Apple and Meta’s VR headsets flopped badly in 2025. Apple sold only 45,000 Vision Pro headsets—down 88% from the previous year’s 390,000 units. Meta’s Quest sales also dropped 16% to 1.7 million units. The entire VR headset market is expected to shrink by 43% this year.
Apple stopped making the Vision Pro for nine months, then brought it back with a new chip, but still barely sold any. The main problem is the $3,500 price tag—most people won’t pay that much. Meta’s headsets are priced at around $349, which is much cheaper, but even those aren’t being sold well. Advertising spending on these products has been cut by more than half by both companies.
“Large VR headsets are still being bought only by gamers who want to play titles like Beat Saber and Gorilla Tag.” An industry expert said the old prediction that VR would replace smartphones “will never happen.”
Smart glasses are becoming popular. These lightweight glasses experienced a 211% sales boost in 2025, and experts expect this trend to continue. Meta managed to sell 20,000 of its Ray-Ban Display glasses in just three months.. People prefer wearing regular-looking glasses over heavy headsets.
VR headsets might still work for businesses and schools. Doctors at UC San Diego used Vision Pro during 60 real surgeries to keep patient information visible while operating. Purdue University uses them to train students in manufacturing. For these professional uses, the $3,500 price makes more sense.
Apple plans to release a cheaper Vision Pro in late 2026 and is shifting focus toward businesses and schools rather than regular consumers. Analysts expect Apple to sell 290,000 units next year, making $636 million
