Apple fans, look away now as this YouTuber puts the Vision Pro through an excruciating toughness test.
And if you’re thinking about splashing out $3,500 (£2,786) for the headset, his findings might make you reconsider.
YouTuber JerryRigEverything, whose real name is Zack Nelson, tested Apple’s latest creation to the point of destruction in a ‘scratch test’.
The painful footage reveals that the external screen is not glass but is actually an easily scratched laminated glass.
Mr Nelson warns: ‘Any keys coins or metal object that comes in contact with the Apple Vision Pro will leave a permanent, irreparable mark.’
YouTuber JerryRigEverything put the Apple Vision Pro through a destructive scratch test, revealing that the outer cover is a plastic coating which easily scratches
The Apple Vision Pro, which is Apple’s first virtual reality headset, launched in stores across the US last Friday.
Reviews have praised the headset’s technology and immersive experience, but with an eyewatering price tag of $3,500 (£2,786) many question if it is worth the price.
In his own review video, Mr Nelson says that the Vision Pro’s impressive tech isn’t matched by its build quality.
Apple’s website says that the front of the headset is made of ‘a singular piece of three-dimensionally formed laminated glass’.
However, this shocking video reveals that the headset is not as durable as it might sound.
The footage shows Mr Nelson putting the front screen through a scratch test commonly used to test the hardness of minerals.
The video warns that any metal object like keys or coins that comes into contact with the Apple Vision Pro will easily leave a deep and irreparable scratch
The headset uses laminated layers of plastic and glass. By putting the plastic on the outside the headset becomes more resistant to cracking when dropped but more likely to scratch
Mr Nelson takes picks made from different materials and scrapes them across the screen to see how hard it is to scratch.
On the Mohs hardness scale, a measure of how resistant something is to scratching, glass usually becomes scratched between 5.5 and 6.
But during the tests, the Vision Pro starts to become scratch at a 3 and is deeply marked at level 4.
This makes the outer screen about as hard as a copper penny, meaning it is much more likely to be plastic than glass.
In the video, Mr Nelson says he was so shocked by the results of the test that he had to repeat the experiment and even thought he might have left a screen protector on the product.
‘But there is no screen protector, this scratch plastic is permanently attached to the unit,’ he says.
To emphasise his point, Mr Nelson then takes a Stanley knife and begins to painfully gouge the outer surface, leaving deep cuts in the surface.
However, Mr Nelson does point out that having the plastic laminate on the outside makes the headset more resistant to being dropped.
He says: ‘The glass is far less likely to shatter with the laminate being on the outside, plastic will absorb most impacts without the glass shattering.
‘But plastic on the outside means it will scratch easier and if those scratches appear over one of the many cameras or sensors around the outside it’s going to really mess up your worldview.’
Reviewers have praised the Vision Pro for its immersive experience and people who have trialled the headsets at Apple Stores (pictured) are amazed with the design. But at $3,500 the headset being easily damaged is an expensive issue
More worryingly, the review also found that the interior lenses (pictured) are so soft that cleaning them with a paper towel or Napkin would risk permanently scratching them and ruining the display
Apple does offer repair services for the Apple Vision Pro but replacing the front screen costs $799.
The price is reduced down to $299 if you pay $500 for AppleCare+.
But, as Mr Nelson points out, this brings the total price to $799 which is exactly the same as without AppleCare.
More worryingly, the interior lenses of the Apple Vision Pro, through which the user sees the inbuilt display, also appear to be made of plastic.
The video shows Mr Nelson easily carving deep grooves into the lenses, rendering the display permanently damaged.
These lenses are so delicate that Mr Nelson warns that users need to be very careful while cleaning the headset.
He says: ‘I cannot stress how important it is to not clean or wipe the interior plastic lenses of the Apple Vision Pro with paper towels, tissues or napkins since all of these paper products have wood fibres that will completely and permanently absolutely wreck the plastic lenses.’
The reviewer says that the headband was extremely soft and comfortable but found that it was quite flammable and advised against wearing the headset near any open flames
The Vision Pro ships with two different styles of headband: a stretchy woollen Solo Knit Band headband and the adjustable Dual Loop Band for a more precise fit.
Mr Nelson says he was extremely impressed by the comfort of the Solo Knit band that arrived with the headset saying it ‘feels like it’s been knitted with the love of a thousand grandmas.’
However, his video reveals a shocking potential issue with this headband.
Not done with his destructive testing Mr Nelson holds a lighter flame up to the headband of the Vision Pro which quickly catches alight and burns with a strong flame.
Mr Nelson says: ‘I would highly recommend against smoking anything or standing near a campfire while wearing the Apple Vision Pro.’
MailOnline has contacted Apple for comment.
