Why Apple Vision Pro Is So Expensive

The Apple Vision Pro is a $3,500 spacial computing headset. Which, compared to other augmented reality, or AR products, is quite expensive. So why are they charging so much?
Well, its mainly due to the product’s unique technology and component costs.
You see, not all headsets offer the same functionality and experience. There are differences in display quality, resolution, contrast, processing speeds, latency, and more. And as you can see, the Vision Pro delivers incredible specs without compromising on size or design. Which is made possible by years of technological development and high costs of industry-leading hardware.

[@AppleExplained]

I've received quite a few emails asking how I make my videos, if you're interested in learning about it in a detailed course let me know here: greg-s-site-7f5d.thinkific.com/

[@pengor_]

hi

[@quintonconoly]

Hi

[@imaginewashere]

Interesting..

Your animations are very clean, I signed up!

[@tails20342]

thanks, i’m going to click on that not sketchy at all link.

[@inevident.c]

we got apple VR before gta 6 😭😭

[@sriramsundar8388]

At least we got GTA 6. Even if it's late, it's worth the wait.

[@thisguysgaming7246]

@@sriramsundar8388gta 6 will release when gta v becomes 16 years old that’s insane

[@sriramsundar8388]

@@thisguysgaming7246 12 years at most, if GTA 6 gets released in late 2025. GTA 5 was released for the PS3 and the Xbox 360 in 2013.

[@laurenslee9134]

@@sriramsundar8388that’s nuts I never played GTA V I played GTA 3 and Vice City and San Andreas And GTA 4 and its related spinoffs Last ones that I’ve played I do not believe GTA V could have released on PS3 I don’t know that that hardware could handle it and it was PS4 I could be wrong

[@paper2222]

it's not vr, it's ar

I'll bet the second or third revision will end up costing way less

[@iqzario4animations203]

***Verified account trying to gain likes and traffic to channel alert***

[@iamefghwr4522]

It will

[@thomascarsenti6824]

That’s the way innovation work it cost a fortune at first then it become less and less expensive look at the first computers, the first phones or the first electric cars

[@tryout2]

Why tf you have 6 Million subs???

[@Mapleleaf865]

@@tryout2bots

[@williamsanborn9195]

I knew part of the price tag was gonna be because of all the unique technologies Apple picked inside the device, but holy crap! Over 5,000 patents, some of which date back to 2007?! If that’s not dedication, I dunno what is!

[@username7763]

They don't pinch pennies in the legal department. If only they cared about R&D that much.

[@CanadianBakin42O]

69th like, you're welcome 🤗

[@Junispro31]

Most companies would file patents along the way when developing new products. Of course the final product probably would not include all the patents, but it's for in case the company ever wants to implement that feature in a future version

[@moswanedev]

@@username7763 Those 5k patents aren't R&D?

[@username7763]

@@moswanedev This is entirely speculation but based off of industry knowledge as I don't know what these patents are. I think of 2 actually valid patents. One would be a design patent which would be dubious as the headset looks like every other headset. The other would be for the fake eyes on the front. Everything else has been done before by other VR/AR companies. More pixels or more cameras isn't an invention. The reason to build up patents is for locking others out of the market and for defense. This is all legal department and not R&D. Apple has been run by finance and legal for quite a while now.

[@davidgordon3744]

It’s good to keep in mind, there are 98 inch oled TVs at Best Buy being sold for $25,000+. This will give us larger oled displays for far cheaper.

[@maxieroo629]

Yes... but I'd argue the point of having a large display like that is to watch with other people. If you live alone it still has that value proposition, though!

[@davidgordon3744]

True, but you’re getting 13 inches more than 85 inch tvs that are a small fraction the price.

[@spextrekid9410]

That the Gruber guy couldn't tell there being a difference between wearing the headset and just looking at reality is insane to me. That the pixels are the size of red blood cells is just nuts. If you can't tell the difference between wearing it and not wearing it, it's really gonna be a game changer.

[@marklsimonson]

Keep in mind the original 128K Macintosh, at $2499, cost more than twice as much if you account for inflation ($7443 in today's money)-and had a fraction of the Vision Pro's capabilities. Granted, the first Mac was not exactly a hit, but it's still around and doing pretty well. I bought one back then and it was totally worth it to me.

