Apple Vision Pro Rumored to Receive R2 Chip Next Year

Taiwan's Commercial Times this week reported that Apple's Vision Pro headset will be updated next year with Apple's R2 chip. The report said the chip — along with A20 chips for iPhones, and M6 chips for Macs — will be fabricated with TSMC's latest 2nm process.

apple vision pro chips
The current Apple Vision Pro is equipped with Apple's M2 chip, which serves as the device's main processor, along with an R1 chip for input processing.

Apple's description of the R1 chip:

M2 delivers unparalleled standalone performance, while the brand-new R1 chip processes input from 12 cameras, five sensors, and six microphones to ensure that content feels like it is appearing right in front of the user's eyes, in real time. R1 streams new images to the displays within 12 milliseconds — 8x faster than the blink of an eye.

By moving to a 2nm process — the R1 chip is likely 3nm — the R2 chip would have even better performance for input processing.

According to previous rumors, the Apple Vision Pro will be updated as soon as this year, with an M4 chip or M5 chip, a new head strap that improves comfort, and potentially a Space Black color option. This report is the first to mention an R2 chip for a future model, but it is unclear if the 2026 timeframe for that upgrade is accurate.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
airpods color prototypes

Apple Tested AirPods in Bright Colors

Saturday December 27, 2025 6:06 am PST by
Apple reportedly tested a version of the first-generation AirPods with bright, iPhone 5c-like colored charging cases. The images, shared by the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami," claim to show first-generation AirPods prototypes with pink and yellow exterior casings. The interior of the charging case and the earbuds themselves remain white. They seem close to some...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
top stories 2025 12 27

Top Stories: iPhone Fold Mockup, Where's the New Apple TV?, and More

Saturday December 27, 2025 6:00 am PST by
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from MacRumors! News in the Apple world has unsurprisingly been relatively slow over the past week, but Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone managed to make its way back into the news, while we also shared updates on current and future Apple TV news. iOS 26.3 will be bringing some new features, particularly for users in the EU, so we'll look for additional...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

Apple Plans to Expand iPhone Driver's Licenses to These 7 U.S. States

Wednesday December 24, 2025 8:40 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
maxresdefault

10 Mac Apps Worth Trying in 2026

Wednesday December 24, 2025 9:27 am PST by
2026 is almost upon us, and a new year is a good time to try out some new apps. We've rounded up 10 excellent Mac apps that are worth checking out. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Alt-Tab (Free) - Alt-Tab brings a Windows-style alt + tab thumbnail preview option to the Mac. You can see a full window preview of open apps and app windows. One Thing (Free) -...

Top Rated Comments

Legendary--- Avatar
15 weeks ago
Not going to lie, I completely forgot this product existed.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Donkey Man Avatar
15 weeks ago
Just bury that corpse already.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vantelimus Avatar
15 weeks ago

Just bury that corpse already.
I use mine every day. I love my virtual 6-foot wide screen. The only way I will go back to using the desktop with the 27" screen is kicking and screaming. Anyone who thinks this is dead is someone who can only imagine using it for gaming. It has been a huge productivity boost for me.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unregistered 4U Avatar
15 weeks ago

For a platform I was SO EXCITED for leading up to the keynote, it's weird where it's landing. It definitely feels it was forced out the door when it should have remained in The Lab for another 5 years. Easily. Clearly, Tim was under intense pressure to deliver an '07 iPhone moment (as if those can be fabricated). Prob is, the market conditions were nowhere near that of 2007 mobile phones. There was no HUD market to push against really. Still way too niche.
If it had remained in the lab for another 5 years, none of the other companies would have had anything compelling to copy in the interim! It defined spatial computing and that’s a term the competition actually uses now. It defined default interaction without controllers, and that’s an expected feature set for any new headset (pinchy, pinchy). It defined a look, form factor and UI that everyone’s copying (some even copying the icons). It defined level of quality for pass through where a jelly-like real world was unacceptable. Meta improved theirs just so it wouldn’t look so bad compared to Apple. It’s not perfect, but it’s a LONG way from when the first AVP was sold!
EDIT: The industry also didn’t swing mightily towards OLED until AVP was released. Now, pretty much every upcoming headset will have it.

Apple’s done more for the AR/VR industry in almost 2 years than companies that have had products for sale for years longer. Most of the above was absolutely possible on devices before AVP, but they just didn’t do it until Apple showed the way.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fivetoedbear Avatar
15 weeks ago

That’s the cost of a well-spec’d Mac. :)
Think of the original Macintosh in 1984. How it was revolutionary, but limited. Think about what it grew into up until now. I remember. I was there. I felt the excitement, and I feel it with the Vision Pro, too.

In today's dollars, the original Macintosh would cost $7000.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
markgpearse Avatar
15 weeks ago
A little off topic...

I went into my local Apple Store yesterday to pick up a few things. Asked if I could test the VisionPro. The sales staff were very nice. They added the lenses, etc. But no one could get it working!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)