Technologies

Why Apple Vision Pro’s $3,500 Price Makes More Sense Than You Think

Commentary: Apple’s first headset is too expensive for most people. But there are a few reasons why it isn’t so farfetched.

Apple announced its long-awaited Vision Pro mixed reality headset at its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, signaling its first major new product in almost a decade. The problem? You’ll have to pay $3,500 to try it.

That’s a lot (even for Apple), sparking a deluge of Twitter memes and a collective groan from the audience present at Apple’s conference.

Behind those jokes, there’s a valid point. At $3,500, Apple’s Vision Pro costs more than three weeks worth of pay for the average American, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. It’s also significantly more expensive than rival devices like the upcoming $500 Meta Quest 3, $550 Sony PlayStation VR 2 and even the $1,000 Meta Quest Pro.

It tops many other Apple products in terms of price too. Buying an iPhone 14 Pro Max, a 12.9-inch iPad Pro and an Apple Watch Ultra would still be cheaper than an Apple Vision Pro (although it comes fairly close.) Shipments of virtual and augmented reality headsets also plummeted in 2022, according to International Data Corporation statistics published in March, adding to the skepticism.

In an interview Tuesday with ABC News’ Good Morning America, Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged the headset’s price when asked if the average person would be able to afford it.

«I think people will make different choices depending upon their current financial situation,» he said.

To call Apple’s new headset expensive may be an understatement. But once you step back and look at the larger picture beyond the initial sticker shock, that eye-watering price starts to make a little sense.

Vision Pro’s price is comparable to a high-end Mac

Despite Vision Pro’s high price, it’s far from being the most expensive computer Apple sells. There’s another Apple computer that’s roughly double the price, the $6,999 Mac Pro, which just got its first major refresh since 2019 at WWDC on Monday. Apple’s modular desktop powerhouse is designed for professionals rather than everyday consumers, meaning it’s not intended for everyone.

mac pro device on a desk next to computer monitor — The new Mac Pro is $6,999.

Dan Ackerman/CNET

Even the MacBook Pro can get more expensive than most may realize once you configure it with high-end specifications. Like Vision Pro, a 16-inch MacBook Pro with Apple’s M2 Max processor, 32GB of unified memory and 1TB of storage will run you $3,499.

Years of research and development are also likely reflected in Vision Pro’s price. Since it’s an entirely different type of computer compared to the Mac, iPhone or iPad, Apple had to develop new technologies such as the R1 chip, which processes data from the headset’s 12 cameras, five sensors and six microphones. Mike Rockwell, vice president of Apple’s technology development group, even said during the WWDC keynote that the company filed over 5,000 patents during Vision Pro’s development. That effort certainly shows, according to CNET’s Scott Stein, who was impressed with the headset’s fidelity, video quality and interface.

«The engineering and depth of engineering in it is mind blowing,» Cook also said during the Good Morning America interview. «You’ve got more than a 4K experience in each eye. And, of course, it doesn’t come for free. It costs something to do that. «

That said, there’s a key difference that can make Vision Pro’s price more difficult to swallow compared with the MacBook Pro or Mac Pro. Both of those products are well established and have proven their usefulness to the creative professionals willing to pay for them. Vision Pro, however, is an entirely new product category that most people aren’t familiar with yet. It has yet to prove its value, and most people outside of Apple’s campus haven’t used it — except for select press that have gotten to try it in a demo controlled by Apple.

Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 is the same price as Vision Pro

microsoft-msft-hololens-2-1436-2 — Microsoft’s HoloLens 2

James Martin/CNET

Long before there was Vision Pro, there was Microsoft’s HoloLens, a head-mounted computer that also sought to change the way we work by overlaying digital graphics on top of the real world. The original HoloLens debuted in 2015 and the second version arrived in 2019 for $3,500 — the same price as Apple’s Vision Pro.

On one hand, that makes Vision Pro’s price more sensible. But there are some important differences between Apple’s new head-mounted computer and the HoloLens to consider. Take one look at Microsoft’s website for the HoloLens 2, and it’s clear the company sees this as an enterprise device more than a personal computer.

While the HoloLens may have initially been positioned as the next generation of computing, Microsoft is now primarily touting its usefulness in fields such as manufacturing, construction, health care, engineering and education. For companies and institutions, that makes purchasing a HoloLens 2 more like investing in a new piece of equipment rather than buying a new computer. Apple, however, seems to be targeting Vision Pro at everyday consumers that want a bigger canvas for working, watching movies and participating in FaceTime calls.

New tech gadgets usually get cheaper over time

apple vision pro headset on display at apple event — Apple’s Vision Pro headset

Scott Stein/CNET

First-generation technology products are typically expensive and limited compared with their successors. When the iPhone arrived in 2007, there was only one model and it started at $500, or roughly $749 in 2023 when adjusted for inflation. It included a paltry 4GB of storage, only one camera and just 15 apps. Even though Apple’s top-of-the-line iPhone 14 Pro will still cost $1,000 or more, Apple now sells several iPhones and different price ranges.

