The wait is almost over – Apple’s highly-anticipated Vision Pro virtual reality headset is set to launch on February 2nd in the United States, with preorders opening a couple weeks earlier on January 19th.
This news comes straight from Apple themselves, who put out a press release today confirming the launch date and other key details about the Vision Pro. It’s been years in the making, with rumors swirling since at least 2020 that Apple was developing a VR/AR headset to compete with the likes of Meta’s Oculus Quest.
Now, after officially unveiling the Vision Pro at their Worldwide Developers Conference last year, Apple is finally ready to unleash their first major new product category since the Apple Watch back in 2015. And it won’t come cheap – the Vision Pro will carry a hefty $3,500 price tag, putting it out of reach for casual consumers.
Prescription lens inserts will also be available for an additional $149 for those who need corrective vision. In terms of specs, Apple says the Vision Pro will ship with 256GB of storage and run on their powerful M2 chip, the same one used across their Mac lineup.
This won’t be simply another iOS device though. The Vision Pro is equipped with a brand new operating system Apple is calling VisionOS, designed specifically for immersive virtual and augmented reality experiences. Apple promises a revolutionary input system using your eyes, hands and voice to control and interact within the VR environment.
It certainly seems like Apple is aiming to shake up the still-nascent VR/AR market with some fresh ideas and their trademark sleek design. The early demos show the potential for next-level gaming, video consumption and creativity apps. Apple says popular productivity software like Microsoft Office and Slack will be optimized for the Vision Pro as well.
According to Apple, you’ll be able to watch video content on a massive virtual screen that feels 100 feet wide – now that’s a real cinematic experience! The immersive spatial audio should make it feel like you’re right there in the action too.
Of course, only time will tell if Apple can deliver on this vision (pun intended) and convince consumers to adopt VR headsets in a big way. The high price tag means this will really target enterprise and professional creative users first.
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook said “the era of spatial computing has arrived” – marking the Vision Pro as a major milestone for the company and potential game-changer for the tech industry. It’s the beginning of a new frontier.
Analysts caution that this will likely be more of a long-term play for Apple and shouldn’t be seen as a major revenue driver out of the gates. But the stage is set for the next evolution in personal computing. Apple believes the Vision Pro experience will show people what an exciting new world VR can open up.
February 2nd can’t come soon enough for those eager to go hands-on with Apple’s Vision Pro headset. Expect huge interest from Apple fans, developers, and tech enthusiasts who have anticipated this release for years. Preorders starting January 19th will be the real test of demand.
But if Apple delivers on even some of its lofty promises, the Vision Pro could live up to the hype and usher in a new age of spatial computing. Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure – the future of VR will never be the same.
