Amidst Apple’s bevy of new product announcements on Wednesday, the company also unveiled an updated Vision Pro headset, complete with an M5 chip and a more comfortable Dual Knit Band.
The M5 chip has a 10-core CPU, a 10-core GPU with Neural Accelerators, and a 16-core Neural Engine, and while the updated Vision Pro continues to offer 16GB of RAM, the M5 chip allows for faster performance and longer battery life compared to the previous model with the M2 chip.
While Apple has not provided any overall performance figures, the company’s website says the Vision Pro now offers up to three hours of video playback per charge, compared to up to 2.5 hours for the previous model. In addition to improved battery life, Apple has stated that the M5 chip enables the rendering of 10 percent more pixels on the displays compared to the previous model, resulting in sharper images and crisper text. The updated Vision Pro also offers up to a 120Hz refresh rate, up from the previous version’s limit of 100Hz, which Apple says reduces motion blur and provides a smoother experience when using Mac Virtual Display.
With the M5 chip, the Vision Pro gains hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading for improved graphics rendering. These capabilities were first introduced with the M3 chip, but the previous Vision Pro only had an M2 chip.
Other new features include the M5’s faster 16-core Neural Engine and a Neural Accelerator in each GPU core, allowing for AI features to run up to 50 percent faster than the previous Vision Pro model.
The updated Vision Pro still has an R1 chip for input processing. The headset continues to support Wi-Fi 6, rather than Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.3.
Some things remain the same, with the new Vision Pro offering new design changes or color options. The unit still uses a tethered battery pack as opposed to a built-in battery.
Some improvements has been paid to the comfort elements, and the updated Vision Pro arrives with the Dual Knit Band, a Light Seal, two Light Seal Cushions, a cover for the front of the device, and a polishing cloth. The unit still includes a battery, and a USB-C charging cable, but now offers Apple’s new 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max, whereas the previous Vision Pro came with Apple’s discontinued 30W USB-C Power Adapter.
The new Dual Knit Band comes in small, medium, and large sizes. It is available to purchase separately for $99, and it is compatible with the previous-generation Vision Pro. Users can find your preferred size by using the Apple Store app on the iPhone.
Apple has stated that the new Dual Knit Band offers two straps knitted into a single piece. The upper strap goes across the top of the head, and the lower strap goes across the back of the head. The lower strap has tungsten inserts that provide a counterweight for additional comfort, balance, and stability. Users can adjust the fit of both of the straps with the Fit Dial.
Other new changes include the availability of the Logitech Muse spatial stylus, as well as the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller, which Apple will begin selling on Tuesday, November 11.
The updated Vision Pro became available for pre-order on Wednesday, and it will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Wednesday, October 22.
In the U.S., the Vision Pro continues to start at $3,499, and it can be configured with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage. The new model is also available in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the U.K., and the United Arab Emirates. Availability in South Korea and Taiwan will begin at a later date, according to Apple.
Users can demo the new Vision Pro at an Apple Store starting October 22.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
