Low-cost ‘Apple Vision’ headset could drop see-through EyeSight feature

Apple is reportedly tasking engineers with working on a low-cost version of its upcoming mixed-reality Apple Vision Pro headset, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggesting that in an effort to lower costs, the more mainstream ‘Apple Vision’ headset could drop the see-through EyeSight feature coming to the Pro model.

EyeSight is a feature that is designed to detect when someone approaches a user wearing an Apple Vision Pro headset, at which from a user’s point of view it seamlessly toggles between showing visionOS content to displaying the individual before them, making the display of the headset feel transparent.

For the person approaching the Apple Vision Pro wearer, the headset’s display transforms into a clear window, offering them a view of the wearer’s eyes. This optical illusion makes it appear as if they are making direct eye contact with the wearer, even though, in reality, both parties are gazing at screens displaying each other, thanks to an interplay of software and an array of camera hardware.

In his weekly Power On newsletter, Gurman says Apple is aiming for prices ranging from the new headset from $1,500 to $2,500, compared to $3,499 for the upcoming Apple Vision Pro.

“In addition to developing the cheaper model, Apple is working on a second-generation version of the full-fledged Vision Pro,” says Gurman. “That headset will have all the bells and whistles but be smaller and lighter, making it more comfortable to wear.”