Disney announced a partnership with Apple on the new Vision Pro mixed reality headset on Monday, June 6, local time in the United States. Earlier the same day, Apple unveiled the Apple Vision Pro, a mixed reality headset priced at $3,499, at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference 2023 (WWDC23).
We’re always looking for new ways to entertain and inspire our fans, combining extraordinary creativity with groundbreaking technology to create truly remarkable experiences,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. We believe Vision Pro is a revolutionary platform that can help us achieve that vision.”
Eagle said he has tried the Apple headset device and was impressed by the “deeply personal experience” it can create, bringing Disney fans “closer to their favorite characters.
He also said Disney’s streaming service Disney + will be available with Vision Pro, which Apple said will begin shipping “early next year. The immersive headset will allow people to watch movies and TV on a giant virtual screen in environments such as space, or allow them to participate directly in activities such as underwater trips, both of which Eagle showed off Monday. It will also support 3D, just like Meta’s Quest headset does.
Eagle showed how VR could change the way fans watch sports by bringing them courtside and letting them change their perspective.
For Eagle, the ability to actually build something new, rather than cutting into Disney’s business, could be a welcome change. Eagle returned to his role as Disney’s CEO last November at a time when the company and the media industry as a whole were struggling.
Disney has eliminated 7,000 jobs in three rounds of layoffs in recent months, with the latest round beginning in late May and bringing the total number of cuts to 2,500. The cuts disband the company’s metaverse team, which was launched by former CEO Bob Chapek and led by longtime Disney executive Mike White.
In a run-in with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Eagle scrapped plans to invest $1 billion in a new campus in the state. He even pulled dozens of shows and movies from Disney + and Hulu, which is expected to result in a $1.5 billion write-down in the second quarter.
These moves may all be necessary in the face of economic headwinds, but they will certainly take a toll on the team that has spent decades building the Disney empire by acquiring Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars, expanding theme parks and more.
While the partnership with Apple is good news for both Eagle and Disney, it’s worth noting that the Apple Vision Pro still looks like a niche product, at least for a while. For starters, it will be priced at $3,499. By comparison, Meta’s upcoming Quest 3 is priced at just $499. And VR hasn’t made significant progress for any company yet.
Still, if the Vision Pro is a “revolutionary platform” as Eagle predicts, Disney will reap the rewards.