That includes the $429 iPhone SE, which has 16 times as much storage as the entry-level first iPhone, a significantly larger 4.7-inch screen compared to the original’s 3.5-inch display, a fingerprint reader and many other technologies that weren’t widely available back in 2007. And by 2023’s standards, the iPhone SE is about $320 cheaper than what Apple charged for the first iPhone.

Apple iPhone on display in 2007 — An original Apple iPhone on display during MacWorld in San Francisco, California, on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007.

Eric Slomanson/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A more direct comparison might be looking at the trajectory of virtual reality headsets. When the first Oculus Rift launched in 2016, it cost $599 and needed to be tethered to a powerful computer in order to work. But today’s Meta Quest 2 costs half the price at $300 and works wirelessly.

My point: Technology gets more affordable and more advanced over time. Don’t get me wrong, Vision Pro’s price will almost certainly prevent the current iteration of Apple’s headset from becoming as ubiquitous as the iPhone or Apple Watch.

However, that might not be the point — at least not right now. With Vision Pro, Apple is trying to establish what it believes will be the next major evolution of the personal computer. That’s a bigger goal than selling millions of units on launch day, and a shift like that doesn’t happen overnight, no matter what the price is. The version of Vision Pro that Apple launches next year likely isn’t the one that most people will buy.

Technologies

White House Joins TikTok With New Account. Here’s What It’s Posted So Far

An official White House account has shown up on TikTok, with one video featuring the caption: ‘We’re so back’.

The White House has officially joined TikTok, even as the administration is trying to help determine the future of the platform in the US.

So far, the TikTok account has four videos, a mix of videos of President Donald Trump speaking, footage of the White House itself over music and the caption: «We’re so back.» There’s also a video of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responding with hostility to a press conference question from a New York Times reporter, which is one way to set the tone early doors. As of this writing, the account had more than 123,000 followers so far.

The tagline for the account is: «Welcome to the Golden Age of America.»

After a move to ban TikTok in the US due to its Chinese ownership, the administration has delayed a shutdown as it seeks to help the company’s owner ByteDance, transfer ownership to a US company. There are expectations that new ownership could be announced as early as September as the company works on a US-only version of the TikTok mobile app.

Technologies

ROG Xbox Ally: Release Date, Specs, Price and How It Compares to Steam Deck

Can Microsoft and Asus give Valve some handheld competition?

The Steam Deck has yet to find a real competitor in the PC handheld gaming device battle. Other hardware companies, including Asus, Lenovo and MSI, have tried, but so far, their devices keep falling short. Asus plans to try to take another swipe at the crown, though, this time with the help of Microsoft.

In June, the two revealed their partnership for a new handheld device: the ROG Xbox Ally. This handheld will come in two variants and will attempt to bring the Xbox console experience to a portable device. Microsoft confirmed the release date for the Xbox Ally of Oct. 16 on Wednesday, but there are still some questions about the handheld.

Will the Xbox Ally outdo the Steam Deck, or will it wind up being just another wannabe?

How much will the Xbox Ally cost?

Neither Microsoft nor Asus has confirmed an official price yet. One thing for sure is that the Xbox Ally won’t be cheap.

Multiple leaks suggest the price will be 599 euros for the Xbox Ally and 899 euros for a higher-end version, the Xbox Ally X. That does leave the question of what the price will be in the US. Most likely, the price will be the same just in dollars, as that is the typical practice for gaming hardware prices.

Discount social media poster Wario64 tweeted Best Buy listings for the Xbox Ally, Xbox Ally X, charger dock, and case on Wednesday. There’s no pricing on the site for the devices, just a button to be notified when preorders become available. However, Wario64 states the pricing on the back end shows the Xbox Ally at $550 and the Xbox Ally X at $900, while the charging dock is listed on the site $100 and case for $70. The dock and case prices are on Best Buy and are accurate. It’s unclear if Microsoft changed plans at the last minute.

Best Buy has listed ROG Xbox Ally listings (no preorders yet)
Ally ($549.99) https://t.co/nmHw6Nxov3
Ally X ($899.99) https://t.co/Dts0GcUNFW
100W Charger Dock (HDMI 2.0, USB-A, USB-C) ($99.99) https://t.co/LkoKyunOE8
Case $69.99 https://t.co/jaTIBfWUXX
Confirming… pic.twitter.com/oalzcOON77

— Wario64 (@Wario64) August 20, 2025

Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the post.

The uncertainty about the price of the Xbox Ally is likely due to tariffs. Microsoft recently increased the prices of its Xbox Series consoles and Asus has done the same with its laptops and its current ROG Ally lineup.

When does the Xbox Ally come out?

Microsoft did confirm the release date of the Xbox Ally on Oct. 16. This date was mentioned in previous leaks regarding the handheld device’s price.

When can I preorder the Xbox Ally?

