Convincing developers to build apps for Apple’s Vision Pro could prove difficult. The $3,000 device can also play iPadOS apps, but you should actually develop your own apps for this.
Developing apps for the Vision Pro’s immersive mixed reality, however, takes effort. Given the low sales projections, developers would see limited incentive to do so, at least initially, reported Bloomberg.
Even if Apple were to sell around 500,000 devices annually, that would be nothing compared to around 250 million iPhones, iPads and Macs sold every year.
Many developers Bloomberg spoke to cited the small installed base as a barrier to investing time in high-quality Vision Pro apps. The lack of VR controllers also makes it difficult to port games and content from other platforms.
As the use cases of the Vision Pro are yet to be defined, developers are wary of betting on the platform before the market is there.
Even converting existing applications like video streaming into immersive VR experiences is tedious. According to Bloomberg, even Netflix currently has no plans for a native Vision Pro app, sticking to offering its unmodified iPad version.
Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman writes that a developer suggested Apple pay him to develop apps specifically for Vision Pro. This seed funding could boost development until sales pick up.