After a year of use, it remains clear that the Apple Vision Pro benefits from the power of M5, even if not much else changed. Apple's work is far from over.

I'm writing this review with ten Safari tabs open in a carousel, Drafts below, Music in a mini player on my right, and various social apps behind me. The Apple Vision Pro with M5 isn't showing signs of strain, and that's even with visionOS 27 running as I write some portions of this review.

It shouldn't be. It's M5 after all.

Anyway. The Apple Vision Pro is a complicated device to discuss.

It still feels magical every time I put it on, but the software other than the OS is nearly identical to where it was one or even two years ago.

Apple Vision Pro continues to be an amazing piece of technology three years after its reveal during WWDC 2023, and one year into M5, everything feels new again.

Apple Vision Pro M5 review: where we are today

Neglect from developers and Apple itself has left Apple Vision Pro in a software quagmire. Since my previous review, Apple Creator Studio came and went with no apps for Apple Vision Pro, no iPad-compatible apps offered by Apple have become native, and the only new app is the Siri AI app introduced with visionOS 27.

Apple Vision Pro resting beside a colorful computer keyboard on a desk, softly lit by sunlight, with a blurred background suggesting a modern workspace

Apple Vision Pro review: still a great productivity tool

Layoffs have impacted Apple Vision Pro's gaming and immersive video teams, and there are no signs of release pacing for either product increasing. It's all on external studios and developers to keep pushing out Vision Pro-specific content, and there's just no money in it.

To top it all off, the Apple Vision Pro is now even more expensive at $3,699 thanks to AI-driven RAM shortages.

To any outside observer reading those preceding paragraphs, things look bleak for Apple Vision Pro. Matters are even more dire when you account for the fact that new Apple CEO John Ternus is allegedly not a fan of the product.

Close-up of a gray ribbed fabric head strap on Apple Vision Pro, featuring a round adjustment dial and blurred electronic components glowing faintly in the background

Apple Vision Pro review: the Dual Knit band might be enough to help some people be comfortable

All that said, I don't think Apple has given up on the Apple Vision Pro just yet. It's still selling in some limited fashion, the users that love it do love it a lot, and new apps are being built, if slowly.

This review might look a little different from my other Apple Vision Pro reviews. So much ink has already been spilled on these subjects, and given the stagnant nature of the platform, there isn't much to add. Unfortunately.

So, one year after the Apple Vision Pro M5 release, let's get into the state of it in late 2026.

Apple Vision Pro M5 review: the good

We've already highlighted the state of the platform from a wider corporate view, many times, so let's get into the hardware itself. As it stands in late 2026, my opinion hasn't wavered — Apple Vision Pro is unmatched.

Two sleek black-and-silver VR or AR headsets with reflective curved visors and white straps, resting against each other on a dark background

Apple Vision Pro review: no competing headset comes close

But wait, I just spent several paragraphs basically spelling out the epitaph of Apple's expensive headset. Sure, that is a reality we have to face for the platform today, but none of that affects how Apple Vision Pro works or feels.

Apple Vision Pro has been an accomplishment in the market, and you can tell just by looking at the competition. Android XR, Meta Quest, and others have pursued visionOS-like layouts, gestures, and features since Apple's headset hit the market.

None of them come close to the fidelity provided by Apple Vision Pro. They're all pursuing it on lesser hardware, and some come close, but they can't quite get there without significantly increasing the price of the hardware itself.

Some have suggested that this means Apple should have made a headset with lower specs and a lower price tag. However, this ignores the fact that the headset market itself is quite limited as it is, and another in the competing sub $1,000 price bracket would be virtually ignored.

The M5 version didn't change much. It swapped out the M2 for the M5 and introduced the new Dual Knit band.

The M5 is noticeably more powerful given it can drive the full resolution of the included displays at a higher refresh rate. Widgets aren't left in a blank state as you turn your head as often, and apps don't crash in the background either.

Still heavy, but the right bands help

The Dual Knit band helps make the weight of the Apple Vision Pro mostly ignorable for me. I can wear it for hours at a time without needing a break for neck fatigue, though my eyes do need a rest from time to time like with any display.

Close-up of an Apple Vision Pro with an adjustable padded strap and a large round dial on the side, resting against a dark blurred background

Apple Vision Pro review: if Apple's bands don't work, try a third-party option

I never had an issue with the Solo Knit band and didn't like the Dual Loop band for the original Apple Vision Pro. I've tested the ResMed and CMA1 alternative bands, and each offered their own ways to manage the Apple Vision Pro's weight.

