Vision Pro demos show it's not ready yet; second-gen Apple AR/VR headsets already in the works

The anticipation for Apple's upcoming Vision Pro AR/VR headset is only growing stronger, as the Cupertino company starts showcasing it to more and more people, more specifically the highly-valued app and games developers.

Each new platform heavily relies on them to think of, develop, or port existing apps for it, after all, and the visionOS-powered Vision Pro headset is exactly that.

According to reliable leaker Mark Gurman, while the Vision Pro AR/VR headset's hardware is pretty much complete, and on release day will be exactly as we've seen it in Apple's promotional materials from earlier this month, the software is a whole different story.

visionOS, which is the name of the operating system that will power the headset (akin to how iPadOS powers iPads, and iOS powers iPhones) is still pretty rough around the edges, evidently.

Some promised features are not working yet. However, now that the Vision Pro headset has been revealed, Apple is finally expanding the team behind it, in order to make it ready for market

Based on 30-minute hands-on Vision Pro demos Apple has been doing for developers and financial analysts, among others, it's become clear that plenty of software elements, in some cases core ones, are still not working.

Most notably, Gurman mentions in-air typing, the EyeSight feature, and the implementation of core Apple iPad apps. Some familiar Apple apps one might expect to be available, such as Calendar, Maps, and Mail, are yet to be ported to visionOS.

But things should change by the time of release. After all, Apple has finally publicly revealed its (until recently) secret, new big thing, and now that that's done, the trillion-dollar company no longer has to worry about secrets leaking out, and can comfortably expand the team behind the device, in order to actually make it ready for the masses.

Reports: Vision Pro is too heavy and potentially uncomfortable

If you've been into AR and VR for a while like we have, you were likely surprised to learn that Apple's Vision Pro headset is made out of (admittedly premium, but) heavy materials, such as metal.

After all, popular AR glasses like the Nreal Air and Rokid Max, as well as popular VR headsets such as the Meta Quest 2 and the upcoming Quest 3, are all made out of plastic, and there's a good reason for it, besides cost-cutting. Plastic is lighter, so it makes sense to use it on a device that's meant to be strapped to people's heads, and stay there for hours.

But, perhaps unsurprisingly, Apple may have chosen a premium aesthetic over comfortability, as Gurman's report claims "many users" are finding the Vision Pro headset too heavy after an hour or two of use, even considering the fact that its battery is external, and isn't even a weight factor.

To address this, Apple has supposedly developed a second strap that goes over a wearer’s head, even though it hasn't actually shown it in promo materials yet. Now, a strap like that makes perfect sense; all mainstream VR headsets already have one, as it does indeed help with weight distribution.

However, instead of including it with the Vision Pro, Apple allegedly might choose to sell it separately, which would be a bit of a bold move, even for it.

Gurman: Second-gen cheaper and flagship Apple AR/VR headsets are already in the works

Besides all that, Gurman says Tim Cook has already dispatched teams to work on Vision Pro successors, even though the device in question itself is not even close to release yet.

More specifically, some Apple employees who originally worked on the Vision Pro might now be focused on developing both an even higher-end, and a lower-end second-gen versions of the headset.

The latter is nice to hear, given the Vision Pro's insane $3500 price tag, albeit we won't hold our breaths for a lower-end version costing that much less. By the way, just a reminder – a Quest 2 headset is just $299 right now.

Gurman has also revealed some of the new features expected only on the second-gen Vision Pro headsets (possibly just the higher-end one). Those being multiple screen displays when using the Vision Pro as a virtual MacBook screen (as opposed to just one), a Fitness+ subscription model with dedicated AR/VR fitness workouts, and AR/VR FaceTime-specific improvements.

But back to the first Vision Pro – it's expected to release sometime in early 2024, likely before, or during the month of May. And, as mentioned earlier, the high-end, premium-built AR/VR headset will cost a whopping $3500, and likely won't even be freely available at launch, but potential buyers will need to make appointments to purchase it.