Apple Vision Pro (M5, 2025)
Apple (Hacker News, MacStories):
Apple today introduced Apple Vision Pro with the powerful M5 chip that delivers a leap forward in performance, improved display rendering, faster AI-powered workflows, and extended battery life. The upgraded Vision Pro also comes with the soft, cushioned Dual Knit Band to help users achieve an even more comfortable fit, and visionOS 26, which unlocks innovative spatial experiences, including widgets, new Personas, an interactive Jupiter Environment, and new Apple Intelligence features with support for additional languages. There are over 1 million apps and thousands of games on the App Store, hundreds of 3D movies on the Apple TV app, and all-new series and films in Apple Immersive with a selection of live NBA games coming soon.
But aside from the chip upgrade, nothing about the Vision Pro’s design has changed. Instead, Apple’s press release claims that the M5 chip will bring faster processing and more detailed image rendering. Specifically, the M5 renders 10 percent more pixels on the OLED displays and can increase refresh rates up to 120Hz. Previously it maxed out at 100Hz. As for processing, AI-powered features like a Persona or spatial photos are up to 50 percent faster. Battery life is also improved by about 30 minutes, up to 2.5 hours of general use and three hours of video playback.
Those hoping for a price change will be disappointed: it still starts at $3,499 with storage tiers in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB at the same prices as before. In addition to the new Dual Knit Band, it includes the same Light Seal, pair of Light Seal Cushions, cover, polishing cloth, battery, and USB-C cable. However it also includes Apple’s recently announced 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max, though it seems like an expensive way to get that if you want it.
The new Dual Knit Band comes in small, medium, and large sizes. It is available to purchase separately for $99, and it is compatible with the previous-generation Vision Pro. You can find your preferred size by using the Apple Store app on the iPhone.
Apple says the Dual Knit Band features two straps knitted into a single piece. The upper strap goes across the top of the head, and the lower strap goes across the back of the head. The lower strap has tungsten inserts that provide a counterweight for additional comfort, balance, and stability. You can adjust the fit of both of the straps with the Fit Dial.
Another new accessory is the Logitech Muse spatial stylus, and Apple will begin selling the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller starting Tuesday, November 11.
They literally did an official version of the custom "dual-knit" accessory for the Vision Pro from Etsy last year!
The M5 Vision Pro is advertised as quite a bit heavier than the M2 Vision Pro -- Likely because of the new strap (which is clearly heavier but solves the comfort problem).
0.3% of Vision Pro apps are built for visionOS. And this is Apple’s own marketing!
Vision Pro is rapidly coming on 2 years old now and Apple still hasn’t ported Pages or Numbers to it, and half the built-in apps on the OS are emulated iPad apps. It would be embarrassing if it weren’t so very desperately sad. They effectively halted all in-box-app progress the moment it was shown off at WWDC23 — nothing new has been announced since
2 years on and Apple still hasn’t figured out a deal with Netflix for the Vision Pro?
Previously:
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Still too expensive, but I hope they lean into the live sports thing. The Oculus VR NBA games were really cool. I don't want to do work in one of these and I don't want smart glasses popping notifications into my eyeballs either. I want the at-home experience of watching sports that that one Sports Illustrated article from 1991 promised 13-year-old me.
"an interactive Jupiter Environment"
Zero idea what that could possibly mean. I've heard of Jupyter IDE. But what is a "Jupiter Environment"? For something that's apparently a new marquee feature, I have never heard any mention of this before.
@Ben It’s not really a feature, just a “wallpaper” view of the planet Jupiter and its moons that sits behind what you’re working on.
Looks like no trade-in or buyback for Gen 1 buyers.
They could put a 5 angstrom M10 in here and the value would be unchanged:
I'm not strapping on a douchey headset in public and it does not improve work.
Even Apple can't tell you its killer app (but they want 30% if anyone ever finds out).
macOS lost its UI for this.
Curious to see when Apple is going to Newton the Vision Pro headset. Then again, I am not the target demographic for this device so I might be missing the appeal.
Seems like a product they’re going to abandon soon. Apple has a pattern where if something isn’t an instant hit, they pull resources away from it instead of working to improve it. Then when no one buys it (because it’s not improving) they discontinue it
I'd vote for either AI - as in Apple Intelligence - or Liquid Glass but the jury is out on both. Hardware-wise, how about the gold Apple Watch?
Quite an unforced error for Apple to start promoting the PSVR2 controllers, which have a hardware flaw leading to a quite a few of them failing right out-of-the-box, apparently due to debris caught inside the housing:
https://www.reddit.com/r/PSVR/comments/1docvyv/new_psvr2_with_controller_issues/
Sony have never bothered to correct the issue — seems like their VR push didn’t make a much of a splash either. It’s a shame really… the original PSVR was pretty fun and worked surprisingly well, especially considering the low-end hardware it was utilizing.
The headset form-factor has always been niche. An interesting niche for sure, but something that mass-market companies seem fated to struggle with. A better approach is to instead consider smaller companies catering to the niche (e.g. Bigscreen). For $3500 you can get a much nicer tethered setup with a PC and actually be able to utilize the vast majority of interesting VR-oriented software.
I still don't understand who exactly this device is supposed to be appealing too, other than a small niche of tech enthusiasts or VR people. Why would the general population care one lick about this thing? What's the advantage of immersing myself in *more* digital environments and computers, at a moment when people are beginning to realize we're too deep in them already?
