The Apple Vision Pro is finally launching outside of US markets this summer, the brand confirmed at WWDC 2024. While this is massive news for any Apple fans who’ve been waiting all this time to get their hands on the luxury headset, it will be a competitive few months for any manufacturer in that market.
The best VR headsets currently available have all the exciting things to look forward to right now. PSVR 2 gets long-awaited PC support on August 7th, which is exciting many PC VR gamers who want the highest visual fidelity they can get for their gaming rigs. Amid many firmware updates and ongoing quality-of-life additions, the Meta Quest 3 is said to be getting a more affordable sibling sometime in 2024. That headset already has Apple cornered in the US, so it can’t imagine what is equal the most affordable option will do.
Next we have the Apple Vision Pro, which will launch in the UK on July 12, as well as Germany, France, Australia and Canada. It will launch in China, Japan and Singapore even earlier, on June 28.
The device caused quite a stir when it was revealed this time last year and was launched to much fanfare in the US in early 2024. Said excitement has since died down, and its lack of gaming support related to that monumental price tag. is definitely guilty.
In an effort to reignite the passions of international customers, Apple is updating its ski goggles with VisionOS2. Among the new spatial features and some interface changes, Apple says it will offer higher resolutions and screen sizes for the Mac’s virtual display and add a train setting to its travel mode. It is also said that VisionOS2 will make it easier for developers to create apps for the device and that new content is already being created specifically for it.
In the last month or so, we’ve seen a greater gaming focus placed on Vision Pro. Demeo, Job Simulator, Vacation Simulator and Marvel’s What If…? all are booted to the device. They won’t be enough to entice players who might opt ​​for a cheaper option with more titles available to them, but it’s a start.
Questions were raised as to whether the Vision Pro would see a launch in international markets after reports claimed it had not sold in line with Apple’s expectations.
“I say the following with all the love in my heart: Uh-oh!”
I’ve said it many times before that more competition brings innovation to the hardware markets. Especially within the VR and XR sectors, close competition has been one of the few elements that has been missing until now. I want Apple to be a pillar, I want to see hardware innovations like the Vision Pro do well, but you have to admit it’s not making life easy for itself.
Apple Vision Pro pre-orders in the UK will go live on June 28, and anyone interested in picking up a headset who doesn’t already own one will be making the right decision.
Do you spend? £459 on Meta Quest 3, which is a more affordable version of the Apple device that has access to loads more content? Are you waiting for the rumored Quest 3S which is said to be an even more affordable version of the same product? Do you settle for a gaming-only device in the form of the PSVR 2, which is just months away from being able to access the entire library of SteamVR’s famous titles?
Or, do you opt for Apple’s £3,499 experiment that is fighting its reputation as a premium device you can’t do much with? It’s an uphill battle for Apple this summer, and a piece of non-core technology that’s so expensive needs all the help it can get.
Making matters worse are rumors that Apple plans to release a more affordable headset at some point in the next few years. The same reports said that the Vision Pro will be discontinued before its international launch, so we’re not sure how reliable they are, but you have to think that a more mainstream headset must be on Apple’s mind for the future.
It’s great that so many viable VR headsets are being upgraded this summer, and perhaps they all have different tastes for different buyers. Regardless of which Pokemon starter you support in this case, it’s going to be an exciting season for the VR market.
For some VR deals, check out the best Meta Quest accessoriesAND the best Meta Quest deals. If you prefer to stick to traditional game modes, go for it the best handheld gaming devices.