The Apple Vision Pro was not a rousing success for the company, but it is hoping its VR headset can make a comeback. Two new versions are reported to be in development, including a cheaper and lighter model.

It isn't often in the modern day that a product from Apple can be said to be a flop, but some analysts pegged the Apple Vision Pro as a failure. Its high price point compared to other VR headsets like the Meta Quest 3 puts many potential customers off.

Vision Pro could come in two very different models

It seems that Apple has not given up on the mixed reality dream, as it is said to be working on two new versions of the XR headsets. The first version is said to be a lighter version with a more affordable price point, which hopes to lure in people who might otherwise consider a Quest 3 or Pico.

The second version will be a high-end device that can be tethered to a Mac using a low-latency connection. It will also include features such as screen mirroring and a built-in ability to sync with enterprise-level applications.

Much of this information comes from Bloomberg, who have spoken with contacts inside Apple. According to the Bloomberg report, Apple CEO Tim Cook has a strong interest in creating and AR headset that is light and comfortable enough to wear all day, with ambitions of beating Meta in this particular arena.

One of the major criticisms of the original Vision Pro was that it has relatively few use-cases that justified its eye-watering $3,500 price tag. At launch, the list of compatible apps was very thin, and excluded many popular applications such as YouTube. If Apple has ambitions to win the XR race, it will need to have content and applications as well as fancy hardware.

About the Author

Rebecca Hills-Duty

Writing and journalism experience at VRFocus, UploadVR, The Escapist, HTC, PC Gamer, Tech Radar+ and Dexerto. Can sometimes be found playing with retro tech.