According to Ars Technica, Apple’s Vision Pro recently received a hardware refresh featuring the new M5 chip, a redesigned Dual Knit Band for improved comfort, and modest battery life increases of 30-60 minutes. The update also includes a 10% larger field of view and 120Hz passthrough video capability. Despite these improvements, the platform continues to struggle with limited developer support and sparse content offerings nearly two years after its early 2024 launch. Many popular apps like Netflix and YouTube remain unavailable as native visionOS applications, forcing users to rely on iPad app versions or web browsers. Even among dedicated Vision Pro owners in enthusiast communities, usage has declined significantly as the novelty wore off.
The hardware is better, but that’s not the problem
Here’s the thing about the Vision Pro refresh: the hardware was never really the issue in the first place. Sure, the new headband makes it more comfortable for people who found the original unbearable. And the M5 chip brings better graphics performance and efficiency. But these are incremental improvements at best.
I mean, think about it. The original Vision Pro already had fantastic displays and impressive technology. The problem wasn’t that it needed to be slightly faster or marginally more comfortable. The problem was that people stopped using it because there wasn’t enough compelling content or killer apps to justify wearing a computer on your face. Better hardware doesn’t solve that fundamental issue.
The content situation remains dire
When Apple first launched the Vision Pro, I expected regular releases of immersive content that would showcase what spatial computing could do. Instead, we got months-long gaps between Apple’s own Immersive Videos. That’s just embarrassing for a company with Apple’s resources.
Now, to be fair, the content that does exist is absolutely stunning. The Spatial Gallery that Apple added is actually pretty cool – it’s like TikTok for immersive media. And there are some genuinely inventive productions, like that Bono film that does things with spatial video I’d never imagined. But here’s the question: is anyone actually buying a $3,500 headset to watch Bono talk about himself in 3D? Probably not.
Where are the native apps?
This is where things get really frustrating. Nearly two years after launch, we’re still waiting for most major developers to create true visionOS applications. Instead, we’re stuck running iPad apps in virtual windows. Basically, we’re using a spatial computer to run flat applications. That’s like buying a sports car to drive in a school zone.
Look at the productivity apps I actually use: Firefox, Todoist, Obsidian, Slack. None of them have native visionOS versions. Even Apple’s own Maps app is just the iPad version! And don’t get me started on the streaming situation – no Netflix, no YouTube native apps. You have to watch Netflix in a browser, which looks terrible on those beautiful virtual displays. It’s 2025, and we’re dealing with this?
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Is this the beginning of the end?
The most concerning part? All the rumors suggest Apple is already shifting resources toward smart glasses instead of doubling down on the Vision Pro. And smart glasses are a completely different product category. They’re not spatial computers – they’re more like wearable displays.
So what we’re seeing with this M5 refresh feels like maintenance mode rather than a platform reinvention. Apple’s putting in the minimum effort to keep the Vision Pro ticking over while they work on the next thing. But that approach rarely works in the tech world. Platforms either gain momentum or they die.
I wanted the Vision Pro to succeed. The technology is incredible. But technology alone doesn’t create a successful platform. You need developers, you need content, you need reasons for people to keep using the device. And right now, the Vision Pro just doesn’t have enough of those reasons.
