Report: 52% of Vision Pro Apps Are Paid Downloads

New research shows that more than half of apps on Apple’s Vision Pro are paid downloads.

As Techcrunch noted in a Monday (Feb. 12) report, that figure — 52% to be exact — dwarfs activity on the larger Apple App Store, where just 5% of apps monetize in that fashion.

The report cited data from app intelligence firm Appfigures, whose analysis examined all the apps optimized for the Vision Pro. 

That includes more than 700 apps that were either Vision Pro-only or ones where the developer optimized an existing app to work on Apple’s mixed reality headset, which went on the market 10 days ago.

Appfigures found that these paid apps have an average price of $5.67, with priciest coming in at $98 if you want to download an interactive periodic table of elements. Most, however, are priced at $9.99 or less, which means that if you paid to download all the apps, you’d still pay less than the price of a Vision Pro, which sells for just under $3,500.

“The takeaway here is that app developers who are embracing the Vision Pro with unique, native experiences built just for Apple’s AR/VR [augmented reality/virtual reality] platform are returning to the paid download monetization model,” the report said. 

The news comes as retailers are using the Vision Pro to offer consumers more interactive eCommerce journeys, as noted here earlier this month.

Among them is apparel seller J.Crew, which recently announced the debut of its “J.Crew Virtual Closet” app, developed in collaboration with immersive shopping technology company Obsess. This app offers users a 3D shopping experience, letting them browse products, assemble outfits and get real-time advice from stylists in a lifelike environment. 

“Consumers, for their part, are open to shopping experiences that incorporate mixed-reality technology,” PYMNTS wrote, citing data from the PYMNTS Intelligence report “How We Will Pay Report: How Connected Devices Enable Multitasking Among Digital-First Consumers.” 

The study found that among the 95% of consumers who own at least one connected device, many are open to new, more tech-integrated shopping experiences, with 38% saying they were very or extremely interested in using virtual technology to see how items look in their room before buying them.

In addition, 32% said they’d be similarly interested in the ability to use VR technology to purchase retail products that are in a physical store from their home or office, with 4% saying they already do this.