Apple has unveiled an upgraded model of its Imaginative and prescient Professional headset powered by the brand new M5 chip and paired with a redesigned Twin Knit Band. The brand new mannequin guarantees quicker efficiency, prolonged battery life, and larger consolation, whereas visionOS 26 provides AI-powered options and richer spatial experiences. But the replace additionally raises an vital query concerning the long-term way forward for Apple’s spatial technique as the corporate seems to eye extra compact good glasses.
Apple’s up to date Imaginative and prescient Professional combines evolutionary {hardware} enhancements with a strategic recalibration of its spatial computing roadmap. The addition of the M5 chip, a contemporary Twin Knit Band, and new capabilities in visionOS 26 cement Imaginative and prescient Professional’s place as a robust, premium system for immersive content material, nonetheless with the identical premium price ticket – nevertheless it arrives amid experiences suggesting Apple’s subsequent main {hardware} step would possibly favor lighter, much less immersive wearables.
M5 chip redefines efficiency and AI acceleration of Imaginative and prescient Professional
On the coronary heart of the brand new Imaginative and prescient Professional is Apple’s M5 chip, its most superior piece of silicon so far. Constructed on a third-generation 3-nanometer course of, M5 introduces a 10-core GPU with a Neural Accelerator in each core, enabling over 4× the height GPU compute efficiency for AI workloads in comparison with the earlier M4. Graphics efficiency sees as much as a 45 p.c enhance, with third-generation ray tracing and dynamic caching for extra life like lighting and shadows in 3D environments.
Whole immersion in video content material remains to be one of many USPs of Imaginative and prescient Professional M5. Video credit score: Apple
The chip’s 10-core CPU delivers as much as 15 p.c quicker multithreaded efficiency, whereas unified reminiscence bandwidth will increase by practically 30 p.c to 153 GB/s, permitting Imaginative and prescient Professional to deal with bigger AI fashions fully on-device. The 16-core Neural Engine accelerates Apple Intelligence options equivalent to Generative Personas, Picture Playground, and spatial picture technology.
In sensible use, this implies quicker app response, smoother rendering, and extra detailed micro-OLED imagery — Imaginative and prescient Professional now renders 10 p.c extra pixels per eye and helps a 120 Hz refresh fee for decreased movement blur. Mixed with the R1 chip’s sensor fusion pipeline, the headset delivers extra instant spatial responsiveness and sharper visible constancy.
Twin Knit Band: extra consolation, much less fatigue
The brand new Twin Knit Band brings a extra ergonomic match for longer classes. The 2-layer knitted construction is designed for consolation and breathability, with versatile tungsten inserts within the decrease strap that act as counterweights. A dual-function Match Dial lets customers fine-tune the match for stability. Obtainable in a number of sizes, the band is appropriate with earlier Imaginative and prescient Professional models and offered individually for $99 which appears fairly affordable.
This small however significant {hardware} revision suggests Apple is responding on to person suggestions about steadiness and stress factors throughout prolonged viewing or artistic classes. The unique band positively didn’t get too many nice evaluations after prolonged carrying.
Apple’s new Twin Knit band for the Imaginative and prescient Professional guarantees to be significantly extra snug. Picture credit score: Apple
visionOS 26 provides deeper spatial and AI integration
The accompanying visionOS 26 software program replace introduces new AI-powered instruments and personalization options. Floating widgets can now anchor inside the person’s bodily setting, and Personas in FaceTime seem extra expressive and lifelike. Generative “spatial scenes” add depth and movement to flat images, whereas new Apple Intelligence instruments like Genmoji and Writing Instruments run quicker because of the M5’s Neural Engine.
The replace additionally broadens assist for 180- and 360-degree video playback, enabling customers to expertise immersive footage from cameras just like the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive – a digital camera we coated in depth for its potential to seize open-gate 3D spherical footage tailored for Imaginative and prescient Professional viewing. Mixed with Apple Immersive’s rising library of spatial movies and live shows, Imaginative and prescient Professional continues to face because the reference system for immersive video consumption.
