The Apple Vision Pro, Apple‘s $3,500 spatial computing device, appears to be following a familiar pattern for the AR/VR headset industry: Initial enthusiasm gives way to a significant drop in interest and sustained usage.
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Since its US debut in February 2024, enthusiasm for the Apple Vision Pro has cooled noticeably, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman reports a marked decline in demand for demos and retail sales, according to the Apple Stores he has spoken to:
The demand for demonstrations is very low. People booking appointments often don’t show up, and sales (at least in some locations) have gone from a couple units a day to just a handful in an entire week. Apple has also had to step up marketing on its online homepage. There’s a big promotion for the Vision Pro at the top of the website – the most aggressive presentation since the device went on sale in early February.
The trend that Apple Vision Pro appears to be following is less likely to be a retail anomaly and more indicative of a broader problem that has plagued virtual reality technology since its inception: maintaining user engagement after the initial novelty wears off.
Gurman offers his personal experience with Apple headphones as a microcosm of what he suspects is a broader user trend. Their use has decreased from daily interactions to just once or twice a week. A major barrier to more frequent use, he says, is a setup that involves plugging in batteries, booting up, and navigating a complex interface, making traditional devices like laptops and smartphones more attractive for routine tasks.
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Gurman also blames Vision Pro’s lack of a “great app” and engaging content for further diminishing the headset’s appeal. He notes that it is better suited for solitary activities (for example, on a long flight or while working from home) than for use in social situations or with co-workers.
It seems that Apple still has a considerable task ahead of it to turn the Vision Pro into a device that redefines the daily use of technology. Meanwhile, several bugs that initially affected visions have been resolved, although many of Apple’s apps are not yet optimized for the device’s operating system.
In the latest visionOS update, Apple added Spatial Personas, which make you feel like you’re in the same virtual room as another Vision Pro user. Spatial Personas can be used to watch movies and TV shows together, FaceTime and other video calls, use apps like Freeform, play games, and more. However, the feature needs other Vision Pro owners to appreciate it, and as Gurman points out, they are still few and far between.
Apple is expected to produce fewer than 400,000 Vision Pro headphones in 2024 due to manufacturing complexity, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. However, Apple is said to be already working on a new version of the Apple Vision Pro for 2025 that will have a more affordable price. Meanwhile, the first incarnation of the headphones is expected to arrive in more countries later this year.
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