Vision Pro fans will need an appointment if they want to buy Apple's $3,500 headset from a store, report says

• Apple will need to book an appointment to buy the Vision Pro headset in-store.
• The company is planning a retail launch for the headset next year, Bloomberg reported.
• The in-store appointments are aimed at ensuring that the product fits properly.

Apple fans hoping to get their hands on the Vision Pro will need to book an appointment to buy the headset in-store.

Apple is planning a retail launch for the product in some US markets next year, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the decision. The company will set up purchase appointments in-store to ensure the headset fits its owner properly, the report said.

The Vision Pro will be rolled out next year, with stores in New York and Los Angeles among the first to stock the device, per Bloomberg. It will also be available online from early 2024, according to the report.

Representatives for Apple did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside normal working hours.

Apple's Vision Pro is the company's first major product release in eight years. The headset has been many years in the making and as Insider previously reported, there have been setbacks and compromises with its design.

Apple has reportedly been forced to limit production forecasts after suffering a series of supply-chain difficulties, the FT reported, citing multiple people with knowledge of the manufacturing process.

The company had plans to ship 1 million units next year but the production issues mean it might produce half as much, according to the FT report.

Apple has also faced backlash about the price of the mixed-reality headset. The tech giant's announcement of the headset at its Worldwide Developer Conference was met with audience groans, sighs, and laughter when the price was revealed, Insider's Pete Syme reported. Elon Musk has also taken a swipe at the product's high price.