In the 2 weeks it has spent on the faces of keen consumers, the Apple Vision Pro has been subjected to its share of criticism. As reported by The Verge and elsewhere, some clients are making a present of returning their Vision Pro headsets earlier than Apple’s normal 14-day return window on new purchases closes. Some headset homeowners have lodged complaints across social media concerning the machine’s weight, saying carrying the Vision Pro for prolonged durations of time causes nice discomfort, and the odd allegedly-related burst blood vessel.

Apple isn’t one to stint on the appear and feel of its merchandise, and the Vision Pro has a characteristically slick aesthetic. Unfortunately, the premium supplies that make up the headset—primarily the aluminum chassis and glass optics—are much heavier than the plastic and different light-weight elements present in competing mixed-reality headsets. There’s additionally an exterior battery pack that reduces the headset’s portability. The bulk, weight, and awkwardness of carrying a pc in your face make for a clunky expertise which hardly appears to lend itself to the varieties of actions Apple is suggesting Vision Pro homeowners use it for: kicking again and watching a feature-length film in VR, doing workplace work, or dancing round your kitchen whereas building a surfboard.

Eduardo Umaña, a hardware designer, says the truth that it’s uncomfortable is much less concerning the supplies and extra concerning the measurement and dimensions of the machine. “When you have weight (the aluminum frame) acting a distance from an anchor point (the user’s face), it creates almost a lever effect that, although minimal, will disturb the user’s experience,” Umaña writes in an e mail to WIRED.

Compare that to a traditional pair of glasses, which relaxation straight on the nostril and sit very near the face, lowering that leverage. Normal glasses clearly require far fewer supplies than the Vision Pro, however Umaña says their design can supply a lesson in learn how to higher hug a face. “If Apple wants to make the device more comfortable and wearable, this distance needs to be reduced significantly. Or at least, the heavier materials should be closer to the user’s face, like in a ski mask.”

Apple didn’t reply to requests for remark.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg weighed in on the Vision Pro by evaluating the headset unfavorably to his firm’s Meta Quest headset in a video posted on Instagram. “Quest is better for the vast majority of things that people use mixed reality for,” he says.

Biased although he clearly is, Zuck could also be proper. Because the Apple Vision Pro isn’t meant to really enchantment to everybody. Jitesh Ubrani, a analysis supervisor on the tech analyst agency IDC, says the Vision Pro is certain to trigger friction as a result of it’s a product supposed as a developer equipment, moderately than one thing actually meant for the common shopper.

“I think Apple realizes there would be this sort of backlash, but it’s the kind of backlash they’d be willing to accept as collateral damage,” Ubrani says. “Really they’re trying to make inroads with the developers right now.”