Under EU pressure, Apple Vision Pro users in it will get alternative payment options

As the Apple Vision Pro AR/VR headset finally gets close to releasing within the European Union, Apple has made the following announcement to app developers:

"Alternative payment options are now supported starting in visionOS 1.2 for apps distributed on the App Store in the EU."

The Apple Vision Pro is going to be available in EU regions Germany and France next week (alongside Australia and Canada), starting July 12, after being exclusive to the US for about five months now.

Due to the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple has been facing issues with releases in the region, and will notably have to stall the launch of its advanced AI features there, which are coming to the next major iOS and iPadOS release in most other regions.

And in regards to this particular case, as we reported earlier, the EU could fine Apple with almost $40 billion for "gatekeeper" practices, which has likely encouraged the company to allow alternative payment options for the Apple Vision Pro.

While the DMA keeps causing delays of Apple features EU users may want to take advantage of, it's hard to argue with the good it's ultimately aiming to do, such as allowing users a greater set of options for app stores and payment methods.

As for Apple's stance on things, it previously announced that it would "continue to constructively engage with the European Commission to comply with the DMA across all designated services." And as we can see, that statement appears to hold true.

The $3,500 Apple Vision Pro is the company's first AR/VR headset, and was rumored to be in development for years prior to its official release. Insiders have also said that Apple may launch a more affordable Apple Vision headset in the future, and ultimately aim for smart AR glasses as the endgame, once the technology is ready for it.

If you're interested in learning more about the device, check out our Apple Vision Pro review, and for more AR/VR headsets and smart glasses – our dedicated PhoneArena AR/VR page.