Apple's Reality Pro VR headset might not cost the eye-watering sum we thought

Apple Reality Pro concept in yellow
(Image credit: ahmadcheni31)

Today's the day, Apple is finally expected to announce the Reality Pro AR/VR headset during an event that will be streamed live in just a few hours' time. That event will kick off WWDC 2023, and it's going to be a big one. It might also have a surprise up its sleeve, too.

The Reality Pro headset has been rumored for years now and while we've been treated to some expected specifications here and there, the one thing that many people latched on to was the expected price — we'd been told to expect Reality Pro to cost upwards of $3,000. Now, a new report suggests that might not be the case after all.

However, while the Reality Pro Headset price tag might now reach such heights as $3,000, it still won't be cheap. But will it be cheap enough to get people to buy it?

So many dollars

If $3,000 was too expensive, how does around $2,000 sound? Or $1,999 to be exact.

That's how much Korean blog Naver (and the user yeix1123) claims that the headset will cost. It remains to be seen how accurate that is, and we'd have to urge caution before anyone gets their hopes too high. The source, spotted by MacRumors, isn't confirmed of course, and with $3,000 having been the price we've expected for so long now it would be a surprise if this 33% lower price turns out to be accurate.

That's especially true when you consider the technology that is expected to be at play here. Two 4K displays will power the headset's visuals while Mac-level Apple silicon will be tasked with running the apps and games. Multiple cameras are also part of the equation, reports claim, including some that will be used to project the outside world onto those displays for advanced augmented reality features.

Alongside the new headset, we're expecting Apple to announce what will become the best Mac for a lot of people — the first 15-inch MacBook Air. An updated Mac Studio could also debut, while new software updates for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV are a given at this point.

Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.

  • gian posatiere
    Turns out it was the opposite. It is 25% more expensive than the rumor. An eye watering $3,500.
    Reply