Apple Vision Pro VR headset: Price, specs & features

Want to know more about the upcoming Apple Vision Pro headset? Now that it’s finally been announced, here’s everything we know.

The Apple Vision Pro headset has been in the news since 2016. Over time, we’ve been hearing inklings over Apple’s device — but now it’s very much real.

Apple’s headset has been one of the most awaited upcoming VR headsets, for the company, it has been one of the most secretive projects in the company’s history and could define Tim Cook’s reign as Apple CEO.

WWDC 2023 began on June 5, 2023, and Apple revealed the Vision Pro headset alongside a wide variety of other things including new Macs, iOS 17, and more. The company also announced its sale and pre-order date in January 2024.

Here’s everything we know about the Apple Vision Pro headset including price, specs, and features.

How much will Apple Vision Pro cost?

The Apple Vision Pro headset will start at $3,499, as confirmed during the WWDC 2023 live stream.

Looking at the most popular headsets, like Meta’s Quest lineup, many consumer-friendly headsets generally cost anywhere from $300-900. Apple’s headset is rather exorbitantly priced by comparison. 

One of the primary reasons behind the headset’s high price tag is its costly components. The headset comes paired with Apple Silicon, namely the M2 and R1, as well as a machined aluminum build and lenses that can achieve 4K HDR resolution.

When will the Apple Vision Pro headset release?

The Apple Vision Pro will be available for pre-order in the US on January 19, 2024. The headset will launch on February 2. This is true to Apple’s word, as they announced that the headset would Apple promised to launch the Vision Pro sometime in Early 2024.

Apple Vision Pro will be available for sale beginning Friday, February 2, at all US Apple Store locations and the US Apple Store online. 

Apple Vision Pro headset design

Apple

Now that the headset has been revealed, we have a definite idea of the design of the $3,500 headset.

Alongside a laminated curved glass display, the Vision Pro is built from machined aluminum and has a 3D ribbed and knitted headband for optimal comfort.

Taking a design cue from the Watch, the headset adjustments are easy to do thanks to the use of a digital crown. Outside of that, the Vision Pro uses finger gestures alongside voice and video to navigate through the device.

According to the Apple Vision Pro product page, the light seal will magnetically attach to the aluminum alloy frame and gently flexes to each person’s face shape for maximum comfort.

Apple Vision Pro Technology specs

While we don’t have an in-depth spec sheet for the Vision Pro just yet, Apple has revealed quite a few aspects of the high-dollar headset.

Created with lenses the size of a postage stamp, the Vision Pro displays 23 million pixels on each lens, bringing the Pixel Density quality above a 4K TV on both of the three-element lenses.

It also has Ambient Spatial Audio, which when paired with audio raytracing should give users some of the highest-quality sound ever experienced in a VR headset.

LEDs and Infrared cameras inside the headset help provide ultraprecise input without having to hold any controllers, with the Vision Pro opting for eye and finger tracking instead.

It’s all powered by a dual-chip system, as Apple has decided to pair the M2 with the brand-new R1 Apple Silicon chips.

Apple Vision Pro headset: Should you buy it?

Adobe Firefly AI

The Apple Vision Pro will be the first-of-its-kind device from Apple. It could be the necessary evil Apple might introduce to get the ball rolling while gradually arriving at the final design after a few iterations.

Moreover, Apple is said to have revised the sales estimates drastically for the first headset. It was rumored that the company was looking to sell at least 900,000 units in its lifetime. A report estimates a meager 10,000 units in the first year, while the initial target was to sell around 3 million headsets.

Sitting at a $3,499 starting price, the Vision Pro headset will be quite out of the price range for many users — possibly explaining the drop in rumored sales estimates.

One theory regarding its high price suggests that the first-generation headset is being launched to create a demand for VR headsets. Once Apple launches a product, many other companies join the bandwagon, which helps innovation and brings down the component costs – which is said to be a significant reason behind the high price of Apple’s Vision Pro.

So, until and unless you’re one of those early adopters who doesn’t look at the price tag of a product and are ok with a partially working ecosystem and a relatively early design, the Apple Vision Pro might be for you. But, the price for paying to be an early adopter is high.