附近上门

is known for launching generationally iconic consumer devices. But not every gadget goes on to be a hit.

Take the , Apple鈥檚 $3,500 mixed-reality headset that launched to great fanfare early this year. Now, the company may be on the cusp of ending production, following months of slow sales.

If this does come to pass, it won鈥檛 be a surprising development. Early on, Apple failed to sustain enthusiasm for the device it introduced as a 鈥渟patial computing鈥� breakthrough in areas from immersive video to workplace collaboration to content creation.

A common theme in online discussion and reviews of the Vision Pro was that, although people liked it, they weren鈥檛 finding many ways to fit it into their work and recreation routines. Consequently, even those who could afford the device tended to consider it pricey for something seldom used.

AR/VR still not a hitmaker

Apple鈥檚 suboptimal foray into mixed reality computing follows a long line of startup flops in the augmented reality, virtual reality and metaverse space.

Investors have taken heed. So far this year, roughly $758 million has gone to rounds for startups tied to AR, VR and the metaverse, per 附近上门 . That鈥檚 on pace to be the lowest annual total in years, as charted below.

Most of the startups that raised the biggest financings during the peak funding of 2021 have not closed new equity rounds since then. This includes headset maker and augmented reality game developer .

This year, while funding is down, we鈥檙e still seeing some good-sized rounds. The biggest AR-related investment went to , a maker of augmented reality glasses that raised $70 million back in January. Redwood City, California-based Rokid primarily markets its products for workplace and industrial use cases, but also has a consumer offering.

Another larger financing went to Beijing-based , a maker of mixed-reality glasses that聽 raised $60 million in a January round at a value of $1 billion. The company pitches itself as a lower-cost competitor to 鈥檚 Quest and Apple鈥檚 Vision Pro.

Cheaper devices on the horizon?

Looking ahead, it鈥檚 likely mixed-reality device developers will be emphasizing lower cost options given that pricier ones haven鈥檛 been heavy sellers.

Apple, for instance, is reportedly working on . The company is also said to be a cheaper headset as an alternative to the Vision Pro, which could be available in 2026.

Meanwhile, Meta has rolled out its own smart eyewear in partnership with , starting at around $300. While it鈥檚 promoting features like hands-free calling and picture-taking rather than a portal to a virtual world, such offerings could boost consumers鈥� comfort level with wearables.

Despite setbacks, it still may be too soon to give up on the vision of a widely popular, wearable headset or pair of glasses that also serves as a portal to a more immersive digital experience. Clearly, however, we鈥檙e not there yet.

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Related reading:

• Metaverse And Augmented Reality Remain Unpopular With VCs
• Startup Investors Have Fled The Metaverse
• Metaverse Investing Has Slowed. Can Apple Save It?