A VR headset pioneer, Palmer Luckey, has praised Apple’s pricing strategy when entering the extended reality headset market. He pointed out that it would have been a mistake for Apple to enter the low price segment. Instead, with the Vision Pro, Apple is targeting the “right buyer segment.” Luckey believes that for the initial buyers, the price doesn’t matter, and there are enough people willing to pay such prices. The priority, according to Luckey, is to make virtual reality something that users actually want, even before they can afford it. He explained that the quality level for VR headsets has been too low, and certain improvements need to be made in terms of comfort, resolution, and content.
Luckey also criticized Meta’s goal of making their Quest hardware as cheap as possible, stating that a certain level of quality must be reached before offering low-cost options. He warned that disappointed buyers would quickly abandon cheap hardware if it doesn’t meet their expectations. Luckey left Oculus, which was bought by Facebook in 2014, a few years later for undisclosed reasons. He remains a controversial figure, particularly due to his open support for Donald Trump during the 2016 US election.
With a starting price of $3500, Apple’s Vision Pro is even more expensive than initially believed. The announcement of this price generated incredulous reactions and received criticism. It is expected that Apple will only sell limited quantities of the first generation, as production is reported to be challenging and bottlenecks are anticipated, especially with regards to the two high-resolution displays.
Apple will also have a slow launch, initially making the headset available only in the US. The availability in Europe and the euro price have not been disclosed yet, but it is expected to exceed 4000 euros, considering additional accessories like a headband and corrective lenses for glasses wearers will drive up the price further.
