Don't have $3,499 to spend on the Apple Vision Pro? Try these five headsets instead.

The Meta Quest 3, pictured above, is one of five cheaper alternatives to Apple's Vision Pro. AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez

• Apple's Vision Pro is available to buy for $3,499 from Friday.
• But for techies on a budget, cheaper mixed-reality headsets may be a more feasible option.

The Apple Vision Pro — the tech behemoth's highly anticipated mixed-reality headset — hit the market on Friday.

The exciting news for people who've been itching to try the newest technology: the headset will be able to do things like let users access virtual apps using their eyes and voice, not just their hands (like on an iPhone). In Apple's words, it's a "revolutionary spatial computer that transforms how people work, collaborate, connect, relive memories, and enjoy entertainment."

The less-good news: it costs a whopping $3,499.

While preorders for the Apple Vision Pro were reportedly snapped up almost instantly — despite mixed reviews from early users of the headset — that's still a lot of money.

So, cheaper offerings from competitors may be a better option for those on a budget. These range from augmented-reality headsets, where digital elements are overlayed onto one's surroundings, to mixed-reality, where digital overlays can interact with the physical environment, to virtual reality, a fully immersive foray into the digital realm.

Here are five of the latest headsets that offer a more affordable alternative to Apple's Vision Pro right now: