If you spent $3,500 for an Apple Vision Pro headset, the first thing you'd probably want to do is download an app from the App Store. Without a decent app, what's the big deal? Unfortunately, more than half of the available Vision Pro-only apps seem to require additional payment.

The news comes from app information company Appfigures (via TechCrunch), which found that 52% of Vision Pro-only apps require upfront payment. This means that as a result of free downloads, users are not exposed to ads or in-app purchases.

For reference, Appfigures claims that only 5% of apps in the broader App Store require prepayment. In other words, Vision Pro suggests a return to the days when actual fees were required before software could be used. The report also notes that 35% of Vision Pro-only apps are not monetized at all, and only 13% offer some form of subscription.

These statistics do not include other iOS and iPad apps that are compatible with the headset, whether we are talking about apps modified specifically for the Vision Pro or apps as is.

Expanding the parameters, only 17% of the apps were paid downloads and 58% were monetized through subscriptions. Even if the percentage of paid downloads far exceeds that of the iPhone and iPad, this is a pretty big change.

The question here is why the method of monetizing apps has changed so dramatically: developers who create apps specifically for Vision Pro may want to recoup some of their development costs up front rather than relying on other methods that require active user participation

TechConcerns.

TechCrunch notes that Apollo for Reddit developer Christian Sellig's $5 Vision Pro YouTube client, Juno, has already recouped the cost of Sellig's Vision Pro. This is especially true when it provides access to services for which the developer does not have a native Vision Pro app.

For Vision Pro users, this means they may have to shell out some money for a dedicated app for their headset; according to Appfigures, the average price for an app is $5.67, with the majority under $10. Some, however, are more expensive, such as the $98 interactive Periodic Table of the Elements.

These prices instantly reminded me of the official TomTom app for the iPhone: back in 2009, when TomTom was the king of in-car satellite navigation, the official app cost $100. These days, it is free for one year and then requires a subscription of $20 to $80 per year, depending on the type of car you drive.

Unfortunately, we don't know how successful the Vision Pro app is now, as Apple has removed these apps from the App Store's top charts. This will definitely help new headset users figure out which apps are actually worth using and paying for.

As more people purchase Vision Pro and more apps become available, the situation will undoubtedly change. Whether that means more subscription-based models or an influx of in-app purchases is not certain. For now, however, we do know that some of the best apps on Apple Vision Pro may be paid for, but at least they are one-time only.