Apple Vision Pro finally launches outside of US markets this summer, the brand has confirmed at WWDC 2024. While that’s massive news for any Apple fan who’s been waiting all this time to get hands-on with the luxury headset, it’s going to be a competitive few months for any manufacturer in that market.
The best VR headsets currently available all have exciting things to look forward to at the moment. PSVR 2 gets its long-awaited PC support on August 7, which is reigniting a lot of PC VR gamers who want the highest visual fidelity they can get for their gaming rigs. Amidst plenty of firmware updates and ongoing quality-of-life additions, Meta Quest 3 is rumored to get a more affordable sibling at some point in 2024. That headset already has Apple cornered in the US, so I can’t imagine what an even more affordable option will do.
Then we have Apple Vision Pro, which will launch in the UK on July 12, as well as in Germany, France, Australia, and Canada. It’ll launch in China, Japan, and Singapore even earlier, on June 28th.
The device kicked up a storm of hype when it was revealed this time last year and launched to a lot of excitement in the US at the beginning of 2024. Said excitement has since died down, and its lack of gaming support in conjunction with its monumental price tag is surely to blame.
In an attempt to reignite the passions of international customers, Apple is updating its ski goggles with VisionOS2. Among the new spatial features and some interface changes, Apple says it’ll deliver higher-display resolutions and sizes for Mac virtual display, and add a train setting to its travel mode. It’s also said that VisionOS2 will make it easier for developers to make apps for the device and that new content is already being made specifically for it.
In the last month or so, we’ve seen some more gaming focus put on the Vision Pro. Demeo, Job Simulator, Vacation Simulator, and Marvel’s What If…? have all launched on the device. Those aren’t going to be enough to entice gamers who can opt for a cheaper option with more titles available to them, but it’s a start.
Questions were raised about whether the Vision Pro would even see a launch to international markets after reports claimed that it hadn’t sold in line with Apple’s expectations.
“I say the following with all the love in my heart: Uh-oh!”
I’ve said many times before that more competition breeds innovation in hardware markets. Especially within the VR and XR sectors, close competition has been one of the few elements that’s been missing until now. I want Apple to be a mainstay, I want to see hardware innovations like the Vision Pro do well, but you have to admit, it’s not making life easy for itself.
Apple Vision Pro pre-orders in the UK go live on June 28, and anyone who’s interested in grabbing a headset who doesn’t already own one will be lumped with quite the decision.
Do you spend £459 on the Meta Quest 3, which is a more affordable version of Apple’s device that has access to loads more content? Do you wait for the rumored “Quest 3S” which is said to be an even more affordable version of the same product? Do you decide on a gaming-only device in the form of PSVR 2 which is mere months away from being able to access all of SteamVR’s illustrious library of titles?
Or, do you opt for the £3,499 Apple experiment that’s fighting its own reputation as a premium device that you can’t do much with? It’s an uphill battle for Apple this summer and a piece of non-essential technology that’s this expensive needs all the help it can get.
Making things all the worse are the rumors that Apple plans to release a more affordable headset at some point in the next few years. The same reports said that the Vision Pro would be discontinued before its international launch, so we’re not sure how trustworthy they are, but you have to think that a more mainstream headset has to be on Apple’s mind for the future.
It’s great that so many viable VR headsets are improving this summer, and arguably they all have distinct flavors for different buyers. No matter which starter Pokemon you support in this instance, it’s going to be an exciting season for the VR market.
For some VR deals check out the best Meta Quest accessories, and the best Meta Quest deals. If you’d rather hold to traditional ways of gaming, seek out the best gaming handhelds.