Apple introduced its much-touted professional mixed reality headset at this year’s WWDC keynote, under its famous slogan, “One more thing.” The company revealed a lot about the new Vision Pro headset, including its hardware design, software support, and initial release date.
It also revealed the price and any doubt that this would be an affordable piece of consumer technology was promptly erased. Apple will sell the Vision Pro for $3,499 when it launches early next year.
Now, Apple is known for its premium pricing, but it’s fair to say that the internet took a sharp breath internally when that particular piece of information dropped. Almost everyone had the same reaction.
Influencer YouTuber Casey Neistat I thought about a potential $1,999 on Twitter before going on to suggest that the number was “a wishful thinking, an optimist… maybe a naive.”
I was hoping, optimistic.. maybe naive https://t.co/ujgZxUE7esJune 5, 2023
The team here at Tom’s Guide thought the price could be as high as $3,000 – turns out we underestimated it too. And while everyone will agree that $3,499 is a lot of money, that doesn’t mean people won’t buy it. Where the debate really lies is whether or not the Vision Pro is worth the astronomical asking price.
However, Neistat’s detailed point is that the price is simply what we should expect for a first-generation device.
“It makes sense,” he wrote. “Perfect it, get the hardware right, and let enthusiasts cough up $3,500 to be an early adopter. As costs come down, volume all goes up while software is optimized and ready for a really huge market.”
It seems reasonable. Perfect it, get the hardware right, and let enthusiasts cough up $3,500 to be an early adopter. As costs come down, volume all goes up as software is refined and ready for a really huge market.June 5, 2023
Meanwhile, cybersecurity writer Nick Hewitt was one of many to point out that the Meta’s third-generation Quest headset will be on the market for a much lower price. When it launches in the fall, the Meta Quest 3 will retail for $499, which seems like a pocket change compared to what Apple is asking.
“Meta bought the #VR market with Q2,” Hewitt wrote. “Adoption, at this price, is going to be tough. Convincing people about virtual reality is something, even more difficult.”
$3,499 spiced meatballs vs £499 for Q3 bought the #VR market meta with Q2. Adoption at this price will be difficult. Convincing people of virtual reality is something, even harder. #WWDC23 #VR pic.twitter.com/h3JVw1CdmmJune 5, 2023
For others, the price was enough given the value they feel they will get from the system. That is, it can replace a desk, Hi-Fi system and TV in one device. And while there have been plenty of memes, heated comments, and snide comments, the truth is that Apple has earned enough goodwill and brand clout that a lot of people will likely buy it regardless.
The value proposition of #AppleVisionPro is this: It replaces your Mac and any external monitors, and it also replaces your home TV. Not saying you have to buy one, I definitely plan for this generation, but in that context $3499 is kinda reasonable #WWDC23 pic.twitter.com/XNekvEx6m6June 5, 2023
What do you get for the money?
As you’d expect, Apple hasn’t held back when it comes to the high-end technology inside the Vision Pro, nor the materials used in its design to try to make it as attractive as possible.
The Vision Pro uses a dual-chip system — an M2 chip plus an R1 chip that handles real-time experiences. This combination boosts performance with two 4K displays (one for each eye) containing 23 million pixels across postage stamp-sized screens.
There’s real-time sensor processing from the five sensors built into the headset, as well as the 12 cameras and six microphones it uses to work.
We’ll have to wait until we can actually catch up with the Vision Pro to see if the technology matches up to the asking price. In the meantime, we’ll schedule some time with our bank’s loan officer.
Would you be willing to shell out $3,499 for an Apple Vision Pro headset? Let us know in the comments below. You can follow all of the announcements from WWDC with our WWDC 2023 live blog recap here.
More Tom