Apple Vision Pro 15 Months Later: My Honest Developer Experience

This article is based on my experience working with Apple Vision Pro at MobiDev over the past 15 months. Tech evolves fast — what’s true today could change tomorrow — but these insights should help you make a more informed call.

It’s hard to believe it’s been over a year since Apple dropped the Vision Pro into the world. After 15 months of building apps for it at MobiDev, I figured it was time to sit down and share what it's really like — the good, the bad, and, well... the complicated. If you’re wondering whether it deserves a spot in your development roadmap (or your personal toy chest), here’s my take.

1. First Impressions: Is the Wow Factor Worth $3,500?

When I first slid the Vision Pro on, it was genuinely breathtaking. I mean, the picture quality is sharp, the eye and hand tracking? Almost eerie how good it is. And the head movement tracking — nearly instant. You forget it’s even happening.

The field of view caught me off guard too — wider and more natural than anything I had tried before.

But if you’re expecting perfection? I hate to break it to you — it's far from it.

The whole platform still feels... young. Kind of like a brilliant student who hasn’t quite grown into their potential yet. You can tell it’s meant for the future — but it’s a niche tool for now, not something you’ll see replacing phones or laptops anytime soon.

Would I wear this thing on a plane? Nope. Walking down the street? Definitely not. It's more of a luxury entertainment device right now. Or a visualization tool for industries that thrive on that "wow" moment, like real estate or design.

2. Four Key Development Challenges You'll Face

Getting started with visionOS actually feels surprisingly smooth — if you’re already familiar with SwiftUI. 

But, there are a few potholes you’ll probably hit along the way:

• Apple Silicon is mandatory. No, seriously. If you’re still using an Intel Mac, it’s game over before you even begin.
• SceneKit is dead to you. RealityKit, Metal, or Unity are your only options now. If you’ve got AR apps built on SceneKit... yeah, you're looking at a full rewrite.
• You need the real hardware. Testing solely in the simulator? Not gonna cut it. Honestly, you should budget for at least two headsets if you're serious.
• Gestures are tricky beasts. Simulator testing gets you part of the way, but real-world refinement happens only on the actual device.

And about those hardware costs? They add up faster than you might expect. It’s a hefty investment — but if you’re planning to make a serious splash on visionOS, it’s just the price of admission.

3. The App Shortage Problem: Your Opportunity?

Here’s the biggest issue facing Vision Pro today: not enough apps.

Apple tried to bridge the gap by letting iPhone and iPad apps run in "compatibility mode," but... let’s be honest, it’s a mixed bag at best. 

Most iPad and iPhone apps don’t translate well to spatial computing. Not because they’re broken, but because they were never meant for it.

Take the map app. You could show it on a floating screen, sure. But what if it wasn’t a screen at all?

What if you stepped into the map? Zoomed across cities in an immersive Flyover? Not “3D on a flat plane” but real 3D, in space, around you.

That’s the shift we’re talking about. Not missing compass apps. Not selfie filters.

Those aren't what will make or break visionOS. What will? Whether devs treat it like a new dimension or just another display.

In fact, a lot of developers have quietly pulled their apps instead of bothering to adapt them. And honestly, I get it.

But here’s the flip side: if you’re willing to jump in early, there’s way less competition. Here's what I’d recommend if you’re thinking about it:

• Move to SwiftUI — the sooner, the better. It adapts across platforms like a dream.
• Test your apps thoroughly in compatibility mode. Weird crashes happen.
• Prioritize iPad-ready apps — they look and feel better than stretched-out iPhone apps.
• Consider going fully native eventually. Compatibility mode is fine for quick experiments, but true visionOS apps have a noticeable edge.

Opportunity is knocking, but — and it’s a big but — you’ll need some grit (and a realistic budget) to answer.

4. Five Physical Realities of Working with Vision Pro

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: wearing Vision Pro is not exactly comfortable.

I tried using it for a full workday once. (Keyword: tried.) Here’s what you can expect:

• It’s heavy — about 650 grams, mostly front-loaded onto your cheeks and nose.
• No matter how good the screens are, there's always this subtle... "something’s in my eye" feeling.
• It gets warm. There's an actual fan blowing warm air onto your face. I didn’t love that.
• Wireless debug cycles are slow. Builds take noticeably longer.
• Testing often turns into pacing around your office — built-in cardio, I guess?

Could Apple eventually fix these issues? Probably. Maybe even soon. But for now, it’s part of the experience.

If it helps: you can always take it off and use a regular monitor while coding. I did that more often than I care to admit.

5. The Competitive Landscape: What You Need to Know

Passthrough — the ability to see your surroundings while wearing the headset — has become the new battleground in mixed reality.

Here’s the lay of the land:

• Meta Quest 3 / 3S: $300-500, decent passthrough, great for games and entertainment. Android-based, but without Google Play. (It’s weird.)
• Android XR (Project Moohan): Google, Samsung, and Qualcomm are teaming up for a Vision Pro competitor. Expected sometime soon-ish at $1,500–$2,000.

Is Vision Pro worth paying 7-10x more than a Quest?

Honestly? It depends. If you're building high-end apps for design, training, visualization — sure. If you're just curious about XR? Maybe wait.

6. Eight Features That Would Transform Vision Pro's Future

Despite production cut rumors swirling, I hope Apple keeps pushing forward. Here’s my personal wishlist:

Hardware:

• Longer battery life (obviously) and cooler operation
• Passive cooling — no more chin fans
• Better cameras and displays with a wider sweet spot
• Game controllers (seriously needed)
• DisplayPort/HDMI input options

Software:

• Apple Intelligence integrated into visionOS 3
• Full RoomPlan framework for spatial scanning
• Real 3D Maps and Flyovers
• Seamless iPhone screen mirroring and control
• Real gaming ecosystem support
• Some kind of “Unfoldable” iPhone integration (a stretch, I know)

Realistically, they probably won't hit everything at once. But even half would move the needle a lot.

7. Should You Invest in Vision Pro Development?

So, where does that leave us?

Mixed reality right now is — messy. Risky. A little exhilarating. It reminds me of the early mobile app days when nobody knew if apps were just a fad.

Vision Pro is expensive, confusing for some users, and still very much a work in progress. Quest covers gaming (kind of well), and Android XR is a question mark.

Bottom line?

• If your audience is full of early adopters, Vision Pro could be worth it.
• If you can stomach the hardware costs, even better.
• If you have a long timeline and can afford to wait for a return — it might be one of the best bets you make this decade.

If not? No shame in watching the market a little longer. (I mean, someone has to be the second wave, right?)

I’m curious — are you already building for Vision Pro, or just scoping things out for now? Drop a comment if you have thoughts or if you’re facing any unexpected hurdles.