Will Apple’s Vision Pro spur luxury’s virtual reality breakthrough?

5 Feb 2024

After breaking headlines last June, Apple’s highly anticipated – and inexorably memeified – Vision Pro headset was finally released to the public on February 2.

Featuring over a dozen cameras, augmented reality (AR) content, and artificial intelligence-powered eye and gesture tracking for navigation and control, the wearable rivals Meta’s Quest headset with its technological capabilities.

But the function that tech evangelists are most enraptured by is the gadget’s virtual reality (VR) content. Unlike AR, the VR option isolates wearers from their surroundings, offering full digital immersion via the headset’s screens. Users can flip between the “real” and the “immersive” by using a dial, coined the Digital Crown.

Swaying convictions
Early adopters have preached the potential of VR since its entry into mainstream consciousness in 2014, a watershed year when Facebook bought VR pioneer Oculus for $2 billion. Despite a maelstrom of hot takes on how the tech will revolutionize consumer experiences, the fashion, beauty and luxury industry remains unconvinced.

But will the Vision Pro change that? VR-powered activations have been few and far between across the luxury realm, with most failing to move the needle. Sartorial disconnects, like clunky headsets, have also caused a chasm between the technology and style-conscious fashion enthusiasts.

Dr Helen Papagiannis, an immersive tech consultant and advisor, thinks the Vision Pro is the start of a new era for luxury and VR, even with its polarizing design.

“Apple Vision Pro has a unique offering with the ability to dial reality up and down, ranging from fully immersive environments to being able to interact with digital objects in your physical space,” Papagiannis says. “This gives luxury brands a broad playground to explore, and is something I’m currently advising my luxury clients on how they can best create experiences for their customers.”

Papagiannis has been advising luxury brands on how to implement VR into their innovation roadmap; she says that, in the same way AR has gained traction, VR is the next technology to be widely adopted by brands.

Ahead in the race
A number of retailers have already joined the VR race. The first iteration of the Vision Pro features over 600 different apps for users to browse, including a selection of shopping experiences from early adopters including J.Crew, Decathlon, Elf, Alo, and MyTheresa.

In MyTheresa’s exclusive hub, consumers can browse pieces from the sun-soaked setting of a Capri beach, or from the heart of luxury hotspot Paris. In Alo’s realm, spatial audio is used to immerse shoppers in various meditation scenes, including mountaintops and the jungle.

J.Crew has deployed one of Apple’s new tools, coined SharePlay, for its experience. The function gives consumers the option to socialize within the space via FaceTime, allowing the digital retail process to become a shared moment among friends and stylists.

Through innovative concepts like SharePlay, Papagiannis is optimistic that VR will usher in a completely new mode of shopping for consumers. “This is absolutely the next frontier for brands,” she says.