Apple's Vision Pro AR/VR Headset: Features, Price, Release Date, and More

Jun 04, 2023

Apple has finally taken the wraps off its much-awaited mixed reality headset. But is it what we expected? And what's the catch?

The brand new Vision Pro is Apple's most hyped product of 2023, marking the company's debut in the VR/AR space and serving as a platform for spatial computing.

Here, we sum up all the official details about the headset, including its price, design, specifications, features, privacy measures, release, availability, and everything else.

The Apple Vision Pro headset has a laminated glass front and an aluminum alloy frame that houses an array of infrared cameras, LED illuminators, a LiDAR scanner, six microphones, TrueDepth cameras, and two more sets of cameras facing downwards and sideways. All of these sensors help you "see the world clearly, understand your environment, and detect hand input."

For audio, a pair of speakers are positioned close to your ears, housed in a strap that connects the front enclosure and the headband. Unlike AirPods, the speaker units don't go inside your ears, but you can still enjoy Spatial Audio for immersive listening.

The headband has a Fit Dial that lets you adjust the fit of the headset to your liking for comfort and breathability. The Light Seal blocks stray light and provides cushioning to your face. Apple did not reveal the exact weight and dimensions of the device but claims the headset to be lightweight and comfortable.

A pair of micro-OLED displays house 23 million pixels, effectively turning each display into a 4K TV so that you can see your surroundings as well as the augmented overlays clearly.

The Apple Watch-esque Digital Crown on the glass and aluminum enclosure lets you access the Home View and adjust the amount of immersion when in VR. The enclosure also houses a top button that lets you take spatial photos and videos of real-world objects. More on these features in a minute.

The Vision Pro is powered by two Apple chips: an M2 chip for Mac-like computing and a brand-new R1 chip for real-time sensor processing and minimized latency of up to 12 milliseconds. The device offers up to two hours of battery life when using the external battery pack that slips into your pocket; you can also use it continuously when plugged in.

Apple did not state whether the Vision Pro has any accommodations for people with vision impairments, photosensitive epilepsy, or any similar conditions, so we'll assume that using the device is not recommended if you suffer from them. And lastly, the Vision Pro headset is only available in one color.

The Vision Pro does not come with a controller. Instead, you control the device using your eyes, hands, and voice for navigation, selection, and dictation.

If you want to navigate to a certain app in the Home View, you can do so by simply turning your head and looking at it—as if hovering a mouse cursor on an app icon on a computer.

Tap your fingers to select an item, flick to scroll, and speak to dictate commands. Getting used to these gesture-based controls will definitely require some getting used to.

The Vision Pro runs on visionOS, Apple's first "spatial operating system" designed to feel like iOS. Apps in visionOS cast augmented shadows on your physical space, so they feel palpable.

For productivity, the Vision Pro aims to serve as a replacement to a "desk full of laptops" as you can open multiple augmented windows and even mirror what you're running on your Mac. The headset works with the Magic Trackpad and Magic Keyboard. And everything you do in Vision Pro syncs with your iPhone, iPad, and Mac via iCloud.

For entertainment, the Digital Crown lets you control the level of immersion. If you're waiting at a bus station, for example, you probably don't want to be completely immersed.

But if you're at home, you can turn the dial all the way to enter a virtual environment in which the movie or show you're watching can be extended up to 100 feet wide—that's bigger than a movie theater screen.

Apple TV content, select Apple Arcade games, and thousands of iPhone and iPadOS apps will be available on Vision Pro. Apple also confirmed an all-new App Store is in the works for the Vision Pro, inspiring developers to make AR/VR apps for the device. The Mindfulness app, for example, shows calming 3D animations that expand into your physical space.

Just like how your iPhone uses Face ID, the Vision Pro uses Optic ID for authentication. All data is end-to-end encrypted, and on-device computing eliminates data being sent to Apple.

Apple also reassures that where you look in virtual or augmented reality stays private, meaning that third-party companies cannot track your eye movements on webpages or apps and use that data for advertising. This was a major concern for many people, so it's nice to see Apple addressing it proactively.

Like many other Apple apps, FaceTime works on the Vision Pro headset as well. But since your face is covered with the headset, people can't actually see you during video calls.

To counter that, the device allows you to create a 3D digital persona under a quick enrollment process when you first start using the device. Your digital persona will mimic your gestures and body language.

When in augmented reality, the glass enclosure displays your eyes to let the other person know you can see them and convey your eye movement and subtle gestures, so you don't have to take the headset off to talk to them.

When fully immersed in virtual reality, the enclosure shows colors and animation, indicating to the people around you that you can't see them and are busy with an activity.

The top button on the enclosure lets you take spatial photos and videos using the device's 3D cameras. Just like how you shoot photos on your iPhone and view them in the gallery, spatial photos and videos clicked on the Vision Pro can be viewed in augmented reality anytime.

The Apple Vision Pro starts at a whopping $3,499 and will be available exclusively in the United States in early 2024, with more countries to follow later in the year. And when it hits store shelves, you can try out a demo at your nearest Apple Store to get a sense of how the device feels.

Some believe the Vision Pro headset is Apple's biggest release since the original iPhone. But its exorbitant price tag should be a clear indicator that it's not a product for the masses and that only wealthy Apple fans will be able to afford it.

We remain curious to see how early adopters will react to the mixed reality headset and what reviewers will have to say about its long-term viability and the trend of the AR/VR industry as a whole.

Ayush is a senior writer at MUO and holds a bachelor's degree in business administration. He has been writing professionally since 2018 and his work at MUO has been viewed over 4 million times. He specializes in Android and has been an active user and enthusiast of the platform since the early 2010s. He's also keen on artificial intelligence, audio, productivity, and the iPhone.Ayush also leads the accountability program at MUO wherein he manages and helps team members increase their performance by setting goals, tracking output, offering guidance and motivation, answering queries, and sharing productivity tips.