Counterweights only increased the total weight load on your head and neck, and alternative pads helped with weight distribution, but never felt overly premium. They helped some folks find a good fit, but they never worked for me.

The Dual Knit band ended up being the perfect solution. It has such a wide surface area that I'm almost wearing a helmet. The top strap keeps the Apple Vision Pro basically suspended above my nose while the rear band keeps the pressure distributed around my temples.

Of course, everyone's fit and comfort will be different. You'll have to find what works for you.

Thankfully, the software needed to do my job has been there since the start. I write in Drafts, I research and publish in Safari, and I use Indigo and Tapestry for watching for new stories.

visionOS view with three curved floating tabs from Safari displaying dark-themed websites and apps, set against a snowy mountain landscape background under a dim, twilight sky

Apple Vision Pro review: a new Safari tab view in visionOS 27

I do wish more of these apps were native Apple Vision Pro ones, but the iPad-compatible versions are good enough. Placing the windows and widgets around my office still feels fun and whimsical in a way even iPad can't match.

The Apple Vision Pro continues to be the best place to view almost any kind of media. It elevates simple still photos, adds depth to panoramas, and makes every video into a movie theater.

My collection of 3D movies in the Apple TV keeps growing, and Apple Immersive Video gets new content from time to time. Apple's work in the sports industry has even brought some interesting features to life, like watching an NBA or MLB game live in immersive.

I guess Apple Vision Pro might be the only place outside of theaters to watch The Odyssey in the glorious IMAX format. It would be a waste if Apple doesn't find a way to make it happen.

Virtual sports streaming interface floating over a snowy mountain landscape, featuring a baseball game between Red Sox and Yankees, with bright stadium lights and smaller entertainment thumbnails along the bottom

Apple Vision Pro review: watching MLB games in immersive format is amazing

Of course, I mean this should be present in the Apple TV app as a version purchasable from the Apple TV Store. There is an IMAX app on Apple Vision Pro, but it's essentially dead, and I'd prefer not have a purchased movie siloed there anyway.

It's easy to look at the snail's pace progress of Apple Vision Pro and get frustrated. It's an expensive piece of hardware that's seen very little budge in the past few years.

However, as Tim Cook said, Apple knew Vision Pro would be for a niche audience that wanted to glimpse the future of computing. No one knows Apple's success targets for the platform or what things look like as it moves forward.

Apple is a weird company inside and out. It doesn't operate like other companies, so trying to apply the same logic to Apple that you might other companies doesn't always work.

Apple Vision Pro might be on its way out for all we know, but there are enough signs to suggest otherwise. It's quite possibly the worst the platform will ever be, and that's saying something considering how great it is today.

Apple Vision Pro M5 review: the bad

As good as the hardware is, I can't ignore the state of things in software. This isn't a review of visionOS, you've already got that from me this year.

When I say software, I mean the app ecosystem. Imagine if iPad didn't get a notable new app in a year. That is essentially where we are with Apple Vision Pro, minus some vibecoded software that mostly needs to be sideloaded.

Don't get me wrong, there are new apps for Apple Vision Pro, and some even appear interesting. Some of the very few new games are interesting, but none capture my attention long.

Lack of a gaming narrative

Gaming on Apple Vision Pro is precisely where I left it a year ago. Thrasher got a remastered update with PSVR2 support and better visuals, but that's the only one that seems to have done such an update.

Apple Vision Pro and game controller resting on a wooden table, with charging cable attached and other small electronic devices scattered in the background

Apple Vision Pro review: gaming has barely budged in a year

Most of the games on my Apple Vision Pro have no update history or updates from two years ago. The few that do show recent updates within a few months are bug fixes or basic changes.

Apple Arcade might be the only place gaming actually exists on Apple Vision Pro, and given the layoffs, that may soon stop. Developers will have to bring games to Apple Vision Pro on their own, and I don't see an incentive to do so.

The other side of this is game streaming. Whether it's via NVIDIA GeForce Now or a custom-built PC, streaming VR to Apple Vision Pro is one of the best ways on the market to interact with that content.

Apple Vision PRo with a reflective front visor and padded adjustable strap, resting on a PlayStation 5 Pro in soft indoor lighting

Apple Vision Pro review: a great gaming companion even without many games on the platform

Sure, Apple Vision Pro is heavy, but for flight simulators like X-Plane 12, it's perfect for immersion. Developers can even develop special controllers that remain visible when fully immersed and track to game environments.

