Apple has quietly updated the Vision Pro headset. The headline change is the switch from the M2 chip to a new M5, and a new dual-knit band designed for better comfort.
On paper, it is an iterative upgrade. In reality, it raises more questions than it answers for anyone outside a small circle of developers and hardcore Apple fans.
The M5 is technically impressive. Ten CPU cores, ten GPU cores with Neural Accelerators, and a 16-core Neural Engine.
Apple promises hardware-accelerated ray tracing, a 120Hz refresh rate, and the ability to render 10 percent more pixels.
AI-driven features are supposedly 50 percent faster. Battery life improves slightly. It is faster, smoother, and more capable than the original Vision Pro.
But here’s the thing. None of this materially changes what the Vision Pro is for most people. The headset remains incredibly expensive at $3,499, tethered to a battery pack, and still limited in the apps that make it worthwhile.
Streaming apps are thin, major game developers are largely absent, and even Apple’s own stock apps have lagged in support.
You can enjoy sharper visuals and higher frame rates, but the ecosystem is still a shell compared to mainstream devices.
For anyone who bought the first-gen Vision Pro, Apple is offering no trade-in. If you want the M5 performance or the new band, you are paying full price again.
This creates a strange dynamic where early adopters may feel penalized for supporting the product from day one.
In other words, the upgrade is real, but only meaningful to a small subset of users, mostly those developing apps that push the hardware to its limits.
Apple has also avoided other expected improvements. There is no built-in battery, no new color options, and no support for the latest Wi-Fi standards.
For the average buyer, these are minor annoyances; for anyone spending $3,500, these omissions are glaring.
Meanwhile, cheaper VR headsets like the Meta Quest 3 or PlayStation VR2 already deliver compelling experiences at a fraction of the price, even if the polish is not of Apple-grade quality.
The dual-knit band is a small but notable change. It distributes weight more evenly, adds stability, and addresses complaints about comfort from early adopters.
It will be sold separately for $99 and is compatible with the original Vision Pro. The accessory is thoughtful, but it also underscores that the first-gen design had real limitations from the start.
Ultimately, the M5 Vision Pro is what Apple intended all along: a developer-focused device that nudges the ecosystem forward without radically altering the consumer proposition.
It is faster, marginally more comfortable, and technically better, but it is not suddenly transformative.
It remains a luxury device with a tiny audience. Apple made an important technical step, but it is still a product that few will need, and even fewer will buy.
For most people, the question is simple: is $3,500 worth a slightly faster, slightly more comfortable headset that does mostly the same things as the previous model? Apple believes it is. Most users, however, are unlikely to agree.
