Xcode 26 code raises hopes for a cheaper Vision Pro, but there’s probably nothing to see here

Apple didn’t announce any new hardware at its WWDC 2025 keynote earlier this week, but eagle-eyed beta testers have been busily combing through the code for any references to upcoming product launches. And they have not searched in vain.

According to 9to5Mac, Xcode 26—the latest version of Apple’s developer tool for creating third-party apps—includes a mysterious new “Vision Pro 4K” simulator. That in itself doesn’t refer to the specs of an upcoming model, for the simple reason that the current Vision Pro has greater-than 4K output. (As Apple says on its product page, the device offers “more pixels than a 4K TV for each eye.”) But it could hint at something else if you’re eager to read between the lines.

The key thing is that Xcode now offers two simulation modes for the Vision Pro: Vision Pro 4K and Vision Pro. Yes, the key change is that the simulator can now, for the first time, output in 4K. But the old version is still there. Why? The logical explanation is that Apple is simply giving devs high-res and lower-res options in case they don’t have access to the proper hardware so they’ll still be able to test their apps even if it’s not a perfect rendition of the current Vision Pro experience. Or perhaps the old mode in there because Apple hasn’t bothered to get rid of it yet, what with all the new stuff being “beta” right now.

The third, more fantastical possibility is that Apple has kept the non-4K mode around because it will be used in the future for a new Vision Pro model with a lower resolution. This is already a widespread rumor, perhaps because it feels so necessary: the Vision Pro is a deeply impressive product but far too expensive to be commercially successful. Apple could easily compromise in a few areas, get the price down, and still deliver a high-quality experience.

The main problem with this theory is that it’s premature. Rumors currently hold that the cheaper Vision Pro (just plain Vision?) won’t be with us until beyond 2027, and that the next model we get will have slightly better specs than the current one–it certainly won’t have a lower resolution. If the old low-res mode is intended for the budget model, it’ll probably be hanging around until visionOS 27 or even 28—a rather long time to spin in the rumor mill.