Apple’s Vision Pro headset won’t have an impressive refresh rate

So, WWDC 2023 came and went, but Apple gave us plenty of reasons to talk about its latest innovations. Beyond the latest iOS 17 details, the star of the show was undoubtedly the Vision Pro — the company’s first mixed reality headset.

This AR/VR powerhouse seemed quite capable. During the presentation, Apple talked about the device like something that would do more than just immerse you in a game. The company gave out plenty of examples of how the headset could help you increase productivity, work comfort and even the enjoyment of leisure (even if all that comes at the cost of sociability).

There is no doubt that Apple has managed to cram some impressive technology into the thing, though. With a demanding price tag of $3,500 though, one would expect everything inside to be of top tier quality. Is 90Hz top tier though?

Well, regardless of your opinion, this just might be the actual refresh rate of the screens on the Vision Pro, if this report from 9to5Mac is to be believed.



Okay, let’s rewind for a second. Apple also spent a lot of time during its presentation to talk about health, including eyesight health. If that is the case, then in order for us to be as objective as possible, we have to ask the question: Is there a health-related benefit to a 90Hz refresh rate?

Not really, as far as science is concerned. The latest on the topic seems to state that the higher a refresh rate is, the easier that screen is on your eyes, since they don’t have to strain as much in order to soak up all the information.

So if that is the case — and if Apple is marketing the Vision Pro as if we’ll have it strapped to our faces all day long for work — how will that impact our eyes? While this is a very valid question to raise, the truth is that Apple’s displays are pretty unique too, so the combo through them might work slightly differently.

Still though, we’d love to hear more and we hope that Apple addresses this. One of the main setbacks of AR/VR headsets is that they always impact your health in one way or another — sometimes even permanently. Apple is a big player and as such, if there is anyone capable of solving this problem, it would be it.

That being said, if the insane asking price is just a tad too much for your taste, check out these six other things that you can get for $3,500 instead.