The first episode of the new Elevated Apple Immersive Video series is now available.
What Is Apple Immersive Video?
The Apple Immersive Video format is 180-degree video with 8K resolution, stereoscopic 3D, and spatial audio. It's served from the Apple TV+ subscription service with much higher bitrate than many other immersive video platforms.
We highly praised Apple Immersive Video in our Vision Pro review. It's not possible to cast or record Apple Immersive Video though, so you'll have to take our word for it unless you have access to a Vision Pro.
Apple says the new Elevated series lets Apple Vision Pro owners with an Apple TV+ subscription "gain an all-new perspective as you take aerial tours of the world’s most remarkable landscapes, led by well-known guides with a special connection to each place.".
The first episode centers on Hawaii. The six-minute video has Vision Pro owners "soar over simmering volcanoes, rushing waterfalls, and breathtaking ocean cliffs" across the Hawaiian islands, guided by actor and Hawaii native Auli‘i Cravalho.
There seems to be some degree of overlap in Apple's immersive video offerings, as another series called Boundless debuted in July with a Hot Air Balloons episode - which sounds an awful lot like the pitch of Elevated.
Episode 2 of Elevated will center on Maine, though no specific details about it have been teased yet, nor a release timeline.
David Heaney
At its WWDC24 conference in June Apple announced it and a plethora of other new Apple Immersive Video content, including at least three other new series, more episodes of existing series, and a scripted short film from the director of All Quiet on the Western Front.
Apple is also partnering with Blackmagic Design to ship an Apple Immersive Video camera and integrate editing support in DaVinci Resolve, which could lead to much more Apple Immersive Video content from a wider range of creators.
