What's Apple's Game Plan with Vision Pro?

While mixed reality headsets have been around for some time, the unveiling of Apple's Vision Pro has reinvigorated the hype for wearable technology.

But with a dwindling interest in mixed reality and a decline in the global XR market, how exactly does Apple plan to ensure the success of its next flagship device? 

Apple Vice President of Worldwide Developer Relations Susan Prescott and Senior Director of Product Marketing for Vision Pro Steve Sinclair told Digital Trends that, contrary to reports, developers' excitement for Vision Pro surpassed the company's expectations. 

Additionally, the company experienced "extremely high, three-digit customer satisfaction for the labs it ran so far," while the downloads for its software development kits (SDKs) were higher than anticipated.

According to Sinclair, the key factor driving this interest was the WWDC and "labs," where the company demonstrated the type of apps developers could make within the ecosystem of this mixed reality headset.

"We don't just want to have a lot of apps available for Vision Pro — we want them to work great," Prescott explained.

Developers Weigh In on Apple's Success

Shortly after Apple announced the Vision Pro, reports surfaced surrounding its limited production, stating that the company would only make less than 400,000 units in its first year due to its complex design.

However, developers remain confident in the success of the device. Resolution Games CEO Tommy Palm said he feels convinced that "Apple coming into this market segment is going to be monumental."

Eran Orr, Miki Levy, and Xavi Oromi of XRHealth also believe in the success of this Apple product as "XR devices are now where smartphones were 20 years ago, but in the next 20 years, it will be the main device that all of us will use."

Apple's Game Plan

While developers remain confident in Apple's product, the company has a lot of work to do to convert audiences to be more accepting of wearable technology - especially with the Vision Pro's steep $3,500 price point and limited battery life.

However, Sinclair remains confident in what they have made.

"One of the things that we've observed is that when people first put on Vision Pro, they're so blown away by the new spatial experiences that they see that they often forget that they're wearing something," he explained. 

Sinclair stressed the ability of developers to create fully immersive apps, as "those are the things that customers and users are going to be excited about."

Additionally, he believes it's not about convincing the audience but about "showing how amazing the experiences are," as those experiences are what "drive adoption and drive people's enthusiasm for this platform."

However, the game plan shouldn't solely rely on developers' enthusiasm but sustain them to create apps by making the platform accessible. 

"We need to make it accessible to every single one of our developers," Sinclair concluded. 

Edited by Nikola Djuric