Apple is reportedly considering offering a second strap for its Vision Pro headset as an optional additional purchase instead of including it in the box.
Some journalists and people who have tested the Vision Pro prototypes have apparently complained that the device’s metal frame felt too heavy after a couple of hours of continuous use. To counter the weight problem, Apple has created a second Velcro strap that goes over the user’s head, used on Vision Pro prototypes.
Is the Vision Pro heavy on your face?
The Vision Pro uses a light seal that blocks out stray light. It connects magnetically to the device’s metal frame and flexes to conform to the user’s face. The soft band at the back of the user’s head is available in multiple sizes and connects to the headset via a pair of flexible straps on each side that integrate speakers.
Despite Apple’s flexible design, people like Engadget‘s Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar have felt that the Vision Pro headset placed a bit of pressure against their eyes and nose area when tightened with a rear dial.
“The prototype unit also has a Velcro strap that goes over your head, just like the Meta Quest,” Hardawar reported. “The company tells me that the headset’s modular design supports additional straps if necessary.”
Apple might sell Vision Pro’s second strap separately
And now, Bloomberg‘s Mark German claims that Apple is considering selling a second strap as an extra purchase in addition to the $3500 headset itself.
With more people testing the headset, its shortcomings are coming under greater scrutiny. Many users are finding that the metal-framed device feels too heavy after a couple hours of continuous use. Some also say they’ve experienced motion sickness, but on a more minor scale than competing headsets.
And:
To address the weight issue, Apple has developed a second strap that goes over a wearer’s head. But the company is considering selling that strap as an extra accessory rather than including it in the box.
Gurman also reiterated analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s claims that second-generation versions of the Vision Pro are already in the works, with both a more powerful high-end variant and a more affordable low-end version being developed.
Why not offer a second strap for free?
The Vision Pro uses a light seal that blocks out stray light. It connects magnetically to the device’s metal frame and flexes to conform to the user’s face. The soft band at the back of the user’s head is available in multiple sizes and connects to the headset via a flexible strap on each side that integrates speakers.
Apple hasn’t talked about this strap during the Vision Pro unveiling. It’s also not mentioned on the Vision Pro page or in the Vision Pro press release, meaning this isn’t something Apple originally intended to ship when the headset launches sometime in early 2025. But with the device now officially unveiled and tried by journalists, Apple can gather valuable real-world feedback.
If testers have found Apple’s spatial computer too heavy to wear on their face for a few hours, the company would be wise to include a solution to this problem in the box rather than sell it as an extra accessory. If I burn $3500 on an AR/VR headset, I want everything I need to be included in the box for a comfortable experience.