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Provided is a method for in vitro production of photoreceptor precursor cells, comprising steps of; (a) 3D sphere culturing pluripotent stem cells, which may be iPS cells, to generate first spheres comprising eye early and late committed retinal neural progenitors (CRNPs); (b) monitoring sphere size until the first spheres reach an average size of about 300-500 pm in diameter; (c) disassociating the first spheres into first substantially single cells; (d) 3D sphere culturing the first substantially single cells to generate second spheres comprising photoreceptor precursor cells (PRPCs); (e) monitoring sphere size until the second spheres reach an average size of about 300-500 pm in diameter; (f) disassociating the second spheres into a second plurality of substantially single cells; (g) 3D sphere culturing the second plurality of substantially single cells to generate third spheres comprising postmitotic PRPCs; and (h) optionally, further differentiating the postmitotic PRPCs into photoreceptor-like cells.