Those with an expensive iRacing rig can also take advantage of the high resolution and frame rates offered by Apple Vision Pro. iVRY is another option for those that already have a VR gaming library on a capable Windows gaming PC.

Productivity apps are few and far between

The app situation isn't much better. I browse the Apple Vision Pro App Store from time to time to find very little has changed.

Floating circular app icons arranged in a horizontal row against a dim outdoor lakeside scene, combining a virtual reality style interface with natural rocks, water, and dark trees in the background

Apple Vision Pro review: productivity apps haven't budged in a year

Apple's editors almost never write new "Today" stories or roundups. Very few apps are for productivity, instead several focus on single-use experiences like viewing objects in space.

It's not that those kinds of apps aren't welcome, but they hardly help make Apple Vision Pro more viable as a platform. What's worse is Apple's total absence from the story.

I still can't edit photos on Apple Vision Pro without a third-party app or Mac Virtual Display. While I love that I can bring my Mac into the virtual view, it's more of an escape hatch than anything.

Virtual reality workspace showing multiple floating screens with text and media against a dim, bluish environment, including a central reading panel and surrounding dark interface elements

Apple Vision Pro review: Siri AI is useful but not a productivity suite

There are also some odd decisions in Apple Vision Pro I still don't understand. Find My doesn't exist in any form, locking windows doesn't matter if you accidentally invoke the app elsewhere, and keyboards still disappear when fully immersed unless you buy Apple's.

It's a weird platform with plenty of quirks and rough edges to smooth out, but even then, it's industry-leading. Every new OS brings new ideas, bug fixes, and streamlined features.

I'll chalk most of this up to growing pains as Apple prepares for what's next in spatial computing. None of this means Apple Vision Pro is bad or dead, nor does it mean Apple has abandoned the product.

Apple Vision Pro M5 review: what's next

It's a weird time to be a fan of Apple Vision Pro. Pundits can't help but declare it dead at least once a month and Apple's internal shifts don't help matters.

Regardless of what conjecture can be made or small details leak out, Apple has a near-infinite cash runway for toying around with projects regardless of how successful they might be. Apple Vision Pro could truly be a money sink for Apple, but their priorities for the future mean that it doesn't matter.

I'm confident that spatial computing is what's next in computing, at least as an alternative platform. The iPad previously represented a future of computing that's still taking shape, but visionOS looks out even further than that.

A new computing paradigm

See, at one point we believed that computing would be terminal-based where your account existed no matter which device you sat down at. That ultimately came to pass thanks to the internet and cloud-based accounts.

Close-up of the inside of Apple Vision Pro showing two large rounded lenses facing forward, resting on a dark surface, with a small black circular controller beside it

Apple Vision Pro review: hardware that's ahead of its time

The iPad took that idea and flipped it. Instead of many access terminals with multiple powerful computers, you have one computer, a naked robotic core, and transport it between terminals that have no computer present.

Whatever accessory you attach to the iPad transformed it into the computer you needed, be it a gaming console, writing terminal, laptop, sketchpad, or reading tablet — it did it all.

Apple Vision Pro removes the terminal altogether, though there will be times you'll want a classic keyboard and trackpad setup. Spatial computing means that the computer appears wherever you might be looking whenever you need it, which means the compute unit is worn on the person instead of being carried.

It takes the naked robotic core concept and kind of turns it inside out. It no longer involves attaching accessories to create the computing environment you need, but using accessories to attach information.

visionOS is Apple's next platform

Once visionOS can find its way into a routinely wearable AR display, we'll see a hybrid reality where iPhones and iPads are still used, but the AR view can extend content outside of the physical glass. Apple Vision Pro is the first step in that direction because it fakes the AR we're aiming for.

Blue rectangular eyeglasses resting on a wooden surface in sharp focus, with blurred headphones and other indistinct objects in the background

Apple Vision Pro review: glasses are Apple's goal

Apple Vision Pro needed to release and exist so Apple could develop visionOS in public. It needed an audience of users and developers at a scale wider than those found at Apple Park to push the technology forward.

In the short term, I believe Apple has accomplished what it wanted with Apple Vision Pro. The M5 model likely only exists because enough people, especially enterprise, still buy the headset and Apple didn't want to make another batch of M2 chips, given the state of the chipmaking industry right now.

