For a long time, Apple’s Vision Pro has been seen as the best example of mixed-reality technology, combining the digital and physical worlds into a smooth spatial computing experience. The M2 chip-powered device came out in early 2024 and quickly became a showcase for Apple’s plans in immersive technology, even though it cost $3,499 and only appealed to a small group of people. The company has now shown off an improved version powered by the revolutionary M5 chip as of October 2025. This update isn’t a complete redesign; it’s a targeted evolution that improves performance, comfort, and efficiency without changing the headset’s iconic aluminum and glass exterior. As spatial computing gets better, the Vision Pro with M5 comes at a key time, promising to open up more advanced AI-powered interactions and richer content ecosystems. Pre-orders are now open, and the product will be available starting October 22. This update could give Apple’s most ambitious wearable a new lease on life by fixing early complaints about battery life and processing power and paving the way for more people to use it.
The Powerhouse M5 Chip: Making Engineering Work Better and AI Better
The M5 chip is the most important part of this upgrade. It is Apple’s latest success in making custom silicon, and it is based on TSMC’s third-generation 3-nanometer technology. The M5 replaces the M2 and has a more advanced 10-core CPU setup with up to four performance cores and six efficiency cores. This makes it up to 15% faster at running multiple threads than the M4. This means that apps will open faster, multitasking will be smoother, and web browsing will be more responsive in the visionOS environment. The next-generation 10-core GPU is the real star. It has a Neural Accelerator in each core, which lets GPU-based AI workloads run over four times faster than on the M4. The third-generation ray tracing engine and better shader cores will be great for people who love graphics. They can improve overall rendering by up to 45% in ray-traced apps, which makes lighting, shadows, and textures look more realistic in spatial games and 3D modeling tools.
The M5’s 16-core Neural Engine makes it even better at AI by handling machine learning tasks with amazing energy efficiency. The unified memory bandwidth goes up to 153 GB/s, which is almost 30% more than the M4. This lets the chip handle bigger AI models on the device without needing the cloud. For Vision Pro users, this means that features like making 3D scenes from 2D photos or making custom Personas now work up to 50% faster. Third-party apps also see twice the AI performance. Apple stresses how these improvements make the headset a powerful device on its own. It can handle complex tasks like video editing in Final Cut Pro or neural rendering in creative apps, all while staying cool in its small size. The M5 isn’t just a small upgrade; it’s a big change that makes Vision Pro a real competitor to high-end PCs in immersive computing.
Display and Graphics: Clearer Visions, Smoother Realities
One of the most obvious improvements is in visual fidelity, where the M5’s better features show up on the Vision Pro’s two micro-OLED screens. These panels, which are already known for having more pixels than a 4K TV per eye, now have 10% more pixels overall. This makes text clearer, details in spatial photos sharper, and 3D environments more immersive. You can see the difference right away, whether you’re zooming in on a virtual Jupiter simulation that was just added to visionOS 26 or looking at complicated blueprints in a group AR session. The refresh rate has also been increased from 100Hz to 120Hz. This reduces motion blur when you’re in passthrough mode (when you’re looking at the real world through cameras) and makes Mac Virtual Display run smoothly, where the headset mirrors your computer’s screen in large virtual spaces.
Hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading, which are features that come from the M3 but are much better here, make graphics rendering much better. Developers can now make experiences with realistic reflections and moving shadows. This makes everything from VR games like the upcoming NBA Immersive series to professional simulations in fields like medicine and architecture better. Apple’s tests show that the graphics performance is up to 30% faster than the M4. The second-generation dynamic caching makes sure that frame rates stay the same even in demanding scenes. The M5 makes sure that virtual elements feel like they are part of the real world by working with the unchanged R1 chip for ultra-low-latency sensor processing (under 12 milliseconds). This isn’t just a guess; early demos show that these changes make the Vision Pro easier on the eyes during long sessions, making it possible to work all day instead of just for short bursts of wonder.
The Dual Knit Band Revolution: Comfort and Ergonomics
People have always said that the original Vision Pro was uncomfortable because it weighed 650 grams and had strap options that made them tired after an hour. The included Dual Knit Band is a hybrid design that combines the lightness of the Solo Knit Band with the top-mounted support of the Dual Loop Band. Made from a single piece of 3D-knitted fabric, it has a dual-rib structure for better cushioning and stretch. The lower strap has flexible tungsten-embedded ribs for stability that is balanced. The Fit Dial is easy to use and has two functions. It lets you make precise micro-adjustments to make sure that the fit is right for small, medium, and large sizes. This band costs $99 when bought separately and works with M2 models, so it’s an easy upgrade for people who already own one.
The M5’s efficiency is a big part of how comfortable it is to wear, besides the strap. Apple has increased the battery life to 2.5 hours of general use (up from two hours) and three hours of video playback by optimizing power draw. This is possible even though the external battery pack stays the same. This extra half hour could mean the difference between finishing a long virtual meeting or having to take a break in the middle of it. With spatial widgets that float naturally in your environment, VisionOS 26 makes these improvements even better. This means you don’t have to keep switching between menus, which means less head movement. For people who work in fast-paced environments, like surgeons looking at 3D scans or designers working on prototypes, these improvements turn the headset from a fun toy into a useful tool. This could make it more appealing to people who haven’t bought it yet.
visionOS 26 opens up new possibilities for software and ecosystems.
With visionOS 26, Apple’s newest software version that focuses on intuitive spatial interactions, the M5’s hardware synergies are fully realized. New Personas give you more realistic digital avatars with better facial tracking. The interactive Jupiter Environment lets you orbit the gas giant in a stunning, physics-accurate simulation that is great for learning or just having fun. Apple Intelligence integration is getting better with support for more languages and faster processing on devices. This makes things like real-time language translation during global collaborations and AI-assisted scene generation in the Photos app possible. There are over a million apps on the App Store, thousands of games, and hundreds of 3D titles on Apple TV. Soon, new Immersive Video content, like live NBA games, will be available.
The M5’s doubled AI speeds give apps the ability to use Metal 4’s Tensor APIs for custom neural workloads, which is a big win for third-party developers. Think about fitness trackers that can look at your form in real time with AR overlays or business tools that can show you how supply chains work in full-size virtual warehouses. The ecosystem has reached a new level of maturity. For example, spatial notes from one device appear as interactive holograms on another. This makes for a unified Apple universe where Vision Pro and M5-powered MacBook Pros or iPad Pros can easily switch between them. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 make this connectedness even stronger, which supports Apple’s idea of computing as an extension of the self rather than a tethered obligation.
Availability, Prices, and What’s Next
The M5 Vision Pro costs the same as its predecessor, $3,499 for the 256GB base model. It is available for pre-order today in major markets like the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Japan, Hong Kong, and the UAE. Shipping will start on October 22. Apple Stores let people try out the upgrades right away, so they can see how they work. Storage options are still 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB, and people who need prescription glasses still need ZEISS Optical Inserts.
This update shows that Apple is still working on Vision Pro, even though there are rumors that the company is moving toward making lighter smart glasses. The “Vision Air” is still on hold, but the M5 infusion could help developers get things moving, which could lower costs through economies of scale. Some people may complain that the design isn’t thinner, but for professionals and fans, these improvements make Vision Pro the best spatial tech on the market. The M5-powered headset isn’t just an update; it’s a way to see what the future will be like. It makes us rethink how we work, create, and connect in three dimensions.
