Apple Vision Pro was released in February, but the product has struggled to catch on. The starting price in the US is $3,500, and most of its customers are technology enthusiasts. For Apple, this also means there aren’t as many developers interested in building apps for visionOS. Perhaps only cheaper models will change this situation.
Developers don’t seem interested in building apps for Vision Pro
Over a year ago, I wrote about how Apple needed a cheaper Vision Pro to make the device mainstream. Selling a premium product targeted at a specific audience is good, but sky-high prices are turning away developers who are essential to establishing the success of a new platform like visionOS.
When Vision Pro launched, Apple said approximately 600 apps and games would be available in the visionOS App Store from day one. As of August, there were only 2,500 native apps in the visionOS App Store. This number does not include iPhone and iPad apps that can run on Vision Pro in compatibility mode.
According to research company Appfigures ( wall street journal), development of new Vision Pro apps is slowing down with each passing month. “Only 10 apps were introduced to the Vision App Store in September, compared to the hundreds released in the first two months of the device’s launch,” the company said.
WSJ They spoke to app developers to better understand why most of them aren’t joining the platform. The consensus seems to be that the platform has a small number of users and is missing some important features.
“We’re in no hurry,” said Hlavn Tolisson, CEO of Iceland-based VR game developer Aldin Dynamics. “We’re waiting until we see a better trajectory and the next device comes out.”
For Scott Albright, CEO of VR gaming company Combat Waffle Studios, the Vision Pro’s lack of a specific game controller makes it unappealing to gamers. “I think it’s great that Apple is here, but they need to understand what the headset is for.”
Rostyslav Alieksieienko, a software engineer, bought Vision Pro in February but put it up for sale six months later. “I was very excited at first,” he said. “But it never integrated into my life. I quickly ran out of things to do. Then it just sat there.”
It’s worth noting that Vision Pro also doesn’t include apps for important platforms like Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube.
Vision Pro desperately needs a price cut or cheaper model
Analysts like Ming-Chi Kuo say Apple has cut its Vision Pro shipment forecast from 800,000 units to 400,000 units by 2024. Despite having exciting technology, most people don’t seem to want to pay $3,500 for a device like the Vision Pro. This, in turn, snowballs into developers not creating apps for visionOS, which in turn leads to users finding fewer useful apps on the platform for the price.
Bertrand Nepveu, who previously worked on Apple’s Vision Pro team, believes the company should fund developers who develop major apps for visionOS. This is what Meta is doing to bring more software to its VR Quest platform.
I agree with Nepveu, but believe that the Apple Vision platform needs a cheaper non-Pro model to appeal to both developers and a wider audience. Unfortunately, a cheaper Apple Vision isn’t expected until at least the end of 2025, and it’s unclear whether there will be much interest in Apple Vision by then.
Another solution could be to lower the price of the current Apple Vision Pro, but I don’t think it would make much of a difference at this point.
what about you? What do you think Apple Vision Pro needs to be a hit? Let us know in the comments section below.
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