The next generation can't be built today

It isn't as if Apple merely slapped the chipset in and called it a day. Work had to go into optimizing the hardware for the new chip beyond simple speed increases.

Apple Vision Pro with a dark visor resting on a wooden table beside a small rectangular device, with a blurred black couch and patterned blanket in the background

Apple Vision Pro review: chipset upgrades helped push the platform forward and keep it modern

Real advantages were gained because of the chip upgrade, and more benefits can be found in AI, gaming, and graphics applications as time moves forward. Even the Developer Strap saw a speed upgrade for tethered operations.

I don't think we'll see another iteration of this headset, though rumors have been wishy-washy on the topic. Apple will inevitably create the next-generation model with a thinner, lighter frame that is hopefully marginally less expensive.

Such a device is coming. Patents and rumors continue to point to such a product being in the pipeline, but component suppliers can't meet the need just yet.

Even Sony struggled to make enough displays for the initial product launch. That's just how far ahead the Apple Vision Pro was in 2024 and continues to be today.

Close-up of Apple Vision Pro with a glossy black reflective visor, white cushioned frame, and soft padding, resting against a dark blurred background

Apple Vision Pro review: It's just the beginning of Apple's spatial computing platform

Until the technology can catch up to Apple's ambitions, I think it makes sense to redistribute engineers to more imminent products. Clearly, in its current form, software, gaming, and immersive video aren't worth the effort for the audience size, so downsizing there makes some sense too.

That doesn't mean we won't see new content for those categories, just less direct from Apple. Really, we don't even know who was laid off. It could have been product managers, engineers, or even just evangelists — it's only about 60 people in a team of hundreds.

For now, Apple is pushing for smart glasses and AirPods with cameras. Both products will benefit from more development in AI and spatial computing, even if they don't run visionOS directly.

Rumors place a next-generation Apple Vision Pro somewhere around 2028 or early 2029. I'll continue to cover visionOS releases and point out specific upgrades and apps as they come in.

Apple Vision Pro M5 review: for the fans

The Mac is a powerhouse capable of doing most anything you throw at it. Developers, writers, movie producers, and most anyone can do their work with a Mac.

Apple Vision Pro resting on a stand, surrounded by assorted electronics, cables, and small gadgets cluttering a dark desk or workspace

Apple Vision Pro review: for the crazy ones

Go down a rung and you're at iPad. For most it's a consumption device, but for a slice of the Apple-faithful population, it's a more whimsical production platform that's way more interesting than a Mac. Our naked robotic core.

Then there's Apple Vision Pro. It's truly the device for the crazy ones, especially if you buy one today at $3,699.

If Apple Vision Pro with M5 warrants another review check in, I'll be here, hopefully with some good news. Until then, I'll continue to put on Apple Vision Pro on a regular basis to relive memories, watch 3D movies, and play the occasional game.

Oh, and of course, get some work done. This entire review was written while wearing the Apple Vision Pro and my neck doesn't even hurt.

Apple Vision Pro review - Pros

  • M5 makes Apple Vision Pro a better platform
  • Dual Knit band solves comfort and weight issues
  • Still the best platform for viewing 3D movies, Immersive Video, personal media
  • Apple ecosystem advantage with apps and OS capable of supporting complex workflows

Apple Vision Pro review - Cons

  • Still stagnating software platform thanks to lack of developer interest
  • Apple's continued lack of native apps or interesting app updates makes developers less likely to target visionOS
  • M2 owners have almost zero reason to upgrade thanks to lack of developer support, killer app, or new software that makes M5 a must

Rating: 3 out of 5

My pros and cons didn't change much in the past year, but neither did the platform. visionOS 27 is a great step forward, but all of my concerns for the platform continue to be unaddressed.

The rating dropped to represent the continued lack of developer support and the higher price tag. Those that need or want Apple Vision Pro likely already have one, and I'm not sure how far this platform will move forward in the intervening years between now and the next hardware update.

We'll be back to discuss things further as soon as there's an update worth discussing.

Where to buy Apple Vision Pro with M5

The M5 Apple Vision Pro is available for purchase at Apple.com, with a starting price of $3,699. You can also check out the secondhand market on eBay.com for deals on pre-owned M2 models.

For discounts on accessories, Amazon stocks bands, cases, battery holders, and more from brands like Annapro and Spigen.