Vision Pro: Apple executives now echo sentiment shared by former head of Oculus at launch

Apple has decided to shelve the Vision Pro, or at least put it on hold indefinitely as the company pivots aggressively towards smart glasses to challenge Meta. In a report by industry insider Mark Gurman, it has been revealed that the executives at Apple are now echoing the same sentiment that former head of Oculus — Hugo Barra — shared at launch.

Hugo Barra on the Vision Pro

Three months after the launch of the Apple Vision Pro, Barra — who also worked on the Oculus Go — posted a very lengthy insight into what made Apple’s premium MR (Mixed Reality) headset stand out.

Barra noted that Apple’s foray into XR (Extended Reality) would generate interest in the field and other manufacturers would follow suit. He was right, other companies immediately jumped into making an MR headset of their own that even looked like the Vision Pro or shared its name.

Hugo Barra also claimed that the Vision Pro was an overengineered devkit. He talked about how Apple likely wanted to blow customers away and make its headset feel as premium as possible, but in doing so the company also sacrificed user comfort and affordability.

CEO Tim Cook defended it

Many months after Barra’s remarks, Apple CEO Tim Cook shared his thoughts on the Vision Pro. According to Cook, the Vision Pro was a product for early adopters.

Cook often talked about how he used the Vision Pro and how fantastic he always found it to be. In defense of the headset’s poor sales and exorbitant asking price, Cook said that the Vision Pro was for people who wanted tomorrow’s technology today.

Apple executives agree with Barra

Cook’s thoughts on the Vision Pro might have changed with time, as executives at Apple now don’t feel so favorably about the Vision Pro. In fact, they agree with Hugo Barra almost word for word.

According to a report (subscription required), Apple executives have had discussions about the Vision Pro in private, where they have called it an overengineered piece of technology. Unfortunately, they didn’t decide to cut back on some of the tech and release a more affordable version.

It’s a real shame

I remember how excited I was when Apple announced the Vision Pro. Back then, I was convinced that this would lead to a renaissance of XR. Unfortunately, the entire product line was very poorly managed.

I do really hope that Apple brings it back one day, perhaps as more of a gaming-centered device at an affordable price. I’m sure many people would love to switch from their Meta Quest 3 to an Apple alternative.

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