Apple’s ‘Vision Pro’ Headset: A Contender for the Metaverse Market?
The Metaverse has been in the news recently with Facebook’s all-in pivot to VR in November 2021, which was widely mocked, and Meta’s subsequent share price rally built on AI hype and cost discipline. However, Meta faced challenges with VR due to the uncomfortable and inconvenient nature of the equipment required. Apple is now entering the Metaverse market with its ‘mixed reality’ headset, the Vision Pro, which combines virtual and augmented reality and promises to offer a more immersive experience. But will anyone buy the expensive gadget, with a price tag set at $3,499?
Apple’s Vision Pro: A Game-Changer for the Metaverse or Just Another Gadget?
Apple’s launch of the Vision Pro headset on Monday has been highly anticipated, with many wondering whether it will be a game-changer for the Metaverse market or just another expensive gadget. The device combines virtual and augmented reality, offering a more immersive experience, but it comes at a high cost of $3,499. Analysts were surprised at the pricing, with JP Morgan predicting an introductory price of $2k-$3k. However, they were won over by the “wealth of features” and suggested that modest initial sales volumes of 100-200k are likely.
Is the Vision Pro for Everyone?
Apple’s pricing strategy for the Vision Pro and the features it offers suggest that it is primarily aimed at a more specialized TAM of professionals and professional consumers. This is because of the high price point and the lack of a “killer app” that would appeal to a mass consumer market. This is likely to remain the case until a more compelling use case or application for the technology is established. Nonetheless, Apple’s goal is to hit a home run on consumer engagement versus volumes with the first device in what is sure to be a multi-year journey for the platform.
What are the Early Adopters Saying?
Early adopters of VR technology who spend their time in the Metaverse are a hardcore market to win over. Horizon Worlds, Meta’s candy-colored realm of epilepsy sprites and warnings, offers a glimpse of what the Metaverse could look like. To test opinions, the author visited the Soapstone Comedy Club, the busiest room, where a few users were found. The users seemed to have their own things to do, so it was rude to interrupt with vox pop. Jiople15, an Englishman from Texas, was more talkative and suggested that he likes the look of the Vision Pro, but he laughed at the idea of spending $3,500. He would only be prepared to pay around $700 for such a device.
Can Apple Introduce VR to the Mainstream Market?
Apple’s Vision Pro has the potential to be a catalyst for the AR/VR market and bring VR to the mainstream market. However, the lack of a killer app, technological challenges and high pricing may hinder its mass adoption initially. Furthermore, a key challenge for Apple is to convert existing iPhone users who may not be interested in VR technology into potential customers. Apple has demonstrated in the past that it can create consumer engagement and willingness to pay premium prices for its products, and it will need to replicate this success with the Vision Pro.
Summary
Apple’s entry into the Metaverse market with its Vision Pro headset promises to offer a more immersive experience with a combination of virtual and augmented reality. However, the high price point may hinder its mass adoption initially, with early adopters suggesting that the price needs to be around $700. Apple will need to establish a more compelling use case for the technology and convert existing iPhone users into potential customers to make the Vision Pro a game-changer for the Metaverse market.
Additional Piece
The Metaverse market is still in its early stages, and companies are trying to establish their positioning in this emerging space. While Meta has been the dominant player due to its early adoption and investment in VR, other tech giants such as Apple and Google are looking to disrupt the market with their unique offerings. With the entry of Apple’s Vision Pro headset, the Metaverse market is likely to become more competitive and dynamic, with innovation and product differentiation being key drivers of success.
One potential driver of success for the Metaverse market is the ability to create new forms of entertainment and social interaction. As consumers spend more time online, there is a growing demand for immersive and engaging experiences that allow them to connect with others in new and meaningful ways. The potential of the Metaverse to deliver such experiences is significant, and companies that can tap into this demand are likely to benefit from increased engagement and revenue.
Another key driver of success for the Metaverse market is the ability to deliver practical applications for businesses and industries. With the adoption of remote working and online collaboration tools, there is growing demand for virtual meeting spaces that can replicate the experience of face-to-face interaction. The Metaverse has the potential to deliver these experiences, and companies that can develop effective applications for this demand are likely to gain a competitive advantage in the market.
In conclusion, the Metaverse market is an exciting and rapidly evolving space, with the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with each other and the digital world. While the market is still in its early stages, the entry of Apple’s Vision Pro headset is likely to accelerate innovation and competition within the market. Companies that can tap into the demand for new forms of entertainment and meaningful social interaction, as well as practical applications for businesses and industries, are likely to benefit from the potential of the Metaverse market.
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Everyone knows two things about the metaverse: it’s very expensive and it’s crap.
Facebook’s all-in pivot to VR in November 2021 was mocked in every way, from his Martingale capital account strategy at his limb deficiency. Meta’s share price rally, up nearly 200% from its November 2021 low, was built on AI hype and found again cost discipline rather than its creation of a $10 billion a year digital wastelandwhich is only mentioned these days in the context of how distracting the management.
