Apple has cut more than 200 jobs across teams responsible for its Vision Pro headset, Siri digital assistant, and immersive video production, according to a Bloomberg report on Thursday. The layoffs include the near-total shutdown of a Vision Pro team focused on gaming and a significant reduction in the team producing Immersive Video content for the spatial computing platform.
An Apple spokesperson told Bloomberg that the changes were made “to evolve our business to deliver the best experiences for our users.” The company added that it will create new roles as part of the restructuring, though existing roles will be impacted.
Gaming Team “Largely Shut Down”
Approximately 100 of the cuts come from the Vision Pro group, with the gaming division bearing the heaviest losses. Apple has “largely shut down” the team that was building gaming experiences for its mixed-reality headset, a sign that consumer demand for spatial computing gaming has fallen far short of the company’s initial ambitions.
The Immersive Video team, which produces the cinematic 180-degree and 3D content designed to showcase Vision Pro’s capabilities, has also been scaled back. This team was responsible for some of the headset’s most technically impressive demonstrations, including immersive concerts, sports broadcasts, and nature documentaries.
The Siri team also saw layoffs, though the exact scope was not detailed. The cuts come as Apple works to overhaul its AI capabilities and compete with more advanced conversational assistants from Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic.
Smart Glasses Take Priority
The layoffs do not signal Apple’s abandonment of Vision Pro or its visionOS platform, according to reports. Apple has told employees that visionOS is not going away. However, the company’s near-term hardware focus has shifted to lightweight smart glasses that would not support immersive video or advanced gaming titles.
That strategic pivot aligns with broader industry trends. Smart glasses powered by AI assistants have emerged as a more practical form factor than fully enclosed headsets, with Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses gaining significant consumer traction. Apple reportedly sees AI-powered glasses as the next major product category after the iPhone.
The Vision Pro, which launched in February 2024 at $3,499, struggled with slow adoption due to its high price, limited content library, and physical discomfort during extended use. Apple reduced the headset’s price and introduced a more affordable model, but spatial computing has remained a niche market.
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