Apple’s Vision Pro Faces App Drought as Developers Look the Other Way
While Apple’s logo may have a bite taken out, it’s the Vision Pro that’s taking a hit. The tech goliath’s ambitious foray into mixed reality is still facing an unexpected hurdle: an absence of “killer apps.” Despite its cutting-edge technology, the headset is struggling to attract significant software developers and sales, which could threaten its $3.5K price tag.
- Developers released only ten Vision Pro apps in September, bringing the total to 1.77K — tens of thousands fewer than the breakout first years of the iPhone and Apple Watch.
- With ~3.5K apps and a $299 price tag, Meta’s Quest leads the market with a 74% share — even funding developers and acquiring app makers, an industry practice not employed by Apple.
The chicken-or-egg dilemma: Apple’s premium positioning may have backfired as developers await a cheaper, mass-market version of the Vision Pro. Still, buyers are reluctant to splurge without standout apps, leading to a 75% drop in quarterly sales — further dissuading developers. “We’re waiting until we see a better trajectory and when the next device comes out,” says a VR developer CEO. For now, Apple’s mixed reality dreams appear more mixed than reality.
