Marvel’s What If…? Apple Vision Pro XR spin-off gets first trailer

Marvel’s What If…? – An Immersive Story XR spin-off for Apple Vision Pro has been revealed in full, with a new trailer highlighting hands-on action, and a plot revolving around the Infinity Stones. As previously announced, this What If…? adventure is exclusively for Apple Vision Pro, and new details have now revealed it will be a free app for device owners, and it will only be available “for a limited time.”

The wording implies the game will be taken down at some point, and it appears unlikely it will come to more mainstream VR devices – as the trailer and press release for What If…? highlight features built specifically for the Vision Pro and its XR capabilities.

That’s unfortunate, given the popularity of Marvel’s What If…? and the relatively slim user base of the Apple Vision Pro. The device isn’t available worldwide yet – it’s not on sale in Australia, for example – and its retail cost of USD $3,499 is fairly prohibitive. Apple reportedly cut its device shipment forecasts in 2024, suggesting it’s not selling as well as predicted. Given that’s the case, it’s likely few folks will get the chance to check out this XR game spin-off.

Marvel’s What If…? – An Immersive Story – Plot

If you are in the small boat of having an Apple Vision Pro, and loving Marvel’s What If…? then there’s certainly elements to the game that will excite. As detailed, the plot revolves around players being recruited by The Watcher to help defend the universe against rogue variant characters – Hela, Thanos, The Collector, Red Guardian, and others.

In brief glimpses, we see The Watcher recruiting Wong to teach the player hero about wielding magic, and then they set off an a quest through various dimensions. Notably, the end of the trailer teases that players will gather all of the Infinity Stones in their quest, and then use their power to save the world.

The game’s press release makes specific notes of the Apple Vision Pro’s capabilities, and promises it will utilise the headset’s “revolutionary spatial computing capabilities” to deliver a “technologically advanced and engaging experience” that incorporates a player’s surroundings into the action. Again, it’s likely for this reason that Marvel’s What If…? – An Immersive Story will be a limited time Apple Vision Pro game.

“Fans will use their hands and eyes to interact with the world around them, becoming immersed with stunning visuals and spatial audio, and work to save the fate of reality as they live out their narrative journey,” the game’s official description reads. “Together, these groundbreaking features and more will remind them that time, space, and reality are more than a linear path.”

Those keen for the game should stay tuned for visual playthroughs from those with access to an Apple Vision Pro. While it won’t quite be the same, it may be the only opportunity for the vast majority to experience this “immersive” story adventure.