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Some Vision Pro users returning the headset love the tech but are getting physically ill

By Alan Friedman

Published: Feb 14, 2024, 5:12 PM

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Some Vision Pro users returning the headset love the tech but are getting physically ill

According to The Verge, social media posts from Vision Pro buyers show that several have started to return their headsets to Apple. On Threads, Verge product manager Parker Otolani wrote, "What a bummer of a day. Can’t believe it, but I’ve returned the Vision Pro. Just too uncomfortable to wear and it’s a strain on my eyes. It’s clearly the future. It works like magic. But the physical tradeoffs are just not worth it for me right now. I’ll be back for the next one, assuming they fix these comfort issues."

Some Vision Pro users were getting physically ill using the headset

Others complained about physical ailments after using the product such as tech influencer Rjey who wrote in a tweet, "Can’t wait to return the Vision Pro, probably the most mind blowing piece of tech I’ve ever tried. Can’t deal with these headaches after 10 minutes of use though." Many of the comments were the same as they praised the technology of the headset but followed that with the reason why the Vision Pro owner felt that it was in his/her best interest to return the device.

Some Vision Pro users were getting headaches after donning the headset

There are some who are returning their Vision Pro for a different reason. On Threads, illustrator Olga Zalite appears to be unimpressed with the capabilities of the headset, at least as far as they apply to her business. She does note that the headset isn't made for multi-user business use and also has a physical issue with the device. But she does point out that the main reason for the return has to do with work.

Zalite says, "Unpacking Vision Pro felt similar to a birthday cake reveal in a sense that the box is unreasonably huge. Huuuge! Bigger than anything on my desk except for the monitor. I don’t yet know how useful it’s going to be for our company as it’s meant to be a single-user device. We plan on connecting it to a generic Apple ID and go from there. In all honesty, my excitement has faded. Mostly because it’s not applicable to my work, and looking at Figma screens in it makes me feel dizzy."

Olga adds that there are other contributing factors:

1. The resolution looks worse than when I'm looking at my designs on MacBook screen.
2. Looking at any other screens while wearing VP make my eyes tired very quickly.
3. My head just can't handle wearing it for longer than 20 minutes. Also, each time I take it off I feel disoriented and need to sit down.

Of course, there are some Reddit users returning their Vision Pro too. For GlobalPerception593, returning the Vision Pro is a matter of it not working as he'd like it to for work and entertainment. He said, "To be clear: Vision Pro is a technological marvel. I really do think the eye tracking is second to none, and the interface is so deeply satisfying to use. Perhaps if there were a larger app ecosystem at launch, I’d have been happier to keep it (e.g. for shorter experiences, like gaming, that I’d use it in shorter bursts for)."

He adds, "But for work and entertainment, it just isn’t there yet. I want to lay back on my couch and play my PS5, or sit at my big desktop and work on a crisp 4K monitor. I don’t want to put a machine on my face - at least not yet. For those of you who are loving your Vision Pro - Godspeed, and send all your feedback to Apple so I can excitedly purchase the fine-tuned version 2 when it comes out :)"

Isn't it interesting that in many of these posts, there is a desire to check out the Vision Pro again when the next version becomes available? That, along with the raves over the product's technology, isn't something that you normally see when a device is returned. For Apple, this shouldn't be considered a defeat. It should give the company more motivation to fix the issues and make the second-gen Vision Pro even better.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.