Rental market thrives for Apple’s Vision Pro as Chinese netizens eagerly await headset’s official launch date
- Dozens of adverts for Vision Pro rentals can be found in Beijing, Shanghai, Xian and Nanjing
- Rental prices vary from 98 yuan ($13.60) per hour to 1,500 yuan per day, with some merchants requiring a deposit of at least 30,000 yuan
With Apple’s Vision Pro mixed-reality headset still not officially available for sale in China, some domestic merchants have begun to lease the high-priced gadget to Chinese tech enthusiasts who are itching to try it out.
Although Facebook owner Meta Platforms and other companies have been making virtual-reality (VR) headsets for years, many industry analysts believe Apple’s Vision Pro has the potential to expand the technology’s audience beyond traditional video gamers.
Dozens of adverts for such rentals in Beijing, Shanghai, Xian in central Shaanxi province and Nanjing in eastern Jiangsu province, could be found on Monday, according to a search by the Post of online flea markets such as Alibaba Group Holding’s Xianyu and Zhuan Zhuan, which is affiliated with 58.com. Alibaba owns the Post.
Vision Space, a Beijing-based VR start-up, has several bricks-and-mortar stores that allow customers to try out the device for 98 yuan (US$13.60) an hour. The biggest one, in Hopson One mall in eastern Beijing, has received more than 10,000 customers since February 4, according to company founder and chief executive Song Lei.
“It’s been super busy over the weekend as people line up to interact with the gadget,” said Song.
A tech enthusiast surnamed Fu, who owns Meta Platform’s Quest 3 headset, tested the Apple gadget at the Vision Space store on Monday. He said that the Vision Pro “excelled” the Quest 3 “in every sense”.
