djay on Apple Vision Pro
Apple fans may have noticed an app showcased in old keynotes or mentioned during app awards called djay. It’s made by the 20-year-old Algoriddim with the goal of bringing DJing to everyone.
According to a developer blog post on Apple’s website, Algoriddim CEO Karim Morsy says the djay app “was this beast that wanted to be unleashed” on Apple Vision Pro. He walked through the development process and philosophy for bringing a 2D app to spatial computing.
“The first time I experienced the device was really emotional. I wanted to be a DJ since I was a child. And suddenly here were these turntables, and the night sky, and the stars above me, and this light show in the desert. I felt like, ‘This is the culmination of everything. This is the feeling I’ve been wanting people to experience.'”
Apple Vision Pro offers developers three ways for users to interact with apps. Windows, objects, and spaces.
When djay is launched, it shows up as a window, not unlike the 2D iPad app with two decks visible. Users can then shift to a volumetric view that brings the turntables into the user’s space.
The third mode is a fully immersive space with different environments that react to the music being played. One has an LED wall that reflects color from the now-playing album artwork, while another shows a desert scene framed by an arena of lights.
Morsy is a DJ himself and says these environments can help create a “flow state” sought by live DJs. It can get the DJ into a loop where the environment influences them and vice versa.
Apple Vision Pro is available for pre-order on January 19 and launches on February 2. It starts at $3,499 and comes with 256GB of storage.
