After its shocking (in more ways than one) reveal during the Apple Developer Conference in June last year, the Apple Vision Pro is finally launching in February 2024.
Those who have been waiting for the Apple Vision Pro release date will be happy to know that the headset will be launching on February 2, 2024 for US customers, as announced by Apple itself. Unfortunately, there's no concrete date for Apple fans worldwide, with a "later this year" release window currently.
For those who are unaware or may have forgotten about the upcoming headset, the Apple Vision Pro is Apple's first major product since the Apple Watch in 2015. It's a very pricey investment, starting at $3,499 for the 256GB model, but offers an almost unparalleled mixed reality experience, especially when it comes down to the Meta Quest 3 vs Apple Vision Pro, at least for MR.
Apple Vision Pro runs the VisionOS, a new operating system similar to how Apple has varying OS' for its major products. While its clearly an MR-focused product, Apple does suggest that it can be used for VR gaming, whether its running versions of App Store games on a large mixed reality screen or playing popular titles like Demeo, there are very few existing titles being ported to Apple's device.
This is made worse by a report from Mixed, which suggests that development tools for the Apple Vision Pro detail a boundary immediately stops VR experiences if the wearer exceeds a 1.5m zone. This shouldn't be unfamiliar to Meta Quest players, which requires a guardian play area to be made for safety, but Meta's solution allows for much more customisation than only 1.5m.
Nevertheless, if you thought the Meta Quest 3's MR was not as great as you had hoped, the Apple Vision Pro's (costly) entry into the market may entice you. For those of you looking to burn a hole in your wallet, pre-orders for the product go live in the US on January 19, 2024. We should hear about international orders later this year, but an early release in the US will give us a good indication on whether the niche devices ends up with a good adoption rate.