Is Apple Vision Pro an AR Headset or a VR Headset?

The Apple Vision Pro headset is impressive, but Apple hasn't been especially clear about exactly what kind of headset it is.

Apple has finally unveiled the Vision Pro, a $3,499 spatial computing headset arriving early next year. This $3,499 device is expected to launch in the first half of next year, and since that's no small amount of money, it matters to know exactly what you're getting for it.

Of course, we'll run our own tests and reviews once we get our hands on the Vision Pro, but in the meantime there's one big question: is it an augmented reality (AR) headset or a virtual reality (VR) headset? Apple hasn't said. So we've broken down everything we know to get to the bottom of it.

1. It's a VR Headset, But...

The Apple Vision Pro is, without question, a VR headset. It's an opaque (from the wearer's perspective) head-up display that completely covers and takes over the user's field of view. That's traditionally where the line between VR and AR has been drawn.

Promotional materials show the Apple Vision Pro being used alongside apps projected around a physical space, and the EyeSight feature makes the display appear transparent when people are nearby. In practice, though, it isn't actually transparent to the user — your entire field of view is still determined by the OLED screens.

In terms of design, the Apple Vision Pro resembles the Meta Quest Pro: color cameras and on-board spatial processing let it project apps and experiences onto a representation of the real world.

Even so, unlike HoloLens, Magic Leap, or Google Glass, it doesn't actually overlay that information transparently, so it has to be called a VR headset. Because its hardware DNA is rooted in VR technology, it's never truly an AR headset.

2. Functions Like an AR Headset

The Vision Pro's spatial computing capabilities are at the core of the headset's AR functionality. Its interface is built around the things around you: it visually recreates your surroundings inside the headset and layers its own UI, apps, and content on top. Because it can project a screen across your entire field of view, you can use multiple virtual monitors at once alongside a physical keyboard and mouse. You can even place 3D-rendered images virtually on your real desk.

But it can also completely take over your field of view and immerse you in a fully virtual environment — apps, games, movies. That's VR. Yet most of the footage Apple showed at its unveiling highlighted the AR side of the Vision Pro.

Conceptually, the Vision Pro is an AR headset, but how effective that AR experience actually is will depend on how good its outward-facing cameras are. The Meta Quest Pro has similar AR capabilities, and its color passthrough view improves the experience significantly, but it still isn't sharp enough to truly represent the real physical environment.

That said, the Vision Pro's 12 cameras look to be extremely capable. Of course, we'll reserve final judgment until we've actually tried the headset for ourselves.

3. I Prefer Mixed Reality

Mixed reality (MR) is a vague term Microsoft tried to popularize with third-party Windows headsets, though those headsets still ran essentially as VR. But mixed reality — also called extended reality, or XR — has become a catch-all term describing any technology that sits somewhere between AR and VR.

If Apple shares more information about the Vision Pro's capabilities, it may become clearer exactly what the device is, so be sure to check back as we update this article. For now, we're calling the Vision Pro a VR headset with extensive AR capabilities — in other words, an XR headset.