Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro headset has been making headlines with its impressive specifications and eye-catching price tag of $3,499. While the device’s hardware certainly puts it ahead of the competition, its single biggest advantage might be something that money can’t buy: Apple’s developer ecosystem.
Compared to other VR and AR headsets, the Vision Pro has a significant advantage with the ability for developers to easily plug their existing apps into the device’s operating system using familiar tools and frameworks. Competitors such as Meta, Valve, PlayStation, and HTC mostly rely on apps and games made in Unity or OpenXR to power their virtual and augmented reality experiences, with limited offerings beyond a few key apps like Microsoft Office, Xbox, and Netflix. In contrast, Apple promises hundreds of thousands of apps on day one, automatically converting iPad and iPhone apps to “a single scalable 2D window” that works on the Vision Pro with no extra work from developers.
Developers who want to create something new for the Vision Pro will also find it easy to do so, with Apple making it possible for those already familiar with its ecosystem to create apps for visionOS, its new mixed reality operating system. The frameworks developers can use to build apps for iOS and iPadOS – SwiftUI, RealityKit, ARKit – have all been “extended for spatial computing,” allowing developers to craft immersive AR and VR experiences for the Vision Pro. They can also build their apps with the tools already available to them, including Xcode and Unity.
While Apple is looking to prime its App Store with services that will make the headset useful, the company may fall short in one area where its competitors are strong: gaming. While the device will launch with over 100 games from its Arcade service, most of these games are not built specifically for VR. This makes a notable difference compared to competitors like Valve Index and Meta Quest 2 that offer libraries of VR-only games, risking the Vision Pro becoming a device for productivity rather than a hub for gaming. However, app developers are still highly optimistic about the device, with some saying that Apple is “nailing all of the points that Meta has been fumbling for [the] last few years, namely overall UX.”
Apple’s slow and careful approach to VR is reflected within the device itself. Instead of presenting users with a jarring and unfamiliar UI that engulfs their reality, the Vision Pro surfaces a set of familiar apps that exist atop their real-world environment thanks to video pass-through, and users can navigate through the device using just their eyes and hands.
Based on first impressions, the technology behind Apple’s Vision Pro VR headset is certainly impressive, but like most devices, its apps will be what make or break its success. With Apple’s developer ecosystem and promise of hundreds of thousands of apps on day one, the device already has a significant advantage over its competitors. However, without a strong library of VR-only games, it may struggle to stand out in a crowded market that’s quickly gaining traction.
