The Apple Vision Pro ecosystem is showing slow growth

Apple’s expensive Vision Pro augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) headset is not a magnet for developers.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that there has been a significant slowdown in app launches in the Vision Pro App Store. After launching hundreds of apps for the US$3,500 headset in its first two months on the market, it noted that the pace of new app intros has slowed. In September, for example, only 10 new apps debuted.

Citing numbers from analytics firm AppFigures, the Journal reported that the Vision Pro had about 1,770 apps available in the App Store, though only 34% of those apps were developed specifically for the Vision Pro. Most are versions of existing Apple apps with Vision Pro functionality.

The Journal notes that the Vision Pro app’s growth is much slower than that of other Apple products. About a year after the iPhone’s launch, it had 50,000 apps in the App Store, and the Apple Watch had 10,000 apps within five months of its launch.

However, the Journal acknowledged that the iPhone and Apple Watch cost less and have wider consumer appeal than the Vision Pro.

Developing apps for AR/VR headsets is more difficult. “Developing for Vision Pro meant moving away from 2D app design and into an immersive, 3D interactive environment. This is a new frontier, and porting existing apps is not a plug-and-play process,” explained Timothy Batesis a professor at the Michigan-Flint College of Innovation and Technology.

“Developers need to rethink user interfaces, user experience and how people interact with software in spatial computing. It’s a challenge, but it brings exciting possibilities if done right,” he told TechNewsWorld.

Horse and carriage problems

Bates emphasized that it has been challenging for Apple to draw on a large pool of developers. “This is common with new platforms, especially advanced ones like Vision Pro,” he explained.

“Developers are hesitant to invest heavily when there is a small initial user base, and they have to rethink traditional app design when developing for mixed reality,” he said. “The technology itself is sophisticated, but that means a steeper learning curve.”

“I think it’s having trouble attracting smaller developers who have limited budgets and need to have a market that’s ready to monetize, which I don’t believe Vision Pro provides,” added Anshel Saag, a senior analyst at Moore Insights and StrategiesA technology analyst and advisory firm based in Austin, Texas.

“What it provides for larger developers is familiarity with Apple’s spatial computing platform and the ability to optimize its data and workflows to be more cost-effective, lightweight and refined for future generations.”

Mark N. Vena, President and Chief Analyst SmartTech Research In Las Vegas, it has been maintained that developers aren’t throwing their weight behind the Vision Pro because sales are low. “The development community is hugely attracted to the Apple products that they have access to,” he told TechNewsWorld. “That’s certainly not true with Vision Pro.”

“With new hardware, there are always horse and cart issues,” added Rob Enderle, president and chief analyst. Enderle GroupBend, Ore. is an advisory services firm.

He told TechNewsWorld, “Developers don’t want to build programs unless there’s a large user base, and users don’t want to buy hardware until there’s an app they want to use. “To get that, usually companies have to fund the first set of apps, but Apple is really cheap and usually doesn’t do it well enough, which is again a problem in this instance.”

Will Apple fund Vision Pro developers?

Vena predicted that Apple could start funding developers to ensure apps with a winning value proposition, and that really shows these things, come to market.

“I can see them teaming up with some more high-profile developers to make sure those applications get to market,” he said. “I guess you’re going to see Apple doing things behind the scenes that they haven’t had to do with the iPhone and iPad.”

“There’s no doubt that Apple is playing the long game here,” added Jim SquiresAn XR and games consultant based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

“We’ll see both consumers and manufacturers engage more with Apple’s spatial computing efforts when the costs come down with future iterations,” he told TechNewsWorld, “but if Apple prepares a pipeline of usable software for that day Want, they should be stacking the deck now — and that means loudly and publicly funding more developers. Creating something like a Vision Pro Creator Fund to spark interest among XR developers would be a step in the right direction.”

Bates agreed. “Apple should absolutely invest in developers. They’ve done it before with new platforms, and Vision Pro is no different,” he said.

“By providing development grants or partnering with established AR/VR developers, Apple can give Vision Pro a much-needed boost,” he maintained. “If you want a thriving ecosystem, you have to make sure developers can take risks and innovate without worrying about the financial burden.”

Success depends on the ecosystem

Enderle claims that developer funding is usually a requirement for a device in this class to succeed. “Microsoft invested heavily in apps for Windows 95 and Xbox, and both were successful,” he said.

But Sagg doesn’t believe Apple is ready to open its coffers to developers. “It should fund developers, but it won’t because it believes it has the most premium platform and the most captive customers are willing to spend.”

“I think Apple should have given some seed funding to smaller developers before launching the headset, but at this point, it’s decided to let market dynamics work their magic,” he added.

Another way to encourage developers to create apps for Vision Pro is to open up the system, claims Jitesh Ubrani, a research manager. IDCA global market research firm. “Apple should adopt more open standards like OpenXR and WebXR that simplify development across platforms and enable developers access to the most headsets.”

“This could make headsets more affordable because there are a limited number of users worldwide willing and able to spend $3,500 on any device, let alone one like a mixed reality headset,” he added.

Bates noted that Vision Pro has immense potential, but its success depends on the ecosystem around it. “Apple needs to make sure developers feel incentivized to create groundbreaking apps that truly showcase the device’s capabilities,” he said. “It’s also essential to manage expectations – this is a forward-thinking product that will take time to mature, both in terms of hardware and software support.”

“Apple is taking a bold step into the future with Vision Pro,” he added, “but they need to nurture the developer ecosystem and possibly roll out more accessible versions for widespread adoption.”