Apple is loaning Vision Pro headset to developers under tight secrecy

However, the developer kits are not really a soft launch of the final product. Apple has imposed strict rules for the developers who receive the headset, as they are only loaned and not sold. The headset remains Apple’s property and must be returned after the launch. The developers must also sign confidentiality agreements that prohibit them from disclosing any details about the hardware or software. They must keep the device at the address where it was shipped, avoid using it in public, and lock it in a hard case when not in use, according to the Apple developer agreement.

The rules do not stop there. The developers cannot let anyone else access, view, or handle the hardware, including family, friends, roommates, or household employees. They cannot discuss the hardware publicly or on social media. Apple reserves the right to request a list of staff who are authorised to work on the device.

Apple representatives will also monitor the developers and offer code reviews to software makers and companies with access to the hardware.

Apple hopes that the developers will work on porting VR apps from other platforms and building new apps exclusive to the Vision Pro. The company says it is prioritising app makers who want to leverage the new hardware’s capabilities, rather than simply adapting existing iPad apps to the device.

For developers who do not receive a loaned unit, Apple says it will also allow some developers access to the hardware at “labs” in cities such as London, Shanghai, and Tokyo.

Apple unveiled the Vision Pro, its new virtual reality product that the company calls its first “spatial computer,” in June. It is Apple’s first major new product since the Apple Watch in 2014. The headset uses advanced cameras and sensors to blend the real world and virtual objects inside the headset’s high-definition screens mounted close to the user’s eye.