There's a heck of a lot more to do with the Quest at this point, as it actually has a software library. Developers don't actively trust Meta, but at least get some impression Meta want them to develop things.
Apple considers developers so far below them nobody is willing to touch it with a pole.
There are definitely a few with UX problems, and there are a few apps completely missing - like ProtonMail - but overall bringing iOS and iPadOS apps into visionOS feels pretty natural.
If visionOS is to succeed, that's how it will do it. visionOS and iOS/iPadOS will continue to be developed in parallel, with new UX conventions slowly making their way to the traditional devices. Over time, apps built using Apple's platform will "just work" in visionOS as well.
In fact, while I hadn't thought about it until now, that's probably exactly why they're doing a visual refresh of iOS 19. Reporting seems to emphasize the "visionOS style" widgets, and it's apparent to me at least that that's going to lead to deeper and more complete integration between the platforms.
I don't think Apple is done with Spatial Computing. I wish the Vision Pro had done a bit better, especially its native software ecosystem, but I don't think it has been a failure at all. There were likely lots of reasons they launched it: to test the market's readiness for the product, to introduce new UX conventions, to get direct user feedback, to allow developers onto the platform, etc. They didn't have to make money on the Vision Pro (though, I think they did).
People here are always saying how hard it is to build a hardware startup; how just _shipping the product_ is a milestone that most of them never reach. Hardware is hard. I see the Vision Pro as Apple applying Agile to hardware. They shipped an MVP. It's not a "VR headset", it's a "Spatial Computing device". That lets them see how people actually use it, refine, and iterate.
The only reason you don't see this approach more often is that most companies have neither the capital nor the risk tolerance to do it. Apple spent $30B on R&D in FY2023.
The software library for the Quest is almost entirely games.
To Apple’s credit, nearly every iPad app works on it unless the developer specifically opts out.
I don’t think the issue is how Apple treats developers, it’s simply a matter of market share. Making apps for Vision Pro won’t be profitable until there are a lot more users.
Games (and other forms of entertainment) is where it actually brings something to the table. I don't think I'd ever want to play flight or space sims not in VR, for example. And it doesn't even need to be very involved; e.g. if you have VR headset that works with Steam, be sure to check out Polynomial: https://store.steampowered.com/app/379420/Polynomial_2__Univ...
There are some adjacent niche uses, as well. High-res fractal viewing, for example.
But as to productivity... I tried using various virtual desktop software, but the image quality is just not good enough to match what I'm used to with my 4K displays. Even 4K per eye is not good enough for that, since any usable virtual display won't fill the entire visible space.
Apple considers developers so far below them nobody is willing to touch it with a pole.