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How many Vision Pro headsets has Apple sold?

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Apple Vision Pro headset production is reportedly being cut, sales are reportedly “way down.” But but but wait: Wasn’t the Vision Pro meant to change the world of VR/AR, ushering in an era of spatial computing? Is the dream over?

Hah, no. As Sam Rutherford laid out just before the weekend, while reports and rumors can’t nail exact numbers, based on financial figures from Apple’s last earnings, Vision Pro sales likely equate to around one percent of the company’s revenue. It’s almost as if early Vision Pro sales numbers don’t matter. Remember: The first iPhone wasn’t great either.

— Mat Smith

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Drake has deleted an X post with his track “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which used an AI-generated recreation of Tupac Shakur’s voice to needle Kendrick Lamar. The takedown came after an attorney representing the late hip-hop legend’s estate threatened to sue the Canadian rapper for his “unauthorized” use of Tupac’s voice. Drake used Snoop Dogg’s voice too, but… he’s still alive.

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Aaron Sorkin has announced he’s writing a follow-up script to The Social Network, once again about Facebook / Meta but with a fun, miserable focus on the January 6 insurrection attempt. Sorkin is cagey on the actual details of the new script but pretty much lays the blame for the attack at Meta’s feet. Sorkin hasn’t announced a partnership with any studio to make the film, but my big question: Who’s going to play Trump?

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Nikon is arguably the world’s most famous camera brand, but with the decline of DSLRs, it has struggled. In 2022, it released the Z9, a flagship mirrorless camera that could finally hold its own against rivals, but the $5,500 price tag put it out of reach for most. Now, we’re testing the Z8, which has the same sensor and specs for $1,700. The Z8 may also be better than Sony’s A1 for many hybrid shooters, particularly for video. But don’t ask me: Check out Steve Dent’s full test-shoot right here.

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It doesn’t matter how many Vision Pro headsets Apple sells

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Earlier this week, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo for headset, claiming production was being cut to 400,000 or 450,000 units compared to a previous market consensus north of 700,000. This came after a related report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who said in his that demand for Vision Pro demos is “way down” while sales in some locations have significantly slowed.

Naturally, this incited a lot of panic and hand-wringing among Apple enthusiasts who feared that the headset that was supposed to change VR forever might not have the staying power they expected. However, before anyone else starts clutching their pearls, I want to let you in on a secret: It doesn’t actually matter how many headsets Apple sells.

While Apple says the Vision Pro is comfortable enough to use with just the standard head strap, the headset is so heavy that the optional top band feels like a required add-on. While Apple says the Vision Pro is comfortable enough to use with just the standard head strap, the headset is so heavy that the optional top band feels like a required add-on.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

First, let’s talk production numbers. Is it 400,000 or 800,000, or something in between? Back in January, the same Ming-Chi Kuo estimated that the company sold between 160,000 and 180,000 units during its , which was up from of around 60,000 to 80,000. But if we go back even further to last July, the cited two people who said Apple only asked its supplier to make fewer than 400,000 units in 2024 while other sources put that number closer to 150,000. Now obviously numbers are subject to change over time as Apple responds to feedback and interest from developers and the public. Regardless, trying to predict the exact number of devices to make is extremely tricky, especially for an attention-grabbing and innovative product that has been the subject of rumors dating back to (and even before that, according to some ).

Still, let’s take that 400,000 number and see how far it goes. Without factoring in accessories (some of which are very important, especially if the owner wears glasses), the Vision Pro sells for $3,500. Rough napkin math suggests that Apple is looking at around $1.4 billion in sales. That’s a pretty big number and for a lot of other companies, that would represent a banner year. But this is Apple we’re talking about —it raked in . And that was considered a down year. So we’re talking less than one percent of the company’s total revenue, which is basically a rounding error for Apple’s finances.