Meta’s problem with VR was that people didn’t really want to wear saggy diving masks. Even the people who thought they had actually didn’t: the company sold about 20 million Quest earphones but many, maybe most, collect dust. The hope may have been to create all-consuming immersive worlds, but VR’s only big hits so far are short-lived novelties like rhythm games AND dirt.
Now is Apple’s turn to play:
Apple unveiled its much-anticipated “mixed reality” headset on Monday, in the launch of its most anticipated hardware product since Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad in 2010.
The gadget, dubbed the Vision Pro, will be available “early next year.” Combine virtual reality with augmented reality, which overlays digital images onto the real world. Apple said it would sell for $3,499, even more than most analysts had expected and nearly 12 times the price of Meta’s Quest 2, the best-selling VR headset.
We won’t bore you with the differences between the Apple headset and the current Meta training; it’s mostly about whether full-frame augmented reality will be more immersive than sensory immersion, as Patrick McGee of the FT discuss here. Instead, we will try to address the most pressing question for shareholders: is anyone going to buy this thing?
Horizon Worlds is the frontier territory of Meta, a candy-colored realm of epilepsy sprites and warnings where the occasional dismembered torso levitates past. Anyone who voluntarily spends their time here is a hardcore VR user by definition.
Apple may have ambitions to bring VR to the mainstream, but if the iProduct is any better, it’s these early adopters who should be easier to win over.
To test opinion we visited Horizon Worlds on Tuesday when it was the busiest room The Soapstone Comedy Club with a population of 24
In the back room was a man with a Sheffield accent, playing acoustic guitar covers of Air and Chris Isaak, while a very drunk American man bellowed a nonstop stream of encouragement. On stage was a free-for-all gameshow where network issues hampered the flow of questions. In both cases, the users seemed to have their own things to do, so it was rude to interrupt with vox pop.
A soapstone nook looked more promising. A group of avatars sat in heavy silence, occasionally muttering advice while a man apparently tried to unmute. However, taking off the headset to write down the names was a mistake, as upon re-entering the room we found they had all vanished.
Eventually we were able to talk to Angelbay, a woman from Texas, who wasn’t very talkative. Can you hear me? “YES.” Have you seen the launch of Apple headphones? “YES.” What did you think? “I really don’t know.” You do not do it? “NO.” You’re drunk? “YES.”
Soon, male avatars surrounded Angelbay and turned the conversation to banal chatter with a bleak background. Our questions about technology adoption were ignored.
Jiople15, an Englishman living in Texas, was more talkative. He likes the look of Vision Pro, but he laughed at the idea of spending $3,500. How much is he willing to pay? “About $700.”
What do you hope will be improved compared to current technology? “It’s augmented reality, like lenses on the eyes, so it’s going to be better than tunnel vision with the Oculus. Those black borders make it look like a game. Already an Apple user? “Yes, my phone is an iPhone.” And how often do you use your Oculus right now? “About once a week.”
Apple’s pricing also surprised analysts. JP Morgan was expecting a $2k-$3k introductory price, but was won over by the “wealth of features.” No handheld controllers, high-end build quality, all-in features and an Apple look should be enough to support “modest” initial sales volumes of 100-200k, he told customers this morning.
Importantly, we expect the aforementioned highlights to combine and promote things like “presence,” an easy learning curve, and a feature-rich/comfortable device, addressing some of the major barriers of existing AR/VR headsets on the market that ad today they have limited consumer involvement in this category of devices. While the Vision Pro may not generate significant volume given its premium price point, it could be the potential catalyst for the AR/VR market as Apple has demonstrated in the past that consumer engagement can deliver the willingness to pay premium prices and Apple’s goal is clearly to hit a home run on consumer engagement versus volumes with the first device in what is sure to be a multi-year journey for the platform.
Morgan Stanley is more cautious, calling Vision Pro “a long-term story until a killer app is established”:
On the positive side, we believe Apple has demonstrated a vision for the role AR technology/spatial computing could play for consumers and commercial entities that has evolved from the more basic days of mobile AR/VR apps in the late 2010s. And in our view, the Vision Pro looked stylish/differentiated compared to the incumbents and performed with clear potential. However, on the downside, Apple’s vision still faces a handful of hurdles, meaning Vision Pro isn’t ready for mass consumption, including the lack of a “killer app”, technological challenges (nobody wants to bring a external battery) and a high price point which means that the Vision Pro will initially be primarily aimed at a more specialized TAM of professionals and professional consumers.
Back at Soapstone, GLO_420 was more succinct in his review. “Could be cool, I guess, but $3,500! Maddai. Tim Apple hahah—,” he said, then abruptly disappeared without so much as a punch.
https://www.ft.com/content/5a348bb9-3fc2-4a84-8f73-339b971d88e5
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