Apple Faces Challenges in Gaining Interest for a Budget-Friendly Vision Pro

The Apple Vision Pro, with its hefty $3,500 price tag, seems to be struggling to make a lasting impression. Despite boasting some of the most impressive visuals and hand-tracking capabilities in the VR market, the initial excitement surrounding it has fizzled out within just a few months of its launch. A major culprit behind this lukewarm reception is undoubtedly its steep cost. The question now is: how can Apple lower the price and turn it into a serious competitor against the Meta Quest 3? It appears that achieving this might mean sacrificing some of the features that make the Vision Pro stand out.

Folks over at Apple’s headquarters are reportedly working on a more affordable Vision headset, planned for release next year. As per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, this new version could be priced between $1,500 and $2,000. Gurman’s insights suggest Apple is exploring several strategies to bring down costs for consumers. One possible cut is the EyeSight feature, an exterior display showing users’ eyes, which some might consider unnecessary. Dropping this feature from the start could have been beneficial for everyone.

This upcoming budget-friendly Vision headset is codenamed N107. There’s talk that Apple might use a less powerful chip than the M2 in the Vision Pro, even though that chip is already pushed to its limits. They could also reduce the external passthrough capabilities and limit the field of view (FOV), but doing so might take away what makes the Vision Pro unique when compared to the $500 Quest 3.

There are potentially less favorable options too. Gurman mentions that Apple might even consider making the cheaper headset tether to an iPhone or Mac. Devices like the $1,800 Spacetop G1 and XReal’s Beam Pro need support from an external device, connecting through wires to power their AR glasses. But, at least those glasses are lighter than a full headset. One of the Vision Pro’s biggest missteps was its wired external battery pack, so adding more cables would further limit the usability of the upcoming Vision model.

Looking ahead, Apple has plans for a new version of the Vision Pro in 2026, codenamed N109. This project might focus on enhancing comfort and processing power, building on what’s already one of the sleekest high-end headsets available, albeit out of reach for most due to the steep price.

Apple’s journey into the realm of augmented reality is far from over. Gurman highlights that they’re still hiring for their VR division, despite analysts suggesting a reduction in Vision sales forecasts for 2025. The long-term vision, and something CEO Tim Cook has been aiming for, is to create true AR glasses, but even Apple’s team believes that realization is still quite a few years away.

While the Meta Quest 3 continues to offer a better overall value, Meta is reportedly shifting more focus towards products like the Meta Ray Bans, which have exceeded their initial popularity predictions.

Despite the cool new features showcased in the visionOS at WWDC, the buzz around Apple’s first VR headset hasn’t picked up momentum. Significant hurdles—ranging from discomfort to a prohibitive price—make it a tough sell for most consumers, especially when a laptop or phone can fulfill most of their needs. Requiring the headset to connect to these devices will only reinforce how secondary it is compared to something portable and practical like a laptop or phone.