One of the most important things the Vision Pro does is give Apple a platform to host apps and let developers test out new software. One of the most important things the Vision Pro does is give Apple a platform to host apps and let developers test out new software.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

That figure looks even less impressive when you consider all the research and development that went into making the Vision Pro. Apple is always cagey when it comes to revealing how much money it invests into various departments. But if we look at another major player in VR, Meta, we can get a better sense of what Apple’s VR budget might look like. According to Business Insider, based on an analysis of regulatory findings, since the start of 2019. That’s a serious chunk of change and more than enough to cause some consternation among investors, with Meta’s stock

But all these numbers are just noise. Analysts like to look at this stuff to help predict company growth, though they’re so busy focusing on quarterly numbers that they often miss the bigger picture. Depending on who you ask, Apple has than any other company in the world, with upwards of $165 billion sitting in a bank somewhere. And with recent reports claiming that Apple has I’d argue that the company may want to double down on its headset endeavors.

The Vision Pros lenses and microLED displays deliver some of the best visuals of any headset on the market. The Vision Pros lenses and microLED displays deliver some of the best visuals of any headset on the market.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

That’s because the Vision Pro might be the first step towards a platform that could reshape the company’s entire trajectory like the original iPhone did back in 2007. From the start, it was clear Apple’s first handset would have a massive impact. But when people look back, they never cite the iPhone’s first year of sales, which only amounted to around 1.4 million units. Sure, that’s more than 400,000, but that was also for a significantly less expensive device and a drop in the bucket compared to the HUNDREDS of millions Apple has been selling more recently. Those figures were meaningless.

The Vision Pro is Apple’s Field of Dreams device for virtual reality, spatial computing or whatever you want to call the category that encompasses head-mounted displays. Apple had to build it so developers have actual hardware to test software on. Apple had to build it so there’s a platform for people to download apps from. (If you remember, the original App Store didn’t arrive until July 2008, more than a year after the OG iPhone went on sale and on its own made an estimated .) Apple had to build it to plant a flag, lest they cede the first mover’s advantage completely to Meta or someone else.

Even though it's only been out for a few months, Apple has already made major improvements to Vision Pro features like its personas. Even though it's only been out for a few months, Apple has already made major improvements to Vision Pro features like its personas.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Even though I’d posit that the Vision Pro is a glorified dev kit (it was announced at WWDC after all), there are features that evoke the magical feeling I had the first time I used an iPhone. The Vision Pro has possibly the best optics I’ve seen on any headset, including enterprise-only models that cost way more than $3,500. It also has the best eye-tracking I’ve experienced, and it makes navigating menus and apps incredibly intuitive. It just kind of works. And slowly but surely, it’s getting better, as my colleague Devindra noted in his recent

Just like Apple’s first phone, though, the Vision Pro isn’t without its issues. It’s heavy and not super comfortable during long sessions. Its wired battery pack isn’t the most elegant solution for power delivery. Its front visor is prone to cracking, typing still feels clunky and there aren’t enough bespoke apps to make it an essential part of your everyday tech kit. But those are fixable issues and there’s clearly something there, a foundation that Apple can iterate on. Even in its infancy, the Vision Pro brings enough to compel hundreds of thousands of people (or developers) to buy a device that doesn’t make much practical sense.

The focus should be on what upgrades or additions Apple can make in the future, not on how many units it does (or doesn’t) make. So don’t let analysts or other noisemakers convince you otherwise.

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Meta Quest’s software is coming to new Asus ROG and Lenovo headsets

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It’s a big day for Quest users. Meta has announced it’s giving third-party companies open access to its headsets’ operating system to expand the technology. The tech giant wants developers to take the OS, expand into other frontiers, and accomplish two main goals: give consumers more choice in the virtual reality gaming market and give developers a chance to reach a wider audience.

Among this first batch of partners, some are already working on a Quest device. First off, ASUS’ ROG (Republic of Gamers) is said to be developing “an all-new performance gaming headset.” Lenovo’s on the list too and they’re seemingly working on three individual models: one for productivity, one for education, and one for entertainment. 



