A $3,699 headset can't afford to keep its own content team running. That's the most blunt takeaway from this round of layoffs.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has cut roughly 200 jobs across its Vision Pro and Siri software teams — about 100 from Vision Pro and another 100 from Siri and related software divisions. On the Vision Pro side, the cuts are concentrated in the games and immersive video teams — the two features most often used to showcase the headset since its launch.
Apple reportedly determined that producing immersive video content costs too much, while Vision Pro's user base remains too small to justify continued investment. Since launching in 2024, the headset has been held back by its steep price tag and lackluster user experience, and it has yet to gain real traction in the market.
The logic behind the Siri cuts is different, targeting the team behind the older version of the assistant. With iOS 27 introducing a new LLM-based Siri AI, Apple now needs talent with a different technical skill set, shrinking the role of the legacy team.
Apple confirmed the layoffs and organizational changes, saying in a statement: "While we will create new jobs as a result of this shift, it also affects some existing positions. We are grateful for the contributions of the employees impacted by these changes and are committed to supporting them through the transition, including opportunities to apply for other roles at Apple."
This shakeup isn't an isolated move. The Apple vice president who led Vision Pro recently left to join OpenAI, and there were earlier reports that Apple had pulled team members originally developing the next-generation Vision Pro to instead support its rumored AR smart glasses project. In other words, Apple's resources are shifting away from immersive headsets and toward a smart glasses format that doesn't rely on games or video content to carry it.
Gurman's report also notes that Apple has told employees Vision Pro and VisionOS aren't going away, with a new model expected as early as 2028. But with the company's focus now on smart glasses that don't support immersive video or emphasize gaming, cutting the games and video teams was almost an inevitable outcome. Engadget has reached out to Apple for comment and has yet to receive a response.