In latest months, we’ve got reported extensively on a wave of high-profile Apple Immersive productions designed to showcase the headset’s storytelling potential – from the immersive brief movie Submerged, Bono: The Immersive Expertise and D-Day: The Digital camera Soldier to the bold Bastille Day immersive movie. Every of those tasks leverages 3D, 180-degree, and volumetric video seize to put viewers contained in the scene with cinematic realism. Imaginative and prescient Professional stays the one client system at present able to reproducing these experiences at their supposed visible and spatial constancy.
The rising ecosystem: apps, video games, and Apple Immersive
Apple claims over a million apps now assist Imaginative and prescient Professional, with greater than 3,000 constructed particularly for visionOS. The corporate’s Apple Immersive video platform is increasing with new titles from the BBC, HYBE, Crimson Bull, and the Audi F1 Mission, alongside dwell NBA and MotoGP broadcasts.
Apple appears to be pushing onerous on commissioned immersive video content material. Picture credit score: Apple
On the gaming aspect, Imaginative and prescient Professional now helps PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers and DualSense gamepads, bringing haptic-rich, six-degree-of-freedom gameplay. For professionals, Logitech’s Muse stylus provides precision drawing for artistic and design functions.
Gurman: Apple’s pivot towards good glasses
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman – somebody usually well-informed about all issues Apple – lately reported that Apple’s long-term technique is already shifting towards light-weight good glasses powered by the identical visionOS basis. In his Energy On e-newsletter, Gurman wrote:
“The good glasses are additionally prone to run the Imaginative and prescient Professional’s working system, visionOS, so all of the work on that software program isn’t going to waste.”
Gurman suggests Apple’s glasses might provide a “dual-mode” expertise, operating full visionOS when tethered to a Mac and a simplified interface when paired with an iPhone. This means that the Imaginative and prescient Professional’s present {hardware} and software program ecosystem are stepping stones towards a extra compact, mainstream product class.
A fork in Apple’s spatial roadmap?
Whereas Imaginative and prescient Professional stays the last word showcase for immersive cinema, design, and AI-driven spatial workflows, a shift towards glasses inevitably raises a philosophical query: what occurs to full-immersion video?
Gadgets just like the URSA Cine Immersive digital camera and Apple Immersive’s 3D library depend on headsets with enclosed optics able to rendering lifelike depth, shade, and presence. If Apple’s subsequent wave of merchandise embraces transparency and portability over whole immersion, a few of these cinematic experiences may lose their splendid viewing medium.
Imaginative and prescient Professional M5 proves: Apple performs the lengthy sport
But realizing Apple, I think they’re as typical enjoying the lengthy sport right here, and it’s uncommon for Apple to shortly drop a product – so possibly the Imaginative and prescient Professional will stay a specialised system with a premium price ticket, whereas a “Imaginative and prescient Air” would possibly change into the on a regular basis good glasses. Solely time will inform.
The place are we going with Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional after this present M5 spec bump? Picture credit score: Apple
For now, although, Imaginative and prescient Professional (particularly with the M5 improve) stays the flagship platform for high-fidelity immersive viewing, bridging Apple’s spatial computing ambitions with the skilled filmmaking world. And their M5 improve proves that there’s extreme dedication behind the product line inside the firm.
Pricing and availability of Imaginative and prescient Professional M5
The brand new Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional (M5) nonetheless begins at $3,499 (US) in 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB configurations, with shipments starting October 22, 2025. Equipment embrace the Twin Knit Band ($99), Imaginative and prescient Professional Journey Case ($199), ZEISS optical inserts (from $99), Logitech Muse ($129.95), and PlayStation VR2 Sense controller ($249.95).
Sadly, Imaginative and prescient Professional M5 appears to nonetheless be out there solely in choose international locations, together with the US, UK, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Canada, France and Germany. Let’s hope that can change.
The larger image
With the M5’s neural accelerators, quicker AI processing, and refined consolation, Apple’s Imaginative and prescient Professional M5 is each an evolution of a first-gen product. It stays the gold commonplace for immersive content material right this moment, but might quickly function the bridge to a brand new technology of Apple wearables constructed for on a regular basis augmented experiences.
What’s your tackle the newest Imaginative and prescient Professional M5 upgrades as a filmmaker? Will you dive into producing immersive video content material with this refreshed dedication to the platform?
