Will the Apple Vision Pro VR headset work with non-Apple devices? Possibilities and reasons explored

The Apple Vision Pro AR/VR headset is finally official and will launch next year with a massive $3,499 price tag. The device is the company's first foray into VR headsets and was showcased at the WWDC event in detail last night. According to the tech giant, it will usher in the era of "spatial computing," which is just a fancy way of saying augmented reality. The new headset might be the best VR device on the market, with strong promises and support for features only seen in sci-fi movies so far.

Thus, many users, including those not in the Apple ecosystem, are intrigued by the possibilities this new product unlocks. It is a massive step up in terms of immersion, usability, and ease of computing.

In this article, we will go over how the new Vision Pro headset might interact with non-Apple products (about 99.9% of smartphones and computers out there) to offer next-gen experiences.

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What does the Apple Vision Pro connect to?

The Apple Vision Pro AR/VR headset is a standalone computer powered by two chips: the M2 for all computing and rendering workloads and a new R1 processor for processing all of the sensor info.

It doesn't run off an iPhone or a Mac, unlike the HTC Vive or other older Oculus headsets we've had in the past. Thus, the Vision Pro, in reality, doesn't connect to any device for full functioning. The only connection it comes with is a battery backup which powers the headset for up to two hours.

Buyers won't necessarily need an iPhone or a Mac computer to enjoy the cream of what the upcoming $3,499 gadget has to offer. They will only add some nice-to-have features that are a part of the Apple ecosystem experience.

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Non-Apple devices will work on the Vision Pro, but support might be limited

The above claims might not mean every feature of the Apple iPhone will be strictly locked to iPhones and Macs — although we won't be surprised if that's the case. Some features of the upcoming new headset might be accessible via the cloud, which could be accessed from any smartphone or PC.

Knowing Apple, it's hard to believe any extra features will be headed to products not made by them.

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Will Apple Vision Pro work on Android?

The new Apple Vision Pro is capable of functioning on its own without the need for any separate device. According to the information shared by the company yesterday, it doesn't have any specific integration with any non-Apple devices. Thus, Android users should be able to use all the basic features of the new headset without major issues.

However, one thing to watch out for is the setup process of the upcoming headset. The Vision Pro requires an iPhone to track your face and create an avatar for use in FaceTime and other apps. Non-Apple users can take a trip to the nearest Apple Store and get their face scanned from one of their iPhones.

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Why enabling support for non-Apple devices is a bad thing for the Vision Pro headset

Apple products thrive thanks to their ecosystem. The guys over at Cupertino meticulously design all of their products to work perfectly with each other. The Apple Vision Pro headset will be no exception to this formula. The company has introduced multiple features like direct streaming from Mac, notification sharing, and more to help their products work better together.

Thus, enabling support for non-Apple devices will do more harm than good. It can destroy the overall experience of the ecosystem. The seamlessness and coordination simply can't be achieved when products from multiple vendors are made to work in unison.

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The domino effect of Apple devices

Another reason why the new Apple Vision Pro won't pack additional support for non-Apple devices like Android and Windows is for its interests. The Apple ecosystem is one of their biggest selling points of other products. Each product is designed to make the others more lucrative than others. This drives more profits for the company.

The ecosystem has largely contributed to making Apple the most valuable tech company on the planet, and the company isn't giving up on it. Thus, the new headset will work best with other Apple products, making third-party products seem like isolated gadgets that can't work flawlessly together simply because of software restrictions.