Vision Pro M5: Faster, Comfier, Still $3,699

It's also $3,699 in 2026, after a $200 price rise in June 2026, and it's heavier than the original model it replaces. There is no Vision Pro 2 on sale, and, according to Bloomberg reporting in September 2026, a true successor is unlikely before late 2028 or early 2029. So if you're considering a Vision Pro today, this M5 model is the one — for a long time.

That makes the buying question specific: is the M5 refresh enough to justify $3,699, and for whom? This guide breaks down what changed, what didn't, and who should actually buy it in 2026.

What the M5 refresh actually changes

Apple unveiled the Vision Pro update on 15 October 2025, and it went on sale on 22 October 2025, replacing the original M2 model. The body is the same design that launched on 2 February 2024. The changes are internal, plus one crucial accessory:

• Chip: Apple M5 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine), replacing M2 (8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine), with the R1 co-processor retained for low-latency sensor processing.
• Displays: Twin micro-OLED displays, 23 million pixels total, with refresh rate up to 120Hz, up from 100Hz, and about 10% more rendered pixels, for crisper text and finer UI edges.
• Performance: Up to 50% faster in system and AI operations, according to comparison coverage of the M5 model.
• Battery: Up to 2.5 hours of general use, up to 3 hours of video playback — about 30 minutes more than the M2 model, which was rated at about 2 hours general and 2.5 hours video.
• Band: Dual Knit Band included in the box, sold separately for $99.
• Price at launch: $3,499 for 256GB, unchanged from the original model.
• Software: Shipped with visionOS 26.

The 120Hz refresh rate matters more than it sounds on paper. When you glance around your real room, or run a Mac Virtual Display for an extended session, smoother refresh reduces the sense of lag and visual strain. The extra rendered pixels matter for text — the thing you'll read most if you use Vision Pro for work. Together, they make the headset feel less like a first-generation experiment and more like a usable display replacement.

The Dual Knit Band: the upgrade that matters most

Ask reviewers what changed most with the M5 Vision Pro, and many will point not to the chip, but to the band.

The original Vision Pro shipped with a Solo Knit Band — a single strap. The M5 model ships with a Dual Knit Band: two 3D-knitted straps, one that fits behind the head and one that fits over the top of the head, with a Fit Dial to tighten the fit, and counterweights in the back strap to distribute weight more evenly. Apple designed it to be breathable, cushiony, and stretchy, and TechRadar's review called it indispensable — the band that finally makes the Vision Pro wearable.

Here's the catch: the M5 Vision Pro is heavier than the original. Apple's specifications list 750–800 grams (26.4–28.2 ounces, depending on the light seal), compared with 600–650 grams (21.2–22.9 ounces) for the M2 model, with the external battery separate at about 353 grams. Tom's Guide put it bluntly: comfier and heavier.

That sounds contradictory, but it makes sense in practice. Weight distribution matters as much as total weight. A heavier headset that sits balanced, with support over the top of the head and counterweights at the back, can feel more comfortable over a session than a lighter headset that pulls forward onto your face. The Dual Knit Band doesn't change the physics — 750 grams is still 750 grams — but it changes how that weight feels, and for many users, that's the difference between 30 minutes and a couple of hours.

It doesn't eliminate fatigue, so if you plan to wear it for hours daily, try it in store first, with the Dual Knit Band properly fitted, before you commit $3,699. If you wear glasses, you'll pay extra for optical inserts on top of the headline price.

visionOS 26: widgets, Personas, and spatial scenes

The M5 Vision Pro shipped with visionOS 26, and the software is where Apple's long-term vision for spatial computing becomes clearer.

The most talked-about feature is spatial widgets. You can place widgets anywhere in a room — a clock, a calendar, a music player, a photo frame — and they'll remain persistent, pinned in space, when you return. Tom's Guide called widgets a sneak peek of Apple Glasses: a hint at a future where information lives in your environment, not just on a screen.

Personas — the digital avatars used for FaceTime calls — are more realistic in visionOS 26, according to reviews. That's important, because Personas were one of the most criticised parts of the original Vision Pro: uncanny, flat, and distracting on calls. They're still not perfect, but they're noticeably better, which matters if you plan to use the headset for remote work and meetings.

Spatial scenes, generated from ordinary photos, turn a flat image into a three-dimensional scene you can look around. It's a party trick that becomes moving when applied to personal photos — and a useful tool for designers and educators.

VisionOS 26 also added support for the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller and the PS5 DualSense gamepad, which matters for gaming. Vision Pro's input has always been eyes, hands, and voice — no controllers included — and that remains the primary method. Controller support is an optional extra for games that need it, not a change in Apple's philosophy. High-profile apps like Netflix and YouTube are missing as native apps, according to Tom's Guide, and there's no multi-modal AI or advanced Siri yet.

