Apple’s Vision Pro is very much the talk of the town right now thanks to a launch that got everyone’s attention during WWDC on June 5. And now, three weeks later, we’re still discussing it.
And we aren’t the only ones, it seems. Palmer Luckey also has some thoughts, as well he should. He’s the man that founded Oculus, the AR/VR headset company that was later bought by Meta and now forms the basis for its Metaverse. And according to him, Apple did “basically everything right” with Vision Pro.
And yes, that even extends to two of the most controversial aspects of Apple’s headset; the external battery and its price.
The right thing to do
Luckey was speaking on a podcast with entrepreneur Peter H. Diamandis when discussions inevitably turned to Apple’s Vision Pro headset. According to him, Apple got all the big decisions right including the price.
It’s Luckey’s belief that AR/VR headsets “must become something that everybody wants” before they can become affordable, and that’s the approach that Apple has taken with a $3,499 starting price.
Luckey went on to discuss another controversial aspect of the Vision Pro’s launch in the shape of its external battery pack. It’s something that Luckey says was “the right way to do things” and that he actually wanted to do the same at Oculus. That never happened, but his reasoning does make sense — it’s all about weight.
Batteries are of course heavy, and Luckey says that moving that weight off of the user’s head is the best way to approach things for obvious reasons. But by getting people used to an external component Apple is setting expectations. And those expectations could ultimately make Apple Glasses a reality.
Apple’s decision was made so that it can add more radios and processing power to the “puck” in future revisions, moving heat and weight away from the headset itself. It would also allow Apple to make a headset that’s thinner, smaller, and lighter than any other — possibly even just a pair of glasses rather than the ski goggle-like design we’re accustomed to.
You can watch the full interview in the video above and it’s well worth checking out while you wait for Vision Pro to arrive. Apple says it’ll go on sale in the first half of 2024, so you’ve still got time to save up.
Speaking of saving, be sure to check out our collection of the best Apple Prime Day deals before ordering your next iPhone, iPad, Mac, or other Apple product. Everything you save today can go towards that $3,499 Vision Pro after all.