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The best VR headsets for 2024

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Virtual reality is interesting again. After a few years of stagnation, it’s worth considering an immersive VR headset. The Meta Quest 3 delivers excellent standalone virtual reality for $500, while Apple has thrown down the gauntlet with the Vision Pro, a $3,500 stab at combining VR and augmented reality (AR). Those who have an original Quest should consider upgrading, and while it’s not really feasible for most people, the Vision Pro provides a glimpse at where the entire category might be headed. We’ve tested and reviewed all of the big players in the VR game; this buyer’s guide will help you decide which is the best VR headset for you.

How we test VR headsets

I tend to judge VR headsets on a few basic criteria: Ergonomics, immersion and controls. It’s not that hard to shove a mobile display into a plastic headset and strap some cheap elastic headbands onto it. But it takes skill to craft something that’s well balanced and doesn’t feel uncomfortable after 30 minutes.

My test for ergonomics is fairly simple: How long can I wear a headset until I start to feel discomfort? For the most ergonomic devices, like the Quest 3, that could easily be an hour or two. But heavier PC hardware often feels cumbersome after just 15 minutes — you won’t find headsets guilty of that in this guide.

Immersion, meanwhile, comes from having high resolution screens with fast refresh rates, so everything looks sharp and smooth. Field of view is also a major element, as it describes how well VR screens can cover what you see. Having a narrow field of view makes it feel like you’re looking through a pair of binoculars, and limits your sense of “presence,” or the idea that you’re actually transported to a virtual world.

A wide field of view, on the other hand, can make it seem like you’re actually flying over the globe in Google Earth. We look at a few popular games, like Superhot, Beat Saber and Pistol Whip, on every headset to judge how immersed we feel.

The best controllers fit naturally in your hands and offer accurate tracking. The industry has basically adopted the design of Meta’s excellent touch controllers, but we’re also seeing intriguing leaps forward like Valve’s finger tracking gamepads. We judge controllers based on how easy they are to hold, how they hold up to sweaty gameplay sessions and how easily headsets can track their position in space.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar / Engadget

Read our full review of the Meta Quest 3 VR headset

The long-awaited follow-up to the Quest 2 is an upgrade in every respect: It’s more comfortable to wear, it has higher quality screens and it has full-color mixed reality cameras, allowing you to see the real world alongside virtual elements. While it’s more expensive at $500, it’s also a far more capable headset than the Quest 2, with hardware and optics that will keep you happily immersed in VR for years.

The Quest 3 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip, which Meta says has double the graphics power of the Quest 2. That additional power is noticeable in games like Red Matter 2, which feature updated textures that deliver an experience closer to PC VR. The Quest 3’s new displays run at 2,064 by 2,208 pixels per eye, offering an even better experience than the PlayStation VR2. Its mixed reality cameras also let you easily see the real world, in case you need to quickly answer a text or Slack message. And they enable games that can be built around your room.

What makes the Quest 3 interesting is that it offers more than just solid VR: It also gives you a glimpse at what a mixed reality future could be. While it’s not as sharp or capable as Apple’s Vision Pro, that’s understandable. And just like previous Quest headsets, you can also plug it into a gaming PC for higher quality VR experiences.

Pros

  • Sharp new screens and lenses
  • More compact than Quest 2
  • Faster performance
  • Mixed reality cameras make it easier to see the real world
  • Adjustable for glasses
Cons

  • More expensive than before
  • Only 128GB of storage to start
  • No battery life improvements

$499 at Walmart

Photo by Devindra Hardawar / Engadget

Read our full review of the Meta Quest 3 VR headset

With the Vision Pro, Apple is attempting to do for VR what the iPod did for media players, and what the iPhone did for smartphones. It’s a bold, $3,500 gamble to reshape the world of VR around Apple’s idea of “spatial computing.” It’s incredibly expensive, somewhat uncomfortable and surprisingly buggy, but the Vision Pro is the biggest leap forward we’ve seen in the stagnating VR industry in years. Most people shouldn’t buy it, but if you’re a developer or someone with money to burn and want the best immersive headset today, it’s truly in a league of its own.

