Apple has upgraded Vision Pro with the M5 chip and a new Dual Knit Band, promising faster performance, crisper rendering, and better battery life — plus fresh spatial features in visionOS 26.
For the broader silicon context, see Apple’s new M5 chip lands with 4× AI GPU boost, faster Neural Engine, and higher memory bandwidth, and don’t miss our device coverage for iPad Pro and the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5.
What’s new: performance, pixels, and refresh rate
At the heart of the update is M5: a next-gen 10-core CPU/GPU design with hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading, and a faster 16-core Neural Engine. On Vision Pro, Apple says you’ll see snappier system-wide responsiveness, quicker app and widget loads, and faster AI-powered tasks like Persona capture and transforming photos into spatial scenes.
The headset now renders 10% more pixels on its micro-OLEDs, and can push refresh up to 120 Hz when you glance at your surroundings or use Mac Virtual Display — a combo aimed at sharper text, lower blur, and a smoother virtual desktop. Battery life is rated up to 2.5 hours for general use or 3 hours for video. nr.apple.com
These gains line up with months of reporting that a Vision Pro refresh would ride the M5 wave across Apple’s lineup — including our pieces on FCC filings hinting at the new model and Apple’s busy October cadence.
Dual Knit Band: comfort gets a real upgrade
Comfort was a top request from early adopters, and Apple’s answer is the Dual Knit Band. It uses upper and lower 3D-knit straps with a dual-rib structure for support and breathability, tungsten-embedded fabric ribs for counterweighting, and a dual-function Fit Dial for micro-adjustments.
It ships with the new unit, is sold separately, and is compatible with the previous Vision Pro — a nice win if you already own the headset. We’ve been tracking this strap since the Dual Knit Band leak, and today’s hardware mirrors that description closely.
visionOS 26: spatial widgets, better Personas, and creator-friendly pipelines
visionOS 26 anchors the software side. Spatial widgets now persist in your space, Personas look more natural in calls, and spatial scenes add AI-generated depth to 2D photos.
There’s broader playback for 180°/360°/wide-FOV video from action cameras, and creators can publish in these formats to Safari and Vimeo. If you’re tracking the rollout pace, see our recent update notes for 26.0.1 and 26.1 betas.
On the AI side, Apple says the faster Neural Engine can make system features up to 50% faster, and third-party apps up to 2× faster when they tap on-device models via Foundation Models.
Enterprise-minded developers are already leaning in — Apple spotlights JigSpace’s new app that pairs interactive 3D with natural-language queries over complex datasets.
Content and gaming
Apple continues to stack content: over a million apps (with 3,000+ built for visionOS), hundreds of 3D movies, and expanding Apple Immersive films and live sports — including Lakers games coming to Immersive experiences, which we covered here.
On the gaming front, the M5 GPU enables hardware ray tracing in titles like Control, and Apple is adding PlayStation VR2 Sense controller support for high-precision tracking and haptics, alongside popular inputs like DualSense.
Pricing, availability, and what’s in the box
Vision Pro with M5 and the Dual Knit Band starts at $3,499 in 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB. Pre-orders are live in the U.S., UK, EU, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, UAE, and more, with additional regions (including China mainland and Singapore) joining this week. In-store availability begins Wednesday, October 22 in launch markets, with South Korea and Taiwan to follow.
The box includes the new band, Light Seal + cushions, a cover, polishing cloth, battery, USB-C charge cable, and the 40W Dynamic Power Adapter (60W Max). ZEISS inserts, the Dual Knit Band, Travel Case, and PlayStation VR2 Sense controller are sold separately.
Why it matters
This refresh doesn’t overhaul the external design; it unblocks performance and comfort — the two biggest friction points for many would-be daily users. With 10% more pixels, 120 Hz situational refresh, and longer battery life, Vision Pro should feel sharper and more fluid, especially for Mac Virtual Display and text-heavy workflows.
The Dual Knit Band answers day-two ergonomics, and visionOS 26 rounds it out with spatial widgets, upgraded Personas, and more creator-friendly pipelines. If you’ve been waiting for the second wave, this is it — and it dovetails with the rest of Apple’s M5 push across Mac and iPad Pro, backed by our M5 architecture overview.
