Apple requires a Face ID facial scan during pre-orders of its new Vision Pro headset

Apple is kicking their highly anticipated Vision Pro headset pre-orders off next week with an unusually personal requirement: a facial scan using the iPhone’s Face ID system.

In an email sent to customers today, Apple revealed that pre-ordering the $3,499 Vision Pro on January 19th necessitates holding an iPhone or iPad up to your face to capture detailed facial measurements. Apple says this will ensure a precise, custom fit when the sleek new headsets begin shipping on February 2nd.

The facial scan requires downloading the latest version of the Apple Store app. For eyeglass wearers interested in the Vision Pro, there’s an optional $199 prescription lens insert available through a partnership with optics leader Zeiss. To order the inserts, you’ll need to provide an up-to-date prescription when pre-ordering.

Apple is banking on the Vision Pro’s lifelike 3D visuals and spatial computing capabilities making it the next must-have device. The headset’s suite of cameras and sensors enables immersive virtual environments, visually stunning games, and futuristic applications still being imagined.

The Vision Pro’s ambitious goal of advancing technology and connecting people took center stage at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference last June. But it’s the device’s prospects as a new social platform, dubbed Horizon Worlds, that could disrupt how people interact. The ability to meet up, play games, and explore expansive digital worlds with friends and family from anywhere could represent the next paradigm shift for social networking and gaming.

For those still unsure about joining Apple’s augmented reality revolution, Apple Stores will have Vision Pro demo units available come launch day on February 2nd. But you may want to schedule some face time with an iPhone beforehand if you want to be among the first to experience Apple’s next big thing.