Pros

  • Incredible Micro-OLED screens
  • Intuitive gesture controls
  • Convincing Spatial Audio
  • Immersive Video is astoundingly realistic
Cons

  • Incredibly expensive
  • visionOS is very buggy
  • Heavy compared to other headsets
  • External battery is annoying and doesn’t last long
  • Not many native visionOS apps

$3,500 at Apple

Meta Quest

Read our full review of the Meta Quest 2 VR headset

Over years since its release, the Meta Quest 2 remains the best budget VR option for the vast majority of consumers. It’s a completely standalone headset, and it’s comfortable to wear for long sessions. And now that it’s down to a new standard price of $250, it remains the best way to jump into VR without spending a ton of money.

Here’s what’s still good, though: there’s a huge library of titles that you can experience anywhere, and it’s bundled with Meta’s great motion controllers. You can also connect the Quest 2 to a gaming PC to stream more complex VR experiences.

The Quest 2 features fast-switching LCDs with a resolution 1832×1920 per eye,t It also has a smooth 90Hz refresh rate, which is impressive for something running entirely on mobile hardware. The Quest 2’s field of view isn’t the best — it’s been measured at just around 90 degrees — but it’s still enough to enjoy most VR experiences. You can also use different face pads to increase its field of view a bit. And if you want an even more comfortable fit, you can snag the Elite headstrap for $49 (or $129 with a built-in battery and case).

The Quest 2 may not offer the best VR experience, but it’s certainly the most accessible headset on the market.

Pros

  • Higher resolution screens
  • More powerful hardware
  • Excellent standalone VR
  • Works well as a desktop VR headset
  • Price is a steal
Cons

  • Standalone games still limited by mobile hardware
  • 90Hz isn’t available at launch
  • Fit adjustment is a bit wonky

$199 at Walmart

Photo By Devindra Hardawar / Engadget

Read our full review of the PlayStation VR2 headset

The PS VR2 is one of the best headset we’ve tested. It offers dual 2K OLED HDR screens, effectively giving you 4K quality. It’s one of the most comfortable headsets around. And it has some genuinely refreshing new features, like eye tracking and headset haptics. (Yes, it can literally rock your noggin.) Best of all, the PS VR2 delivers high-quality virtual reality without the need for a $1,000+ gaming PC – all you need is a PlayStation 5.

Now, our recommendation comes with a few caveats. At $550, the PS VR2 is more expensive than the PS5 itself. And it’s unclear how quickly its game library will fill up. The initial run has only a few exclusives, like Horizon VR and Gran Turismo 7, and we haven’t seen many new titles since then. But it’s still the easiest way to experience high-end VR, and it’s a major upgrade over the original PS VR.

Pros

  • Excellent OLED displays
  • Comfortable fit
  • Headset haptics feel immersive
  • Sense controllers are solid
Cons

  • Incredibly high launch price
  • Limited new titles
  • Long term development is suspect

$550 at Sony

Photo by Devindra Hardawar / Engadget

Read our full review of Valve Index VR kit

Valve’s Index kit remains one of the best high-end solutions on the market that provides a truly immersive VR experience. For $999 you get the Index headset, Valve’s finger tracking controllers and two SteamVR base stations. While we’ve seen higher-resolution headsets arrive in the last two years, it’s still a very solid option, with a 1,440 by 1,600 pixel resolution, an eye-watering 144Hz refresh rate and a massive 130-degree field of view. I’d gladly lose a few pixels for the Index’s smoother and more expansive screen, which are still far beyond most other consumer headsets.

As a SteamVR product, the Index requires installing two sensors at opposite corners of your room. And of course, it’s wired to your PC. But that clunkiness is worth it for the higher refresh rate and more accurate tracking. Sure, it’s not as easy to use as the Quest 2, but at this price range, we assume you’ll suffer a bit of inconvenience to get a truly high-quality VR experience.

