Tech gadget lovers were excited when the Apple Vision Pro headset was announced, but the reality has been a little lackluster. Too few apps and experiences combined with a high price tag and a weak interface have led to flagging sales and high returns.
So, has Apple killed the Vision Pro? And if so, what’s next?
The Apple Vision Pro is an augmented reality (AR) headset that allows users to combine digital content with the physical area around them. Examples of what you can do with the Apple Vision Pro include playing games with physical components:
Watch movies in a truly cinematic way:
Have FaceTime calls that feel like the other person is in the room:
And interact with huge, creative virtual environments:
Pricing the Apple Vision Pro Out of the Market
While all these features sound amazing, reports suggest that production of the Apple Vision Pro is slowing, and the tech giant’s focus is shifting away from the advanced AR headset.
One of the primary reasons initial interest in the Apple Vision Pro suddenly waned was the announcement of the $3,500 price tag. Most everyday consumers can’t afford to spend that amount of money on a gadget, even with the option to pay monthly.
Has Apple priced itself out of the market? Possibly. But it’s not the only reason for flagging sales.
An Uncomfortable Experience
The Apple Vision Pro is reportedly the most returned Apple device. One of the driving factors is that the headset is apparently not very comfortable to wear. It weighs too much and feels unbalanced. Some users reported eye strain and other pain.
Other criticisms include its minimal physical interface consisting of High-Resolution Eye Tracking and Hand Tracking. While it’s neat that everything is right in the user’s field of vision, there are no precise ways to interact with apps, making the whole interface clunky. It’s a surprising oversight from a company that’s historically been so focused on exceptional design.
No Standout Experiences
Design has also let Apple down in terms of the apps and experiences they’ve launched alongside the Vision Pro. There are no real “flagship” apps or integrations, unlike Meta’s Quest, which connects directly to Microsoft work environments to promote productivity or allows you to be Batman in “Arkham Shadows.”
Apple states that the Vision Pro can access 1,000 apps. Unfortunately, none of those apps has managed to successfully showcase the AR headset as “the one to beat.”
Is the Apple Vision Pro Dead?
Not quite yet. You can still purchase the Apple Vision Pro headset directly from Apple or official Apple retailers. The price tag currently remains the same, with no reported plans to reduce it to try to target a wider market. That’s despite initial reports that there would eventually be an Apple Vision Air offered as a budget-friendly alternative. The lukewarm response to the Pro might have put those plans on ice.
However, despite production continuing, it appears that Apple may be shifting focus away from the Vision Pro, quietly leaving it on the sidelines. Their next project is more likely to be a step away from the AR headset model toward AR glasses. The company is probably hoping to compete with Meta, whose sales of AR glasses have now hit over two million.
So, you can still get a Vision Pro right now. But with cheaper options on the market and production and support slowing, you’re probably better off looking for an alternative.
As an avid gamer, I’ve run into my fair share of error codes and weird faults that have forced me to find fixes to problems I never anticipated. That gave me a passion for sharing those fixes with others so we can all game without feeling like our hardware is rebelling against us.
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