It's been more than a year since Apple released its Vision Pro headset to a lukewarm reaction among even the most hardcore Apple fans.
The VR headset offers incredible tech making it one of the best VR devices available, but its $3,500 price tag makes it difficult for many to justify buying one.
In April, Apple will release a slew of new features for the Vision Pro in the upcoming VisionOS 2.4 update including the incorporation of Apple Intelligence, as first reported last week.
VR is about to get more intelligent.
Apple Intelligence on Vision Pro will bring tools that users with an iPhone 15, iPhone 16, the upcoming iPhone SE 4, and Apple hardware that uses the company's M1 chips or better can already make use of. Writing Tools will let Vision Pro users proofread, rewrite, and summarize text; Image Playground generates images; and Genmojis, which can be created just by speaking a description to Apple Intelligence.
There's also Smart Reply so Vision Pro users can respond easily to texts and emails, as well as Memory Movie, which can create videos with storylines based on descriptions users type in and will consist of their own photos and clips using a similar theme.
A new app coming to Vision Pro with the VisionOS 2.4 update is Spatial Gallery. The app lets users look at spatial photos, videos, and panoramas curated by Apple. This includes photographs from Jonpaul Douglass and Samba Diop, Cirque du Soleil experiences, and behind-the-scenes moments from Apple shows such as Severance.
Another major feature coming to the Vision Pro is the Vision Pro app for iPhone. Not only will users be able to queue up apps and games for download to their headset, but they will also be able to set up guests to use the headset. Vision Pro owners can set up a Guest User by setting up what apps they can access and save the guest's eye and hand setup for 30 days from their last use.
Will these new features be enough for the Vision Pro?
The inclusion of Apple Intelligence with the Vision Pro is going to be a big help in selling the expensive VR headset. Apple struggled to sell the Vision Pro when it launched more than a year ago as the $3,500 price tag was a hard pill to swallow. The company understands the issue as it already has another Vision Pro headset in the works.
There is still a growing interest in VR with the market estimated to grow by $133 billion in the next four years, according to Technavio. Gaming is still the driver for VR, but Apple's Vision Pro headset was intended for professional users. With the incorporation of Apple Intelligence that could drive interest up as AI adoption continues to grow.
Apple Intelligence launched last year after the release of the iPhone 16, but it's still not fully "released." The AI is still limited, and Apple intends to have a full launch later this year. There was a plan to integrate the AI features into Siri in April, however, that launch window has reportedly been pushed back due to engineering challenges and bugs. The overhaul could be coming in May, or it might be unveiled at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, which typically takes place in June.