Valve’s finger tracking controllers are fantastic as well, with a convenient strap that locks them onto your hands. They make playing Half-Life: Alyx feel like a dream. It’s unfortunate that other VR games haven’t fully taken advantage of the finger tracking though.

Pros

  • 144Hz refresh rate with a 130-degree field of view
  • Excellent finger-tracking controllers
  • Stellar performance
Cons

  • Requires installing sensors in your room
  • Wired design

$999 at Steam

Photo by Devindra Hardawar / Engadget

Read our full review of the Bigscreen Beyond VR headset

Essentially an upgrade for the Index, the Beyond is a unique spin on a VR headset from Bigscreen, the developer of a popular app for watching video in VR. It looks more like an oversized pair of goggles than a massive VR headset. The $999 Beyond is the lightest VR option we’ve ever seen (it weighs a tad more than a deck of playing cards), and its Micro-OLED screens are sharp and offer near-perfect contrast. Unlike LCD screens, black can look genuinely black with the Beyond.

The downside, though, is that the Bigscreen Beyond is expensive. It’s $999 on its own if you’re just upgrading a Valve Index setup. If you’re starting from scratch, though, you’ll also need to buy two Steam VR base stations and a pair of Index controllers. That adds up to a whopping $1,578.

The Bigscreen Beyond also requires a custom face cushion, which is built from a 3D facescan when you place your order. Unfortunately, that makes it harder to share than other headsets. There’s also no room for glasses, since it’s so slim. You can buy prescription lens inserts from Bigscreen for an additional fee. And of course, you’ll have to live with a cable tethered to your PC, there’s none of the freedom of the cordless Meta Quest headsets.

For all of its complexity, though, the Bigscreen Beyond delivers the most immersive PC VR experience I’ve ever seen. Since it’s so light, you can easily wear it for hours. Together with its glorious screens, it’s the best option for VR enthusiasts who don’t mind dealing with cost and complexity for true immersion.

Pros

  • Incredibly light and comfortable
  • Sharp and bright Micro-OLED screens
  • Works alongside existing Valve Index accessories
Cons

  • Expensive
  • No built-in audio
  • Still exhibits artifacting like other VR headsets

$999 at Bigscreen

Other VR headsets we’ve tested

Meta Quest Pro

As great as the Meta Quest 3 is, the Quest 2 is still a very good entry-level VR headset, and it’s worth considering if it’s on sale below its current $250 list price. The Meta Quest Pro, on the the hand, is an expensive boondoggle best ignored.

HTC Vive Pro 2

Outside of Meta’s hardware, the HTC Vive Pro 2 remains a fantastic PC headset, but it’s far more expensive than the Valve Index, which is more comfortable and offers better audio.

FAQs

How do VR headsets work?

At the most basic level, a VR headset is simply a high quality screen that you’re holding up to your face. For a wired headset, the actual work of rendering a game is done on either a PC or game console. For completely wireless devices, like the Meta Quest 3, that work is handled right on the headset. They rely on either external sensors, or sensors built into the headsets, to map your physical space. While you can use a traditional gamepad or keyboard and mouse in VR, they typically use motion tracking controllers to immerse you in their 3D environments.

What VR headset is best for full body tracking?

While we’re still waiting for a truly great haptic VR bodysuit to arrive, you can still achieve accurate body tracking with most Steam VR-compatible PC headsets. The Valve Index and HTC Vive Pro 2 both rely on room-tracking sensors that can map your body more effectively than the built-in sensors on competitors. You can also add HTC Vive Trackers to wrist and leg straps, as well as belts, for even better coverage. The Meta Quest 3 doesn’t have any easy body tracking solutions, but you can add Vive trackers when it’s plugged into your PC to mimic a Steam VR headset.

Only a few experiences, like VRChat, take advantage of full body tracking at the moment. Currently there aren’t any body tracking solutions for the PlayStation VR and VR2, but we’re intrigued by the company’s Mocopi body trackers, which were really announced in Japan.