Battery, weight, and the practical limits

No review of Vision Pro can ignore its practical limits, because they define how you actually use it.

Battery: up to 2.5 hours general, up to 3 hours video, from an external battery pack tethered by cable. That's enough for a film, or a focused work session, but not for a full working day without recharging or swapping packs. You'll still carry the tethered brick, and you'll still plan sessions around it. For professional use — training, design review, medical visualisation — that's manageable, because sessions are structured. For casual, all-day wear, it's a constraint.

Weight: 750–800 grams on your head, plus a 353-gram battery in your pocket or on a table. That's heavier than most VR headsets, and much heavier than glasses. The Dual Knit Band helps, but it doesn't make the headset disappear. If you have neck or back issues, or you plan to wear it for hours, this is a serious consideration, not a footnote.

Price: $3,699 for 256GB, $3,899 for 512GB, and $4,199 for 1TB in the US, after the $200 rise on 25 June 2026, citing memory and storage costs. That's prohibitively expensive for many consumers, as MacRumors puts it, and it's the single biggest barrier to mainstream adoption. For context, that's roughly the price of a high-end MacBook Pro, or several flagship phones, for a device that doesn't replace any of them outright.

Who is actually buying Vision Pro in 2026

Given that price and those limits, who is buying Vision Pro in 2026? The picture from enterprise and market coverage is clear: it's an enterprise and professional play, not a consumer one.

Forasoft's 2026 business coverage frames Vision Pro app development as an enterprise play, with use cases in training, design, medical visualisation, and spatial collaboration — areas where a $3,699 headset can pay for itself if it saves travel, improves training outcomes, or lets a team review a 3D design without building a physical prototype. In those contexts, the headset's strengths — high-resolution micro-OLED displays, precise hand and eye tracking, spatial audio, and Mac Virtual Display — matter more than its weight or battery limits, because sessions are structured and supervised.

For consumers, the picture is harder. IDC estimated Apple shipped roughly 45,000 units in Q4 2025, according to PCMag reporting cited in flop-narrative coverage — a small number compared with iPhone, iPad, and Mac sales in the same period. Early adopters sent units back within the 14-day window citing discomfort, battery life, and a content library that didn't justify the price, according to Recode reporting in the same coverage. Apple reportedly slashed digital advertising for the headset by more than 95% year-over-year in the US and UK, halted production at its Chinese manufacturing partner Luxshare, and shelved Vision Air, the lighter, cheaper follow-on device, according to Financial Times data cited by PCMag and 9to5Mac.

Those reports should be treated with care — they're based on supply-chain and advertising data, not on Apple's own sales figures, which Apple doesn't disclose for Vision Pro. But the direction is consistent: Vision Pro is not a mass-market product in 2026, and Apple appears to be treating it as a long-term platform bet, not a short-term sales driver. Bloomberg's September 2026 report that a redesigned successor (codename N224) is unlikely before late 2028 or early 2029, and that there's no guarantee a new headset will ever launch, reinforces that: if you buy now, you're buying into a platform that may not get new hardware for years.

Should you buy it, wait, or skip it

Buy the Vision Pro M5 if:

• You are a professional or enterprise user with a specific spatial use case — training, design review, medical visualisation, or spatial collaboration — where the displays and tracking justify the price.
• You are a developer building visionOS apps, and you need current hardware to test on.
• You are an enthusiast who understands the limits — weight, battery, price, missing apps — and wants the best spatial computing experience Apple offers today, knowing new hardware may be years away.
• You have tried it in store, with the Dual Knit Band fitted, and you found it comfortable for your intended session length.

Wait if:

• You are waiting for a lighter, cheaper Vision Air. That device was shelved in October 2025, according to Bloomberg, and a successor is not expected before late 2028. Waiting could mean waiting years, with no guarantee.
• You want native Netflix, YouTube, or advanced Siri AI. Those gaps may close with software updates, but they haven't yet.

Skip it if:

• You want a general entertainment headset for films and games at a reasonable price. Other headsets do that for much less, with larger content libraries.
• You need all-day wear, or you have neck issues. The weight and battery make that impractical.
• $3,699 is a stretch. It's a lot of money for a device that doesn't replace your phone, laptop, or TV.

For most people, the honest answer in 2026 is to try it in store, enjoy the demo, and wait. Spatial computing is real, and Vision Pro shows what it can be. But at $3,699, with a 2.5-hour battery and a 750-gram headset, it's a platform for professionals and enthusiasts, not yet a product for everyone. The M5 refresh makes it better — faster, smoother, comfier — but it doesn't make it mainstream. And Apple, by all accounts, knows that. It's playing a long game. The question is whether you want to pay $3,699 to play along.