Apple's Vision Pro XR Headset: A Sight for Sore Eyes or a Visionary Mirage?

Is Apple’s much-hyped Vision Pro XR headset dead on arrival? The internet seems to think so. 

I mean, when you release a product that is almost triple ($3,499) the price of existing and popular offerings on the market, people won’t be happy. And let’s be honest, Apple is no stranger to overpricing products to coast on the strength of its brand.

The VR and metaverse communities have sounded off with similar complaints. Many have similarly cited the price tag as the biggest turn-off factor, not to mention that many of the features Apple is touting have existed in the market for years, and that the Vision Pro is locked inside the Apple ecosystem.

Personally, I’m a bit disappointed. As a metaverse enthusiast and world hopper myself, having spent 48 hours across VR platforms and the metaverse not long ago, this seems like more of the same to me; a bulky headset, short battery life, and a big barrier to entry, just with fancy Apple branding slapped on.

Still, it’s not all doom and gloom. Apple is the biggest tech company in the world, and to see them finally committed to the XR space will surely trigger some much needed competition in the market. Let’s be honest, Mark Zuckerberg hyped up the metaverse, but it feels like his company has dropped the ball when it comes to actually getting people onboard.

When the most valuable tech company in the world takes action, people tend to pay attention. Apple might not have been the first to manufacture touch screen phones, but it made them popular with the iPhone. It did the same with the iPod and the Apple Watch. The company doesn’t invent the wheel; it improves and packages it effectively, and highlights a tightly-designed user experience above all else. 

If anything, the Vision Pro could bring attention back to the metaverse and its true capabilities, and the competition will help bring about the the true seamless XR experience promised to us by science fiction.