What VR headsets are better than Oculus?

Oculus is the previous name for Meta’s VR hardware. Currently, Meta only supports the Quest 3, Quest 2 and Quest Pro, all of which are wireless headsets. As we explain above, PC VR headsets can generally achieve better quality virtual reality, since they rely on more powerful graphics hardware.

What VR headsets work with Xbox?

Currently, Microsoft’s Xbox consoles don’t support any VR headsets.

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VR headsets could be hacked in “Inception-esque” attacks — with attackers able to steal your data without you even noticing

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If someone were to infect your Meta Quest VR headset with malware, they could trick you into seeing things in the virtual world which weren’t real, experts have warned.

Academics from Cornell University recently published a paper describing the possibility of hijacking people’s VR sessions and controlling their interactions with internal applications, external servers, and more. 

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HTC VIVE Ultimate Tracker for XR headsets and PC VR streaming

HTC VIVE Ultimate Tracker for XR headsets and PC VR streaming 2024

The VIVE Ultimate Tracker is designed for smooth integration with HTC VIVE’s standalone headsets, like the VIVE XR Elite and VIVE Focus 3. It’s also becoming compatible with OpenXR and SteamVR-based PC VR systems. This flexibility ensures a consistent and engaging experience across different platforms.

The tracker’s self-tracking technology is at its heart, featuring dual wide-field-of-view cameras that provide precise 3D spatial tracking without the need for external base stations. This not only simplifies your setup but also captures your movements in the virtual world with impressive accuracy.

“VIVE Ultimate Tracker is about to make your XR sessions a lot more realistic and immersive, with super accurate full-body tracking – now for the first time on all-in-one devices,” said Shen Ye, Global Head of Product at HTC VIVE. “People have been asking for more robust and flexible tracking options, and we’re very excited to get these to our users and see them get creative and have fun!”

HTC VIVE Trackers

HTC VIVE Trackers

For those seeking a deep level of immersion, the VIVE Ultimate Tracker is up to the task. It supports the use of up to five trackers simultaneously, allowing for detailed capture of your movements. This feature is particularly useful for applications like VRChat, where you can express your personality with your whole body, even on standalone devices.

The tracker comes with a standard 1/4″-20 UNC mount and a pogo pin interface, offering versatile mounting options for attaching it to various objects. This opens up a world of possibilities for motion capture, VR-based training, and social VR experiences.

HTC VIVE Ultimate Tracker

HTC VIVE is committed to supporting developers and creators. They provide public documentation and 3D CAD files, making it possible to design custom mounts and integrate the tracker into unique projects. Future updates are expected to enable the tracker to work independently with SteamVR, which would allow for tracking without a headset.

The technical specifications of the VIVE Ultimate Tracker are impressive. It’s lightweight at just 94 grams and offers up to 7 hours of battery life, which is ideal for long sessions. Its proprietary wireless connectivity ensures low latency, and the 6DoF (six degrees of freedom) inside-out tracking contributes to a responsive and realistic XR experience.

“VIVE Ultimate Tracker for the tech demo SKILLSHOT (by Rezzil) brings a game-changing shift to foot tracking. From elite athletes to casual gamers, it’s extremely versatile and easy to set up anywhere. The positive reception and streamlined flight check-in process are a testament to its global potential for us,” – Adam Dickinson, Co-founder and Director, Rezzil.

The VIVE Ultimate Tracker is now available for purchase, with special offers and bundle deals in North America, the UK, and Europe. These introductory promotions are an excellent opportunity to enhance your virtual reality setup.

The HTC VIVE Ultimate Tracker is poised to redefine how we interact with virtual spaces. Its advanced tracking capabilities, wide system compatibility, and strong support for developers make it a valuable tool for creating immersive and dynamic XR experiences. Whether for entertainment, training, or professional applications, the VIVE Ultimate Tracker is ready to elevate your virtual interactions to new heights.

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