Tokyo – February 2, 2024 – TOPPAN Inc. (TOPPAN), a TOPPAN Group company and wholly owned subsidiary of TOPPAN Holdings Inc. (TYO: 7911), is releasing two apps for Apple Vision Pro, the first spatial computer from Apple Inc. (Apple), which goes on sale today. TOPPAN’s Meet Japan! app provides an experience of the beauty of Japan through immersive high-quality visuals while the Natural Window app delivers ultra-realistic content of environments creating calming spaces for users. Both apps will be available on the App Store from today.
Background
Apple Vision Pro is the first spatial computer developed by Apple. It is a wearable device that creates an experience whereby digital content appears to physically exist within the space that the user is in. Two ultra-high-resolution displays enable Apple Vision Pro users to enjoy a leading-edge immersive experience in any location.
The two new apps released by TOPPAN are extensions of its existing high-definition visual content solutions. TOPPAN launched Meet Japan! in 2013 as an ultra-high-definition, high-quality 4K visual content library comprising more than 50,000 shots showcasing the nature, culture, and other charms of Japan. Natural Window was released in 2017 as a solution delivering 4K visuals designed to have a calming effect in closed spaces in which household televisions or windows cannot be installed. With these and other solutions, TOPPAN has driven the provision of digital visual data that is quality controlled in terms of accurate color reproduction and texture rendering.
Aiming to expand high-definition visual content to 3D spaces and drive further growth of the metaverse business, TOPPAN has leveraged its accumulated information processing and computer graphic production technologies to establish development capabilities for apps for Apple Vision Pro. The Meet Japan! and Natural Window apps are being released as launch titles.
About the Meet Japan! app
Users downloading the Meet Japan! app will be able to enjoy visual content that delivers an experience of the diverse charms of Japan, including historical cultural properties, natural heritage, traditional performing arts, scenery from the four seasons, and cuisine. It provides an overwhelming sense of immersion made possible by the ultra-high-definition, high-quality 4K visuals shot by TOPPAN using lenses for high-resolution still photography and high-spec equipment with large image sensors. On the screens built into Apple Vision Pro, users will be able to enjoy visually lossless,1 high-definition 4K visual content packed with the beauty of Japan, such as nishikigoi carp, traditional performing arts, cherry blossoms, and Mount Fuji. The app will initially feature a single piece of content, with further content to be added over time.
About the Natural Window app
With the Natural Window app, content of natural scenery flows at a leisurely pace in a similar way to slow television. Watching calming 4K visuals blended into the real space by the Apple Vision Pro display will allow users to experience a sense of looking out of a window even in a space without one. This can potentially enhance quality of rest and raise efficiency when people are performing tasks.
Natural Window will play multiple pieces of visually lossless, high-definition 4K content showing bamboo forests, cherry blossoms, Mount Fuji and more on the curved screens inside Apple Vision Pro, allowing users to feel as if they are in the location itself.
The app will feature content that switches between seven different scenes.
Overview of Meet Japan! and Natural Window apps
| Titles | Meet Japan!, Natural Window |
| Provided by | TOPPAN Inc. |
| Compatible with | Apple Vision Pro (visionOS) |
| Release date | February 2, 2024 (U.S. time) |
| Price | Free of charge (Trial versions. Paid versions with enhanced content are planned for release at a later date.) |
Future
TOPPAN aims to equip the Meet Japan! and Natural Window apps with 50 pieces of content by 2025 to showcase the allure of Japan and contribute to its promotion as a major tourist destination.
TOPPAN also intends to further expand the digital content domain by developing apps for Apple Vision Pro and advancing R&D on high-definition visual content, AR, VR, and other new forms of visual expression.
*App Store, Apple Vision Pro, and visionOS are trademarks of Apple Inc.
About the TOPPAN Group
Established in Tokyo in 1900, the TOPPAN Group is a leading and diversified global provider committed to delivering sustainable, integrated solutions in fields including printing, communications, security, packaging, décor materials, electronics, and digital transformation. The TOPPAN Group’s global team of more than 50,000 employees offers optimal solutions enabled by industry-leading expertise and technologies to address the diverse challenges of every business sector and society and contribute to the achievement of shared sustainability goals.
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