Apple will open pre-orders for the Vision Pro mixed reality headset tomorrow. TrendForce analysts found that if the demand for the device is high enough, the delivery volume in 2024 could reach 500-600 thousand headsets. The company will no longer have enough components.

After the announcement of Vision Pro, the term “spatial computing” has become one of the fashionable technological trends; This means the possibility of interacting with virtual objects as naturally as real objects. Apple has once again confirmed its status as the legislator of technological fashion. The biggest deterrents to the Vision Pro’s popularity are its battery life, limited range of apps, and high price.

The device can be powered from the mains or from a portable battery. There aren’t many games available for the Vision Pro yet, so most users will be fine with a mains connection. But even with a portable battery, the headset can work for about two hours, which is comparable to the capabilities of other popular VR systems. Apple offered funds to developers to create programs, including adapting existing software to the interface of virtual platforms. There is also a UEVR tool that allows you to port games from Unreal Engine 4 and 5 to virtual reality formats. Considering the increasing number of applications and consumers’ loyalty to the Apple brand, the Vision Pro headset will be able to find a response in the market even with its price tag of $ 3,500. Consumer interest will increase if the company offers a budget version of the device.

In case of commercial success, the biggest problem of Apple Vision Pro is the limited production volume of the headset, the key component of which turns out to be Micro OLED displays. They’re built on the basis of TSMC and Sony elements with a decent product yield of only 50% – so a pair of Micro OLED panels costs $700, and Sony will actually only be able to produce around 1 million units this year. That’s why diversifying suppliers has become a priority for Apple. Together with Sony, the possibility of a partnership with SeeYA, the Chinese giant of the Micro OLED industry, is being explored, which has the opportunity to become an additional supplier as early as the third quarter of 2024.