Kerry Wan/ZDNET and Apple
Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
I've been let down by the Los Angeles Lakers hundreds of times. But never has it happened the way that it did this weekend.
Following a toiling week at CES, there was nothing more captivating to me than the opportunity to watch a full, hours-long Lakers game in the Apple Vision Pro by the time I got home.
See, I'm based in New York, so my best chance of catching the latest Spectrum Front Row in Apple Immersive experience -- which puts you courtside, effectively on the scorer's table -- is by watching a replay a few days after the live broadcast.
Also: CES 2026: 7 biggest news stories across TVs, laptops, and other weird gadgets you missed
As of right now, it's the best, closest thing to sitting in the VIP row of an NBA game without having to spend $10,000 (and literally flying to Los Angeles). For Apple, this may well be the most premium feature it can offer to users who have invested in the $3,500 Vision Pro.
So, what is it like to experience NBA action from previously untapped dimensions? Everything that a fan can imagine -- the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Warming up for the broadcast
Loading into the immersive experience was fairly straightforward. If you're based in a regional broadcast territory for Spectrum, such as Hawaii, Southern California, or parts of Southern Nevada, you can tune into select Lakers games live through the dedicated Spectrum SportsNet app. If you reside outside of those areas, you can catch a replay through the official NBA app, which requires a free ID to access.
... continue reading