Preorders are not available as of yet. In the blog post about the release date, Microsoft says preordering and pricing will be announced sometime in the future. Best Buy does have the listings for the Xbox Ally, Xbox Ally X, charging dock and case, and those interested can request to be notified when preorders become available.

What’s the difference between the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X?

There are two versions of the Xbox Ally: the lower-priced Xbox Ally and the higher-priced Xbox Ally X.

The key differences between the two are in their processors, storage and memory. The Xbox Ally will have the AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor, while the Xbox Ally X will use the faster AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor. Memory will be different, with the lower-priced Xbox Ally having 16GB of LPDDR5X-6400 and the higher-cost handheld coming with 24GB LPDDR5X-8000. Both will come with SSD storage but the Xbox Ally will have 512GB and the Xbox Ally X will have 1TB. The Xbox Ally X will also come with a bigger battery but with a faster processor and more memory. It’s not clear if that difference in capacity translates to a longer battery life.

Specs for Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X

	ROG Xbox Ally	ROG Xbox Ally X
Operating System	Windows 11 Home	Windows 11 Home
Controls and grip	Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort. ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R Hall Effect analog triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-axis IMU	Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort, complete with impulse triggers for enhanced control.ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R impulse triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-axis IMU
Processor	AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor	AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor
Memory	16GB LPDDR5X-6400	24GB LPDDR5X-8000
Storage	512GB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade	1TB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade
Display	7-inch, 1080p, IPS, 500 nits, 16:9; 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium;Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection	7-inch, 1080p, IPS, 500 nits, 16:9; 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium;Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection
I/O Ports	2x USB-C (2 x DP 2.1, PD 3.0), 1x microSD, 1x analog audio	2x USB-C (1x USB4, 1x USB 3.2 both w/ DP 2.1, PD 3.0), 1x micro SD, 1x analog audio
Network and Communication	Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2), Bluetooth 5.4	Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2), Bluetooth 5.4
Dimensions	29.1×12.2×5.1 cm	29.1×12.2×5.1 cm
Weight	670g	715g
Battery	60Wh	80Wh
Included	ROG Xbox Ally 65W charger Stand	ROG Xbox Ally X 65W charger Stand

What makes the Xbox Ally different from the Steam Deck?

The most notable difference between the Xbox Ally and the Steam Deck is the operating system. Like the ROG Ally, the Xbox Ally will also use Windows 11, while the Steam Deck uses Valve’s SteamOS.

Even though every PC game works with Windows, handheld gaming devices running Windows have had serious issues, as the OS implementation has been a bit buggy. Portable consoles like the ROG Ally, MSI Claw and Lenovo Legion Go simply don’t run well with full Windows because the OS is designed for laptops and desktops and not handheld devices. SteamOS, however, is designed to run almost every game on Steam without issues and regardless of device size.

The Xbox Ally changes that by giving it an Xbox interface. This would be similar to how the Xbox app on PCs works for running games. It would also be able to download Xbox games directly to it, remote play them off a console or stream them via Xbox Cloud.

Another big difference is the hardware. The Steam Deck came out in 2022 and it was the first mass-produced handheld gaming device for PC. At the time, Valve had to use custom AMD processors but since then, AMD has produced more processors for handheld devices, which are now much more powerful in just a few years. The Xbox Ally would also have faster RAM. Both the improvement in processors and RAM should significantly increase the number of games the Xbox Ally can run versus the Steam Deck, which is already struggling to run newer games at 30fps.

Externally, the Xbox Ally will come with the same size 7-inch display but it will have a higher refresh rate of 120Hz, a brighter screen at 500 nits and increased resolution at 1080p. There will also be some slight differences in the physical size of the Xbox Ally, which will be a little bigger and heavier. Another difference from the Steam Deck is that the Xbox Ally controls will be more similar to the Xbox controller.

Microsoft and Asus have a large hill to climb if they plan to have the Xbox Ally dethrone the Steam Deck. It will be especially tough if Valve decides to announce the Steam Deck 2 soon.

Technologies

Sony Raises Prices of PlayStation 5 consoles

Starting Thursday, you can expect to pay more for a new PlayStation, thanks to «a challenging economic environment.»

Sony will increase the prices of its PlayStation 5 consoles in the US, starting Thursday, Aug. 21. This follows the trend of console manufacturers such as Microsoft and Nintendo raising prices for their hardware in response to tariffs.

The PlayStation-maker posted about the pricing on Wednesday. The jump in price is $50 more than the current price for each model.

The new prices are:

PlayStation 5: $500 to $550
PlayStation 5 Digital Edition: $450 to $500
PlayStation 5 Pro: $700 to $750

«Similar to many global businesses, we continue to navigate a challenging economic environment,» Sony said in a post about the price increase.

Back in March, Microsoft increased the price of the Xbox Series consoles back in May, and Nintendo hiked the original Switch console price and Switch 2 accessories earlier this month.

While the companies didn’t point to the tariffs instituted by President Donald Trump as the reason for the hardware price jump, it would explain the trend in recent months.