Apple Vision Pro M5 review: everything looks sharper, especially virtual desktop mode, and the Dual Knit band is comfortable, but the headset still costs $3,500
Vision Pro entered the market with strong display and interaction reviews but persistent concerns about price, passthrough quality, and physical comfort. Apple’s M5 refresh had already promised more rendered pixels and a redesigned band in its M5 and Dual Knit Band update.
This review tests whether those incremental changes matter in use: sharper imagery is most evident in virtual desktop mode, while the $3,500 price remains unchanged from the original $3,499 launch positioning.
First-order effects
Prospective Vision Pro buyers get a clearer hardware case for the M5 model, particularly if virtual desktop work is a priority; the Dual Knit band also directly addresses comfort.
Apple improves visual fidelity and fit without lowering the headset’s premium entry price, leaving cost as the review’s central constraint.
Second-order effects
The sharper virtual desktop experience makes productivity a more prominent use case for Apple to demonstrate, rather than relying solely on immersive media and interface novelty.
Because the refresh preserves the price, adoption remains concentrated among customers able to justify a high-end headset; comfort and display improvements alone do not broaden the entry point.
Third-order effects
If successive updates continue to improve practical work use without changing price, spatial-computing hardware may develop first as a premium workstation category rather than a mass-market device.
The review underscores a likely industry test: whether iterative gains in clarity and ergonomics can overcome the same affordability barrier identified in the first-generation review.
The trend: Spatial-computing vendors are refining displays, comfort, and work-oriented software before the category has resolved its mass-market price challenge.
@spatiallyme Somewhat bizarre that Apple's loyal customers who shelled out $3,500 for the V1 device have no upgrade path. I would have expected a *very* generous trade-in for a group of essentially beta testers for the V1.
For those asking why im not getting m5 vision pro my m2 Vision Pro typically collects dust. there is not much to do with it still to this day. buying an m5 and being able to do nothing faster doesn't appeal to me. maybe next year or whenever there is a robust App Store
[video] Apple's M5 chip appears to be a significant improvement for VisionPro and demonstrates that the next generation of chips will significantly enhance AR/VR performance. Not only will they be more powerful, but also more energy efficient.
I appreciate that Apple is confident enough in Vision Pro's capabilities and usability that they give remote media briefings inside the headset, using Personas and SharePlay to have a spatial chat and share models, slides, and other content. That's real dogfooding. Off the top …
If you ever wanted to know why I am so strongly positive about Vision Pro, to the point that it's replaced all of my screens: Adam and Norm completely nail the exact feelings I have in their M5 AVP review video [video]
It's 35% quicker when booting up, widgets appear almost instantaneously, Safari is noticeably more responsive, and creating Spatial Scenes also feels much faster...
Apple Vision Pro weight increase is coming from the new counterweighted head strap as was predicted @testedcom weighed both HMD units without attachments to prove this [image]
I've been using the new Dual Knit Band for Apple Vision Pro. It's the real deal, dramatically improving the experience found wearing AVP. - Back strap serves as a counterweight, lifting headset up and off face - Fit Dial is very well done - A must-have upgrade for AVP V1 owners […