One reason the Vision Pro might be so expensive: ‘mimetic desire’

Some argue that Apple uses ‘mimetic desire’ to stir up public interest in the Vision Pro.

Jordan Hart/Business Insider

The Apple Vision Pro’s $3,499 price tag may be part of the company’s marketing plan.Some claim the headset’s price is an example of Apple using ‘mimetic desire’ to stir up interest.Public figures with a Vision Pro may, in theory, inspire their followers to buy it if it’s cheaper.

The Vision Pro‘s whopping $3,499 price tag may be part of Apple’s marketing ploy to entice more customers to purchase the mixed-reality headset in the future.

At least that’s what some members of the business community think.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Jason Levin, a marketing strategist who writes about spatial computing, characterized Apple’s so-called promotional tactic as a concept known as “mimetic desire.”

Rooted in philosophical thought, mimetic desire refers to the notion that people desire the same things that their role models want. In the context of the Vision Pro, that theory could mean consumers may be more likely to purchase the device because celebrities or influencers they admire own it.

“When consumers see high-status people rocking Vision Pros in public, it becomes a status symbol to have one,” Levin told Business Insider. “If these people are models to you—which they are for many young people—mimetic desire kicks in and you subconsciously want a Vision Pro too.”

Some public figures who’ve been open about their experiences with the Vision Pro on the internet include YouTubers Logan Paul and Casey Neistat, rappers like T-Pain and Kid Cudi, and tech leaders like former Microsoft strategist Robert Scoble, according to Levin.

Sam Altman, the CEO behind OpenAI, even said on X that the Vision Pro is the “second most impressive tech since the iPhone.”

To support his point on mimetic desire, Levin linked a clip on his X post from an interview with Palmer Luckey, the founder of the Oculus VR headset that’s now Meta’s Quest, from last July. In it, Luckey shared his thoughts on how the Vision Pro’s multi-thousand dollar price is aligned with Apple’s plans to attract people to the product.

“The price just doesn’t matter for the group of early adopters that they’re targeting,” he said in the interview referring to Apple. “But what they’re going to do is to inspire lust in a much larger group of people.”

After all, the Oculus founder, who did not respond to BI’s request for comment, said he believes the Vision Pro will eventually be cheaper for the masses. During its initial phase after launch, the headset, he said, was purposefully designed with cutting-edge screen resolution, display quality, and ergonomics to target a wealthier customer base. Those with more disposable income would have no problem dishing out thousands of dollars for the glossy device compared to those who don’t, he said.

This wealthier customer base who buy and flaunt their headset out in the open may eventually stir up greater consumer interest in the product once its price drops.

“If Apple had tried to go to the low end of the market, that would’ve been a mistake,” Luckey said in the interview.

It’s not just Apple trying to lure future customers to expensive shiny new objects. Levin said that Tesla, the electrical vehicle company run by CEO Elon Musk, has used mimetic desire by putting an expensive price tag on the company’s first model to make “owning an electric car cool.” As a result, those who see people they respect purchase an expensive Tesla would, in theory, increase their desire for one.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to BI’s request for comment.