Apple could use the Vision Pro to treat mental illness, report says
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- Apple is debating using the Vision Pro to diagnose and treat mental illness.
- The Information reported that the Pro's VR features could help improve the emotional state of users.
- The $3,499 headset, which Apple unveiled in June, is expected to go on sale early next year.
The Vision Pro is Apple's biggest gamble in years — and now, reports suggest the company could be planning to use it to treat mental health.
Apple is reportedly considering using the $3,499 headset to diagnose and treat depression, anxiety, and PTSD, including by showing users sights and sounds in virtual reality that improve their emotional state, according to The Information.
Unnamed sources also told The Information that the device's advanced eye-tracking cameras and sensors could be used to identify signs of mental illness.
Apple is still reportedly internally debating the features, which would face stringent checks from regulators.
Virtual reality has been used to treat patients with anxiety disorders and PTSD for decades, including survivors of the 9/11 terror attacks.
VR experiences have been found to reduce stress and burnout among those with high-intensity jobs, such as frontline health workers.
Apple has increasingly dipped its toes into the health sector, incorporating more advanced health and fitness features into the Apple Watch and announcing a range of new mental health tools for iOS at its WDCC conference in June.
Apple unveiled the Vision Pro, its first mixed-reality headset and first major new product in 8 years, at the same event.
It is packed with high-tech features that outstrip other VR devices on the market, including the ability to control it with just your hands and eyes, rather than having to use controllers.
Despite this, there are still questions about what the main purpose of the Pro will be, with Apple marketing it primarily as an entertainment and productivity device.
The Vision Pro is expected to go on sale next year for $3,499, though Apple has reportedly faced some production issues due to the complexity of the device.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours.