What you should know
- Despite a complex pre-order process, Apple‘s Vision Pro VR headset has generated significant interest, with estimates suggesting between 160,000 and 180,000 units were sold over the first pre-order weekend.
- These figures are estimates and don’t represent any real facts as companies rarely release any proper numbers. Even if they did, there would be nothing to compare them against.
- In comparison, Meta reportedly had over 6 million monthly active users in its Quest ecosystem as of October 2022, with 1.2 million speculated to be specifically using a Quest 2.
- The Vision Pro is not aiming to compete directly with the Quest 2 or Quest 3, and its success will ultimately be determined by public opinion and time.
Full Story
Listen, I get it. The Vision Pro isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. With a device as futuristic as this, it’s not surprising that some folks don’t see the point. Yet, it’s only a matter of time before they catch on. Apple’s headset is on track to be one of the top VR headsets of 2024. But do the stats back this up?
Last week, Apple launched online pre-orders for the Vision Pro. The process was a bit complicated, but that didn’t stop the masses. A good number of people showed interest and reserved a unit. But how many exactly? Rumors were flying around that the Vision Pro was intentionally understocked, with only a few tens of thousands of units ready to ship. So, do we have any evidence to support these claims?
Nope. But we do have some guesstimates from industry insiders. It’s better than nothing, right?
Now, you know how tech gadgets come with tons of paperwork that no one bothers to read? Well, here’s our version of that: a mandatory disclaimer that these are just estimates. They’re not hard facts. “Why should we care then?” you might wonder. Well, because companies rarely release actual numbers, so we’re stuck with these guesstimates. Even if one company did spill the beans, we’d have nothing to compare it to. So, we’re left taking things at face value.
The Vision Pro might have sold between 160,000 and 180,000 units over the weekend, starting from when pre-orders went live on January 19. Is that good or bad? Well, it’s a start. How solid of a start? We can’t really say.
But here’s an interesting tidbit. Back in October 2022, Meta reportedly had over 6 million monthly active users in its Quest ecosystem. Around 1.2 million of those were speculated to be using a Quest 2. Ah, the wonders of science.
Fast forward to now, and the Quest 3 is out and gaining on the Quest 2’s popularity. The older sibling has become an affordable VR kit. So, it’s safe to assume those numbers have probably increased. This means the Vision Pro has some serious catching up to do in the VR world.
But here’s the thing: the Vision Pro isn’t trying to be a Quest 2 or 3 clone. It’s charting its own path. So, is this spatial computer worth your time and money? Only time and public opinion will tell.
