After years of rumors, leaks, and speculation, Apple has finally unveiled the Vision Pro, its first-ever AR and VR headset.
-Mixed reality headset
-Dual M2 and R1 chip setup
-4K resolution per eye
-No controllers, using hand tracking and voice inputs
-External battery pack
-Two-hour battery life
-Starts at $3,499 (around £2,800 / AU$5,300)
-Runs on visionOS
The announcement came as the “one more thing” of Apple’s WWDC 2023 event, where it also unveiled a new Mac Pro computer, new iOS 17 features, and a new M2 Ultra among other software and Mac hardware news.
Many of the leaks we’d headed proved to be correct, however, a fair few weren’t 100% accurate. So even if you’ve been following along for the past few years we’d recommend reading through this piece to get caught up to speed on the official info. Below you’ll find all of the official details about the Apple Vision Pro VR headset including its price, specs, design, and the vague release date Apple has provided.
Apple Vision Pro: what you need to know
Vision Pro release date: Sometime “early next year” according to Apple.
Vision Pro headset price: Starts at $3,499 (around £2,800 / AU$5,300).
Vision Pro headset specs: Apple’s headset uses two chipsets, an M2 and a new R1 to handle regular software and its XR capabilities respectively. It also has dual 4K displays.
Vision Pro headset design: The Vision Pro has a similar design to other VR headsets, with a front panel that covers your eyes and an elastic strap. One change from the norm is that it has an outer display to show the wearer’s eyes.
Vision Pro headset battery life: Lasts for up to two hours on a full charge using the official external battery pack.
Vision Pro headset controllers: There are no controllers, instead you’ll use your eyes, hands, and voice to control its visionOS software.
Apple Vision Pro: price and release date
Apple has said that the Vision Pro will start at $3,499 (that’s around £2,800 / AU$5,300). Apple’s wording suggests more expensive options will be available, however, at this time we don’t know what prices these other Vision Pro models would be, nor what the higher priced options will offer over the cheapest option.
As for release date, Apple has only given a vague “early next year.” This is later than we had expected, leaks indicated it would launch in the next few months (perhaps around the same time as the iPhone 15) but that isn’t the case. As 2024 approaches we expect Apple will give us an update on when we’ll be able to use the Vision Pro for ourselves.
Interestingly, its website only mentions a US release. Apple has yet to confirm if the Vision Pro will launch in regions outside of the Us, and when that’ll happen.
Apple Vision Pro: design
The Apple Vision shares a lot of similarities with the best VR headsets. It has a large face panel that covers your eyes and is secured to your head using a strap made from elasticated fabric, plastic and padding.
Instead of the similarities, let’s focus on the Vision Pro’s unique design features.
The biggest difference VR veterans will notice is that the Vision Pro headset doesn’t have a battery, instead, it relies upon an external battery pack. This is a sort of evolution of the HTC Vive Xr Elite‘s design, which allowed the headset to swap from a headset with a battery in its strap to a battery-less pair of glasses that relies on external power.
This battery pack will provide the headset with roughly two hours of use on a full charge according to Apple and is small enough to fit in the wearer’s pocket. It’ll connect to the headset via a cable, which is a tad unseemly by Apple’s usual design standards, but what this choice loses in style it should make up for in comfort. We found the Meta Quest Pro to be really comfy, but wearing it for extended periods of time can put a strain on your neck – just ask our writer who wore the Quest Pro for work for a whole week.
If you buy a Vision Pro you’ll find that your box lacks something needed for other VR headsets: controllers. That’s because the Vision Pro relies solely on your hand and eye movements, as well as voice inputs, to control its apps and experiences. It’ll pick up these inputs using its array of 12 cameras, five sensors, and six microphones.
The last design detail of note is the Vision Pro’s Eyesight display. It looks pretty odd, maybe even a bit creepy, but we’re holding judgment off until we’ve had a chance to try it out.
When a Vision Pro wearer is using AR features and can see the real world, nearby people will see their eyes “through” the headset’s front panel (actually, it’s a screen showing a camera view of the eyes but based on Apple’s images you might be convinced it’s a simple plane of glass). If they’re fully immersed in an experience, onlookers will instead see a cloud of color to signify that they’re exploring another world.
Apple Vision Pro: specs and features
As the rumors had suggested, the Apple Vision Pro headset will come with some impressive specs to justify its sky-high price.
Firstly, the Vision Pro will use two chipsets to power its experiences. One is an M2 chip, the same one you’ll find in the Apple iPad Pro (2022), and some of the best MacBooks and Macs. This powerful processor will handle the apps and software you’re running on the Vision Pro. Meanwhile, the R1 (the other Apple chipset) will deal with the mixed reality side of things, it will process the immersive elements of the Vision Pro that turn it from a glorified wearable Mac display to an immersive spatial computer.
