Apple's Vision Pro Headset to Debut with 600 Fresh Applications

Apple’s first mixed-reality headset, Vision Pro, is set to be released Friday (Feb. 2) and will launch with 600 new apps and games. “Apple Vision Pro is unlocking the imaginations of our worldwide developer community, and we’re inspired by the range of spatial experiences they’ve created for this exciting new platform,” Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations, said Thursday (Feb. 1) in a press release, one day before the launch of the headset. The company’s 600 new apps — 100 more than the company had when the first App Store launched — are on top of 1 million compatible apps already available on the iOS and iPadOS operating systems, including ways for consumers to shop virtually. For example, the J.Crew Virtual Closet and Mytheresa: Luxury Experience “are reimagining shopping with live consultations and new ways to share looks with friends on FaceTime,” the news release said. And brands like Lowe’s and Wayfair let customers do things like virtually plan a kitchen renovation and or other home redesign. Among the other new offerings are a number of things geared towards sports fans, such as the NBA app, which lets basketball fans stream up to five live broadcasts, while the MLB app places users in a virtual ballpark with a view from home plate and displays statistics about each pitch. On the Max app, fans of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon” can use the “Iron Throne Room” environment to transform their space into a virtual version of the sets. The Vision Pro will be available for sale in stores on Friday for $3,500. “This move is significant as the company ventures into the world of mixed reality, which combines virtual and augmented reality,” PYMNTS wrote last month. “While Meta Platforms currently dominates the market, Apple is determined to make a strong first impression with its offering.” The weeks leading to the launch have seen reports indicating that Apple may have an uphill battle in launching the Vision Pro. Among the company’s challenges is the fact that Netflix, YouTube and Spotify have indicated they won’t launch visionOS software or allow their iPad apps to run on the Vision Pro. Earlier this week, Zoom announced it was launching an app exclusively for the Vision Pro, allowing people to conduct virtual meetings in more immersive and realistic environments. As PYMNTS wrote, Zoom has been expanding its tools for hybrid work and charting an “aggressive road map aimed at empowering our customers to work smarter and to serve their customers better,” as Eric Yuan, Zoom’s founder and CEO, said on an earnings call in August.