[@Turnip_]

$7k for a computer back then was considered budget. The AVP is the most expensive mainstream VR device designed for consumers that is currently being sold.

[@marklsimonson]

@@Turnip_ $7K would _not_ have been a budget computer in 1984. It's true that $2499 was not outrageous compared to other computers available at the time. Apple IIe started at $1395. You could get an IBM PC starting at about $2600. The thing is, these other systems had plenty of software available whereas the Mac had very little when it launched, so it was a leap of faith to buy one and expensive for what it could do at the time.

[@lraiden7]

$7k was not a budget price. Not for the consumer anyway.@@Turnip_

[@kdreamscosmos4279]

Macos doesn't even have a clipboard manager

[@Kaylibzgraipz]

Yeah but it’s cheap plastic and a couple of small circuitboards that they produce in a factory by the thousands

[@deezpleez3832]

A lot of folks didn’t buy the first iMac, iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, you name it, but over time they became established products. Hope the Vision Pro can do the same, but Apple has had some blunders as well..

[@staringcorgi6475]

shit design are the culprit as this is what doomed the iii and lisa

[@IsmailAyKayi]

No.

[@AndreVictorGoncalves]

Neither of these products cost $3500 at launch either. So your comparison doesn't hold ground

[@alexejvornoskov6580]

A lot of folks didn´t buy the first HomePod - and it became the failure it is till this day.

[@Delicate141]

With $3500 can buy whatever you mentioned, and you’ll still have money to spare.

[@solidsnakeXY810]

the pixel size and density is insane🤯Truly microscopic

[@ZedDevStuff]

We've had headsets with similar/better PPD than this for a long time...

[@AcesMR6]

@@ZedDevStuffcare to name a few with their resolutions?

[@ZedDevStuff]

@@AcesMR6 The Varjo XR3 (VR3 is the same), which uses a weird mix of screens to achieve 70 PPD in the center of the screen, Pimax 8KX (3840x2160), XTAL 8K (same as Pimax). The Varjo XR4 which is a new one for enterprise only (like all their headsets except the Aero) which is 3840x3744 and there probably are others I don't know about

[@ThePowerLover]

@@ZedDevStuff All of them are way pricier than the Vision Pro.

[@ZedDevStuff]

@@ThePowerLover The point was showing headsets with similar/better resolution. Price had nothing to do with anything

[@LeeStewart]

It does put this out of reach for the average consumer. But, I hope in five to ten years time the cost will come down dramatically with a better design, as we've seen with iPhone.

[@staringcorgi6475]

This isn’t for the average consumer hence the pro suffix

[@asmmahfuz8569]

iPhone became expensive as years passed by. Apple will simply normalize the prize for VR/AR headsets and others will do the same by watching Apple. Then, there will be no need for Apple to reduce prices. It's what happened to smartphones. Apple normalized 1k+ phones.

[@j63636]

@@asmmahfuz8569inflation

[@D4N1LO]

It's not made for an average consumer. Only for developers.

[@ivanm3342]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@asmmahfuz8569not really true, adjusted for inflation, and for how mobile contracts changed, iPhones did get cheaper until Apple introduced new more expensive tiers, first the plus and then the pro(which is pretty much what X was), but they kept the less expensive tier and both continued to become more affordable. Also a cheaper tier is introduced from time to time. Adjusted for inflation, iPhone 15 is cheaper than iPhone 7. And there are more options like older models and SE that make an iPhone more affordable today than when it was first released.

[@BunkerSquirrel]

For the tech they packed in this headset it’s an oddly good value for an Apple product. The question is more if a headset like this is for you right now. For a lot of people that answer is definitely no.

[@michaelbuckelew]

If somehow I could do work with this (and ugh we use Windows), it might be tempting. I am always wanting MOAR SCREEN.

[@BunkerSquirrel]

@@Ddjfhfjfj bro what?

[@oosmanbeekawoo]

Good value for an Apple product? You must be white and female. Me? I am a shareholder! 🧐

[@newmain3617]

They have the Pro, they will have a Standard Apple Vision 1/2/3 in future, and also have a higher end Apple Vision Pro 2/3/4 in future.

