Apple has reportedly reduced Vision Pro headset production after the device failed to meet initial sales expectations. Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower found that Apple cut its marketing spend for Vision Pro by more than 95% in 2024. Though the headsets retail for at least £3,199 each, IDC estimates Apple shipped only 45,000 units in Q4 of last year. Production by Luxshare in China was halted in early 2025, and Apple has restricted direct sales to just 13 countries, underscoring the device’s limited market traction.

Apple’s Vision Pro enters a virtual-reality market dominated by lower-cost alternatives. Meta’s Quest headsets, priced around £419 each, command approximately 80% of the market, according to Counterpoint Research, which has forecast a 14% annual decline in VR headset sales. Enthusiasts cite the Vision Pro’s weight, comfort issues and lack of native apps—just 3,000 titles compared with tens of thousands on smartphones—as factors curbing consumer adoption, drawing parallels to the commercial struggles of Google Glass in 2013.

Reports indicate Apple has paused further iterations of Vision Pro to prioritize AI-enabled wearables. The company is developing a lower-cost headset expected later this year and has delayed its next-generation virtual-reality platform in favor of devices leveraging on-board artificial intelligence. This strategic pivot aligns with broader industry trends: Meta confirmed it is reallocating metaverse investment toward AI glasses, while analysts view Apple’s move as an effort to blend its hardware expertise with growing AI demand.