On top of these chips, the Vision Pro will offer crisp 4K micro-OLED displays – one per eye – that offer roughly 23 million pixels each. According to Apple the Vision Pro’s display fits 64 pixels in the same space that the iPhone’s screen fits in one single pixel, and this could eliminate the annoying screen-door effect that affects other VR headsets. This effect occurs when you’re up close to a screen and you can start to see the gaps between the pixels in the array; the higher the pixel density the closer you can get before the screen door effect becomes noticeable.
These components will allow you to run an array of Apple software through the visionOS platform (not xrOS as was rumored). This includes immersive photos and videos, custom-made Disney Plus experiences, and productivity apps like Keynote.
You’ll also be able to play over 100 Apple Arcade titles on a virtual screen that’s like your own private movie theatre – which sounds similar to other
You’ll also be able to connect your Vision Pro headset to a Mac via Bluetooth. When using this feature you’ll be able to access your Mac apps and see your screen on a large immersive display, and it’ll sit alongside other Vision Pro apps you’re using. Apple says this setup will help you be more productive than you’ve ever been, though we’ll have to use the headset for ourselves to see if that holds true.
With the power of an M2, Apple’s headset should be able to run most Mac apps natively – Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro recently arrived on M2 iPads. For now, however, Apple hasn’t revealed if these and other apps will be available natively on the Vision Pro, or if you’ll need a Mac to unlock the headset’s full potential. We expect these details will be revealed nearer to the headset’s 2024 launch.
Apple VR headset: what you need to know
Apple VR headset release date: Apple hasn’t yet confirmed that it’s working on a mixed-reality headset but rumors indicate the project will be revealed at WWDC 2023, and launch later in the year
Apple VR headset price: Pricing is also yet to be confirmed, but rumors have suggested we’ll see something around the $3,000 / £2,200 / AU$4,400 mark.
Apple VR headset features: Apple’s headset is expected to use have both virtual and mixed reality capabilities. We’ve also heard it will be powered by the impressive M2 chip.
Apple VR headset design: The Apple VR headset could look much less bulky than its rivals according to those familiar with the project. The display unit is believed to house every component, while a single strap goes around the head to keep it secure, though there has been talk of it using an external battery pack.
Apple VR headset battery life: Leaks have suggested the VR headset can only be used in short bursts, leading us to believe its battery life will be quite short.
Apple VR headset controllers: The most recent rumors suggest the headset won’t have controllers and that’ll it rely solely on hand tracking.
Apple VR headset: what you need to know
Apple VR headset release date: Apple hasn’t yet confirmed that it’s working on a mixed-reality headset but rumors indicate the project will be revealed at WWDC 2023, and launch later in the year
Apple VR headset price: Pricing is also yet to be confirmed, but rumors have suggested we’ll see something around the $3,000 / £2,200 / AU$4,400 mark.
Apple VR headset features: Apple’s headset is expected to use have both virtual and mixed reality capabilities. We’ve also heard it will be powered by the impressive M2 chip.
Apple VR headset design: The Apple VR headset could look much less bulky than its rivals according to those familiar with the project. The display unit is believed to house every component, while a single strap goes around the head to keep it secure, though there has been talk of it using an external battery pack.
Apple VR headset battery life: Leaks have suggested the VR headset can only be used in short bursts, leading us to believe its battery life will be quite short.
Apple VR headset controllers: The most recent rumors suggest the headset won’t have controllers and that’ll it rely solely on hand tracking.
Apple VR headset: what you need to know
Apple VR headset release date: Apple hasn’t yet confirmed that it’s working on a mixed-reality headset but rumors indicate the project will be revealed at WWDC 2023, and launch later in the year
Apple VR headset price: Pricing is also yet to be confirmed, but rumors have suggested we’ll see something around the $3,000 / £2,200 / AU$4,400 mark.
Apple VR headset features: Apple’s headset is expected to use have both virtual and mixed reality capabilities. We’ve also heard it will be powered by the impressive M2 chip.
Apple VR headset design: The Apple VR headset could look much less bulky than its rivals according to those familiar with the project. The display unit is believed to house every component, while a single strap goes around the head to keep it secure, though there has been talk of it using an external battery pack.
Apple VR headset battery life: Leaks have suggested the VR headset can only be used in short bursts, leading us to believe its battery life will be quite short.
Apple VR headset controllers: The most recent rumors suggest the headset won’t have controllers and that’ll it rely solely on hand tracking.
