The Apple Vision Pro will be available for purchase in China, Japan, and Singapore by the end of this month, marking its first international debut outside the United States.

• In China, the headset will launch at its highest price, featuring local developer apps, including Chinese tech giants such as Tencent and ByteDance.
• An analyst predicts that the early entry into international markets may indicate weak demand in the U.S.

On June 28, Apple will launch its flagship virtual reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore.

The gadget will make its debut in Asian markets, with pre-orders starting on Friday.

The VR headset was first released in the U.S. four months ago at a starting price of $3,499. In China, one of Apple's key markets, the Vision Pro will be sold at its highest asking price, with a base cost of 29,999 yuan ($4,190).

In China, Apple will need to comply with the government's strict regulations on content. Popular apps such as + and Prime Video are not available on the Vision Pro in the U.S.

The Apple Vision Pro will have new apps and games developed by local Chinese internet companies, including Tencent's Video streaming app and ByteDance's VR version of Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

Oppo, a Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer, is also working on VR technologies and Apple will have to compete with them.

The Vision Pro has seen demand in China, with a gray market for the headset emerging. According to a CNBC search on the Alibaba-owned online flea market app Xianyu, Vision Pros are being sold for up to double their official price.

Apple CEO Tim Cook expressed excitement about the global introduction of spatial computing through the Apple Vision Pro, which has garnered immense enthusiasm.

Despite reports of declining demand for the Vision Pro in the U.S., the company has made an announcement.

In April, TF International Securities' Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, reported that Apple had reduced Vision Pro production due to low demand.

According to Le Xuan Chiew, a Canalys analyst specializing in Apple strategy research, the Vision Pro's expansion into international markets is unexpected and may be an effort to boost sales despite low demand due to its specialized use case and high cost.

The Vision Pro will be available for pre-order in Germany, France, Australia, the U.K., and Canada on June 28, with the headsets becoming available on July 12, as announced by Apple.

On Tuesday, Apple unveiled the latest version of its OS for the Vision Pro, VisionOS 2, which includes new features, AI integrations, and compatibility with 2,000 apps.