[@michaelbuckelew]

It’s similar to how Tesla did EVs. Get the expensive, top notch models out there to bring in cash. Then figure out how to make it a mass market item. I have no clue how that works unless somehow producing them at larger scale can allow a smaller profit per device. Or if they figure out some other way to make money on them.

[@hexpix]

​@@michaelbuckelewwell if they'll go Tesla way that dude who put on explosives on vr headset was onto something

[@netflixandchinchilla]

@@michaelbuckelew I'll tell you how it works. They manufacture the prices to whatever they think they can get away with. It's like buying a car. The dealerships will get an MSRP price on a car for say... $20,000 and they will try to sell it to you for $30,000. If you're smart you'll try to haggle the cost down to near MSRP price. Most people won't bother and they'll pay the full listed cost.

[@NWIEA]

I love the music you use and the editing is great. Keep it up, Greg!

[@MetalJesusRocks]

When the iPod first came out, people thought it was crazy expensive too…especially compared to the Creative Labs MP3 player (that I owned)…but in the end, the technology got better, smaller and cheaper and suddenly everybody wanted one.

[@michaelbuckelew]

I had one of those Nomads as well! Nice little device. But then I got curious and bought an iPod shuffle. That was the gateway drug to the Apple ecosystem. It was one hell of a drug.

[@MK8MasterJunjie]

How the hell do you have more subscribers than me?

[@anonym45]

yes but there are physical limitations to innovation.

[@nouche]

This tech is obviously going to become cheaper but there are good chances that, at least for a while, we'll see some of the more premium features go away on more affordable models. EDIT: That seems to have sparked some debate, so I should clarify. Please see my reply below.

[@johniccia6175]

Since when did anything apple become cheaper

[@Rocksteady72a]

@@johniccia6175 Every year when the next iteration of a product comes out. They rarely remove the previous model, but instead discount the price of them.

[@DubLL]

@@johniccia6175apple watch, ipad, iphone (se), airpods, etc... lol with time and more competition, apple products tend to become cheaper

[@professionalyoutubecomment7272]

Why do you think this should be cheaper? I think it's a fair price. People think they have to be able to afford every amazing product out there. Why don't you assume a Ferarri is going to be cheaper?

[@AndreVictorGoncalves]

@@professionalyoutubecomment7272 Ferrari is not mass produced like this vr headset. Also, Ferrari has some expensive engineering behind. Apple headset is just overpriced silicon

[@devluz]

The other headsets also support eye tracking and hand tracking. Only Quest 3 lacks eye tracking.

[@IntegraDIY]

Phub will be wild af with vision pro. I’m sure some will buy it strictly for the hub

[@yasinsamedmert]

Thats fk sad. We really are living in a black mirror episode

[@tails20342]

If a majority of people are actually going to buy it for watching the hub, they are going to become a failure. I’m predicting it.

[@AndreVictorGoncalves]

Imagine paying $3500 just to see pornography. This must be an extremely sad life

[@federalguy]

get a girlfriend man

[@horaciorodd]

Man, what a sad thought. Don't you think it would be more valuable to grow and obtain sex with a real woman? You can definitely do it, get out of that inmature shell and thought process

[@zack2396tube]

I’ve used couple of VR headsets. Some of them stated that display is 4k. It was really bad 4k compared to flat screen. I hope it won’t be the case with Apple’s headset.

[@v4kira]

Great video like always

[@user-ub2qo4kb7r]

Thank you for the explanations, many people blame Apple for only profits

[@JKACLULU]

Thanks for this very clear and amazingly well explained video on Apple Vision Pro ❤

[@bobbiedylan9758]

I’ll get it when the updated version comes out with some killer apps!

[@nevmiku]

BigScreen Beyond also has micro-OLED for less than 1/3 the price. The enclosure is also custom-made to fit your face.

[@spiderknight29]

You honestly deserve more recognition, subscribers, watch time, likes, and everything

[@THEBOSS47MLG]

I wonder how the hand tracking works in low light environments, how the LiDAR sensors on the iPhone need more light to operate

[@appleleaker135]

The headset has IR flood illuminators which help the IR cameras track your hands in low light.

