You know Apple’s Vision Pro is expensive. But did you think about the cost of apps? If you were expecting iPhone App Store prices for Apple’s mixed reality apps, you could be in for an expensive disappointment. A new report suggests that the development costs and risks of making apps for Apple’s AR/VR headset could make them considerably more expensive than mobile apps, with prices closer to desktop apps or PS5 games.
That’s according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, whose latest newsletter says that “the pricey and niche nature of the device means that developers may not quickly flock to it”. Gurman expects three-tier app market for the device: the first tier will be unaltered iPhone and iPad apps that run in Vision Pro much like they do on M-series Macs; the second will be converted iPad apps given a visionOS skin; and the third will be brand new apps made specifically for the headset.
