checked only every few years and then taking away my prescription without purchasing glasses immediately. You can generally gauge how honest your optometrist is by how indignant this makes them.

Not the case for me. I schedule my appointments not from the last time I went, but when I start seeing crappy.

> I wear prescription glasses and have gone from single vision to progressive lenses that are stupid expensive.

Not really on-topic, but I've had very good luck with Zenni Optical.

For some, it might be easier and cheaper to get an Apple Vision Pro-specific prescription and contact lenses than to update the lenses in the device, assuming you're ok with contacts.

I'm not, actually. My eyes are pretty dry and I can always feel those little pieces of plastic in my eye.

I wonder how that’s going to work with differing pupillary distances?

How old are you? 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, or beyond?

As you likely know your vision will eventually settle when you hit late 30’s.

Also I assume you have considered LASIK?

> your vision will eventually settle when you hit late 30’s

Eyesight doesn't settle, it continues to deteriorate with age. Lasik also deteriorates with time, normally becoming noticeable about ten years after the surgery. Lasik providers offer "touch ups" as you get older in order to ameliorate this.

>your vision will eventually settle when you hit late 30’s

This statement reminds me of the surgeon who did my PRK few months ago. He mentioned preferring not doing procedure on candidates who are at least in their mid-20's. I think the person you're replying to probably meant specifically myopia whereas you're referring to presbyopia?

> Eyesight doesn't settle, it continues to deteriorate with age

Apparently a common pattern, at least for myopia, is for that to stop progressing in the late 30s, but then focussing response to get worse (why people end up needing reading glasses in their 50s-ish.)

Certainly that's what I've experienced, and what before I did I was told to expect.

As you get older, you are more prone to other eye conditions, like AMD, cataracts, and glaucoma.

But from what I understand, you won’t have major changes in your prescription, such as what GP is dealing with.

Since we’re splitting hairs—LASIK doesn’t deteriorate. It’s a procedure.

You may be able to go for additional follow ups, but it’s case by case, as there is only so much cornea that can reshaped.

I always assumed I'd get LASIK if my vision started to degrade. Then I learned that apparently LASIK can't treat age-related farsightedness: fixing your close vision will mess up your far vision. The only option AFAIU is to treat one eye only, so you have one eye for close vision and one eye for far. That doesn't sound very enticing to me.

Yep. I have had myopia since my teens and by the time I decided to consider LASIK at 40 my optician told me it wasn't worth it because my vision will start to adjust toward far sightedness within 10 years.

Fantastic advice! A few years later my prescription started to drop and I wear glasses less and less.

If I had LASIK I'd be looking at glasses or more LASIK already.

I do have low prescription inserts for VR because one eye is slightly weaker and I found that more noticeable than IRL.

Wait, how should I use this info if I’m in my mid 20s and wanted to have LASIK? Well, I suppose I should discuss it with my optician.

Yes, I have one eye under corrected for precisely that reason.

It’s not nearly as bad as you might think and it only ever comes up during my annual eye exam.

LASIK can't be considered until your prescription stabilizes for at least a year or two, so that isn't helpful to someone whose prescription is constantly changing.

My vision was perfect until I hit 40. Now I need a new prescription ever couple of years.

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