Apple has reportedly reduced the size of its Vision Products Group, with a new report claiming the company has laid off staff from teams working on virtual reality as it shifts more attention toward future smart glasses.
According to AppleInsider, at least 60 employees connected to Apple’s VR team, Apple Vision Group, and related positions have been laid off. The report claims an entire team focused on VR development has been affected, although Apple is not believed to have disbanded its broader Vision Products Group entirely.
The move suggests Apple may be slowing development of traditional headset-style products following the launch of Apple Vision Pro, which introduced visionOS but has struggled to become a mainstream consumer device because of its high price, weight, and limited app support.
Apple Vision Pro launched as one of Apple’s most ambitious new products in years, but its premium positioning has kept it out of reach for many customers. Apple has also recently increased prices across several products, including Vision Pro, making the headset even more expensive at a time when the wider market appears to be moving toward lighter wearable devices.
The report claims Apple’s current priority is shifting toward smart glasses and Siri AI, rather than continuing to heavily invest in a VR headset category that remains difficult to scale with current technology.
That does not mean Apple Vision Pro is dead. Apple continues to develop visionOS, and the company is still expected to work on future versions of its spatial computing platform. However, the reported layoffs suggest Apple may be rethinking how quickly it can turn Vision Pro into a broader product line.
Apple has long been rumored to be working toward a pair of lightweight AR glasses, often referred to as Apple Glass. Such a product would likely be far more appealing to mainstream users than a full headset, but the technology needed to make thin, lightweight, powerful smart glasses remains challenging and expensive.
The reported restructuring also comes as John Ternus prepares to take over as Apple CEO. Previous reports have suggested Ternus is less enthusiastic about continuing to push Vision Pro in its current form and may instead favor a longer-term strategy built around smart glasses, artificial intelligence, and more practical wearable technology.
Apple has not commented on the reported layoffs, and it remains unclear how the changes will affect future Vision hardware releases.