[@THEBOSS47MLG]

@@appleleaker135 yeah I’ve been using it for a couple weeks now it’s been working pretty well

[@Simbaforlife]

I said on another video I’ll wait for the SE version in 10 years

[@ZEthanEZ]

Lol same

[@FXV56]

Comparing to stuff like the varjio it's on par when it comes to price , but actually delivers more due to it being stand alone

[@tails20342]

can’t wait to get this and develop applications for it :)

[@Cisternpipe]

I am wondering if "watching things with screen should be viewed at certain distance" still applies?

[@GarciaGrandPrix]

It’s extremely impressive that a headset this good ain’t sitting in some lab anymore and is even available for public sale now Looking at you Hololens…

[@scubabro9471]

February 2nd can’t come soon enough!

[@clementm2295]

Hope we will get it soon in europe

[@michaelvarney.]

It will still have vergence accommodation conflict for those without presbyopia.

[@Shreder19641]

can't wait to see how they're going to approach gaming for the Vision Pro

[@Alpwin]

you can use hand tracking and eyetracking on quest pro too not only controllers

[@TioDeive]

Definitely in my shopping list, as soon as the price is within the reach of my not so deep pockets.

[@KC-zw4mm]

I'd like to try it for an hour or two. I don't know what to do with it if I buy one.

[@brandoncvoliga1995]

I really hope the price goes down significantly overtime like other Apple devices so that the average consumer can afford them. Only the very rich and creators are really buying this which will get the word out of how good it is and then once they make their money hopefully they will make it affordable enough for more people to enjoy.

[@superurwis264]

What about battery life, battery placement and high mass

[@thegameblend]

worth noting that meta quest pro and 3 and also 2 support hand tracking

[@unquestionabletv]

Can’t wait to hear about this on Genius Bar Podcast

[@cameronrodier3544]

So I just realized now with these new displays where one sided see-through in the other side has a screen we can make transparent phones like they had in TV shows like Henry danger for example

[@Brazilszn]

It isnt see through its just a projection of your eyes

[@a-terrible-fate532]

I love the technology going into it, but it’s still a little too expensive for me yet and if it does not support all the VR games that other platform support, as well as VR, hand controllers, and VR body, trackers, and things like that that are constantly coming out. Then it just won’t be fully worth it for me, and for many

[@Parrottmagic]

The first Macintosh released for $2500, the equivalent of over $7,000 today.

[@JevinK7609]

This guy change there way I see the Vision Pro

[@daniebello]

apple should add a 4th camera for vertical Spatial Video i think a lot of ppl are gonna be avoidant of taking Spatial Video on their phones if it can only be horizontal also, imagine live streaming with spatial video events (graduation, wedding, music festival) over facetime to your friends or family who have a Vision Pro

[@huzafah_]

Didnt see the timestamp, thought the video gonna get longer 💀

[@Sam25055]

Great video

[@wishdankpods]

id say you're a bit off with the fact that it says you HAVE to control the 2 meta headsets with controllers, i'm not sure about the VIVE bc i've never used one or seen anything on it but the quest pro and quest 3 dont HAVE to use controllers, there is hand tracking, now, its not as good as vision pro but still possible

[@skeveharvey]

where can we get teh iSucc attachment?

[@tilak231]

I absolutely think that such tremendous amount of research should be paid off, especially in our world where thousands of copycats are ready to just damage your product!!

[@mr.v6771]

I can wear this for skiing next year

[@michaelbuckelew]

Hold out for Apple Vision Ultra.

[@frightfuI]

Absolutely marvelous. Well done @Apple.

[@vethum]

Where is the source of that Gruber quote as I can't find it

[@_dudepro]

i’ll buy one in the future

[@AHMED-99996]

I’m buying the second generation !😍

[@kevinphoenix2007]

Not owning THIS in my impoverished lifetime.

