Now that the Vision Pro has been in the market for two weeks, we have some first data about its progress.
First, as the 14-day return window hits, we have insight into returns. According to Reddit, there are seven main reasons why people are returning the Apple Vision Pro headset: fit issues with the light seal, eye strain and fatigue, discomfort from the weight, technology not being advanced enough, feeling isolated in the world of spatial computing, high cost, and some users simply wanting to try it out. These factors have led to mixed reviews and a significant number of returns.
According to app intelligence firm Appfigures, buying all 194 paid apps for Apple’s Vision Pro headset will cost $1,100.08. Appfigures analyzed the 730 apps optimized for Vision Pro and found that 73% either paid or required a subscription. The breakdown of paid and subscription apps starkly contrasts the App Store, where paid apps make up roughly 5% of the offerings. Some developers are already reporting success with their Vision Pro apps, with one developer saying his app had paid for the headset’s price in just one day.
Additionally, 35% of Vision-only apps didn’t monetize through the App Store and 13% offered subscriptions. The average price of Vision Pro apps is $5.67, with the highest price at $98. However, Apple has removed all Vision Pro apps from the top charts on the App Store, making it more difficult for developers to succeed and for consumers to discover new apps.
ImmersiveWire spoke with several developers, and the story is generally favorable.
This market will go slow until it hits the inflection point. None of those return reasons should be surprising, and right now, we’re just keeping an eye on the space.