[@Ribbuns]

If you really want apple by stuff, wait for the vision “air” or a couple years for this one to get discounted or a new more affordable model to release. The max I’d pay for something like this is about $800

[@kevinphoenix2007]

@@Ribbuns Heh, even $800 is pushing it. I'll just get the latest Oculus Rift and call it a day.

[@fr.yousuf]

its really fair how expensive it is. but there is still people out there looking for this product

[@marcm.official]

you can do hand gestures in meta quest 3 but it isnt as good as the vision pro

[@sfomann]

The main issue with AVP is that it is not an everyday (or may be I should say every min) device like the iPhone that you can carry in your pocket and have a lot of uses to the point that we now cannot live without it. And at $3499 (actually 4k+ w case and tax) is an expensive pill to swallow for something that you cannot use it as often as an iPhone. If iPhone came out w some next gen amazing tech and feature and was $3499, one might still justify it as it is an everyday use device.

[@chocolatecake406]

Cool video!

[@darkwoodmovies]

Here's the thing though. What problem does this solve that existing solutions don't already do just as well, if not better? That's my whole thing with this AR/VR stuff. Every other industry-altering technology that came before brought something new to the table that made the old feel obsolete. The Mac brought computing to laymen. Laptops made them smaller and portable. The iPod and iPhone brought mobility to music, and then general computing, respectively. The iPad is kinda just a big iPhone, but disrupted a huge laptop market. The Apple Watch disrupted a huge existing industry, and it's a relatively small and cheap product. AirPods improved headphones, which everyone already uses. Apple TV disrupted the huge TV market. Their services compete in existing large industries. But the Vision Pro.... just converts some existing apps to 3D and makes everything a bit more immersive, in exchange for wearing heavy goggles on your face, and its only competition is a few other headsets that barely make enough sales to justify keeping them on the shelves.

[@sushicat6969]

Yes, but they still use a plastic „laminated“ surface on the outside of the device. I‘ll just wait a few years on improvements and price drops.

[@josuereyeshernandez8180]

In terms of Mix Reality Quality, the Vision Pro is the winner for me, but in terms of enterteiment/ work uses the winner is the meta quest 3, it's a platform orientated at multiple tasks like virtual reality/ mix reality (steam games, oculus) display, you have hand tracking on both and pancake glasses, BUT the Vision Pro image Quality is just another level, no wonder the price compare to the varjo XR4 that is developing. If i had the money to buy Vision Pro i would buy it and have both quest 3 and vision for job/ entertaiment uses.

[@minecraftmobilegaming5467]

How do you make these kind of video?

[@DanjCx]

I'm going to get it just not yet because it's the first Gen. I wanna wait till more apps are on the Vision Pro, might wait till gen 2. It's made by Apple, so of course it's going to be great!

[@kdreamscosmos4279]

Can you make a video explaining why macos doesn't have clipboard manager? What is a mindblowing science behind it? Even android has a clipboard manager.

[@marcelomoellermota1537]

It seems to be an amazing product!

[@alexgoriatchenkov]

With years to come, obviously.

[@eijmert]

No its not. Its like an iphone without the option to call people. This guy forgot to mention there is 0 content for the headset

[@xavier02m]

Makes sense

[@stripyrocket5606]

1:48 why does the high fidelity cameras look like the aperture logo?

[@namegoeshere197]

Firs of their kind micro-oled? my current vrheadset is already using micro oled displays

[@AVEXentSUCKS]

If I had the money I’d grab one of these.

[@SuperPlayz]

This is just another classic “this is so dumb and expensive” moment with Apple products before launch just like the AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, or even the iPhone.

[@snuggles03]

Thank you for a very informative video, and awesome product, but I can’t afford it

[@adilatif8345]

Correct version: this version is made for the developers, they will buy it and produce apps for it, later on this version will remain but there will be less intrusive(possibly) more cheap options made for the masses

[@gr8dvd]

The tech to project an image of a user’s face on the curved glass must be REALLY expensive. Wonder how much lighter the headset and, moser importantly, less costly if that feature was removed/optional.

[@KurtSeiffert]

Demonstrates the importance Apple puts on being connected while wearing their product.

[@choqao]

Bro is back

[@BadMannerKorea]

I'd buy it if the focus wasn't just on video or pictures, which seems to be the main selling point. Like what is the point of it if it can't even replace my desktop? Can I write papers on it? Play video games? Doesn't look like it. Maybe in the future, but not right now. Seems like just a cool device to use for fun, rather than productivity and fun.

[@Junispro31]

The simple fact is that right now Apple can't find apps that is of much use to AR, so they could only promote entertainment for now

[@ZedDevStuff]

@@Junispro31 Microsoft also seems to be invested in Meta considering they already have Teams on their platform, with virtual meetings which apparently were added recently and even an official XCloud app

[@Paniekzaaiertje]

It’s probably a very impressive experience when putting one on for the first time in a store, but I’d never buy it for that price

[@andypeterson2126]

I’d buy right now if i had the $

[@imsandrogarcia]

All of the Meta Quest devices can also use hands.

[@TechGameDev]

I have buy one

[@Jemlim]

This was almost true - if only if the price came with a free rechargeable battery pack (or just a built in battery) and a controller.

[@Pureblood712]

Because they pay the people who mine the minerals needed so much, they had to charge more right?

[@mr.brobrobro1030]

Why Apple Vision Pro is so expensive? → Because it’s Apple

[@Arink22]

If apple selled apples they would cost 9 dollars

[@anonym45]

I'm more hyped for the apple watch 10 (x) this year because of the rumors that they will completely redesign the watch for the 10th anniversary.

[@laurenslee9134]

Interesting that meta quest pro is twice the price of the meta quest 3 but the display resolution is quite better on the meta quest 3 Odd

[@zoltanzana]

Please let me know when the 3rd or 4th gen is out. Until then it doesn't make sense to buy. Apple should work on it, early adopters should test it continuously.

[@recordedanemone6399]

well, since you said that vision pro was apple's most demanding project, I'd argue (in a non toxic way) that apple silicon was their most ambitious project because it took them 10 years to make it.

[@princegj84]

If one has the money to spend it and the desire to experience cutting edge technology they should definitely get it. I can’t wait to get my hands on one on Feb 2nd! Thank you Greg for an awesome video once again.

[@RKR2969]

No

[@daniebello]

alongside them making the form factor more attractive and light weight and release more affordable models like a Vision Air What I think will help mass adoption the most is when they make a 5G model, your average person will be able to finance it through their cell carrier

[@DocTime56]

I just hope Vision Pro early adopters get treated better than OG Apple Watch customers, that thing was replaced and dropped support fast

[@OldTechMemories.mp3]

Video ideas: History Of QuickTime

[@XTG3PQR]

Just wait for a non pro SE version. Should cost $1000-$2000

[@emptyforrest]

why is it so expensive? because its apple. no more explanation needed.

[@isaacsac5]

I am not willing to pay this price. I will buy this when I feel the price is more reasonable and the battery life improves greatly.

[@paatagigolashvili9551]

smart

[@stevensonicteam]

Also, my parents say I shouldnt read too close to the screen 😂

[@DarkKnight-bo6gh]

not everyone is as dumb as u to waste money on smth which is not needed in everyday life which will 100% get better upgrades and lower price ranges@Kodakicy

[@BillyonTopp]

@Kodakicyhe isn’t broke lmao. I use an apple product and touch guys are the guys who give us the bad name.

[@AndreVictorGoncalves]

You will gonna be upset. Apple is going to pull out the first generation when the second generation releases, so the price will never fall

[@littlebigcomrade]

The EyeSight feature is incredibly creepy.

[@zhiqianwen]

Not really willing to wear vr headset at the moment. I will buy when it becomes a pair of glasses

[@medoomedoo1634]

I feel that Vision pro it is the moment of the iphone (change the world)

[@Staralium]

I hope it’s cheaper in the uk but I bet it won’t

[@gojo_3669]

Price - $3499 Apple - I can explain

[@The92Waffles]

When this thing gets in the $1500 range I'll consider it. If I'm particularly impressed with it maybe I'll consider 2000. But the current price just excludes such a huge number of people and I bet the first wave of this device doesn't sell well at all

[@Brendon471]

They sold 180k in the first three days and it’s backordered till March. Seems to be selling very well.