There are rumours that an Apple VR and AR headset is coming.
One of those things that is consistently speculated but never appears to be released is the Apple VR and AR headset. Although the corporation has not yet made the gadget official, we are aware of its ambitious intentions for augmented reality. The next stage of that journey is the VR/AR headgear.
It’s important to note that the VR/AR headgear differs greatly from the alleged Apple Glasses. Those are reportedly only AR-focused and aren’t anticipated to be released anytime soon. The VR/AR headset, which might arrive as early as 2023, is expected to compete with the PSVR 2, Meta Quest 2, and all other top VR headsets.
Regarding Apple VR/AR, there have been several claims that have surfaced, covering topics like next-generation display technology, its potential cost, and its expected release date. Even the display for the alleged Apple VR/AR Headset 2, the company’s still-unannounced mixed reality headset, has been the subject of recent speculations.
Here is all the information you want on the Apple VR and mixed reality headset.
In This Article
Apple VR/AR headset news (updated September 26)
- Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman asserted the headgear will be available by 2023.
- Apple-related branding for Reality One and Reality Pr has been identified through trademarks. Additionally, a Reality Processor could exist.
- According to the most recent Ming-Chi Kuo rumour, the Apple VR/AR headset would cost between $2,000 and $2,500.
- According to Ming-Chi Kuo, you might have to wait a few of years if you want to purchase a less expensive model of the Apple VR/AR headset.
- What is the expected power of the Apple VR/AR headset? Mark Gurman of Bloomberg claims that it will include the new M2 microprocessor.
Apple VR and mixed-reality headset release date speculation
The Apple VR/AR headset has been the subject of several predictions in circulating rumours. However, Ming-Chi Kuo stands out as the most important analyst and trustworthy Apple oracle, predicting that the Apple VR/AR headset would be released in January 2023, with a second version (along with a less expensive variant) allegedly following in 2025. Mark Gurman concurs that the headgear will be available in 2023 but doesn’t give a specific date.
Kuo calls Apple “a game-changer for the headset business” in a Medium piece that examines several facets of the VR headset market. Kuo believes Cupertino’s first headset will inspire a new wave of devices from rivals aiming to copy its ideas and increase demand for related AR games and applications.
According to a Bloomberg story, the trademarks Reality One, Reality Pro, and Reality Processor may be connected to Apple’s VR/AR headgear. Although it doesn’t necessarily indicate that Apple will utilise these names, the idea that there could be more than one headset is growing.
Apple VR and mixed reality headset vs Apple Glass
The Apple VR and mixed reality headgear is reportedly intended to be a forerunner of Apple Glass. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the AR lenses are intended to provide a “optical see-through AR experience.”
According to all we’ve heard, Apple Glass is intended to look and function like a typical pair of lightweight glasses. We’re talking about eyewear that can transmit data, maybe even pictures, to its lenses.
The Apple VR and mixed reality headset is anticipated to perform similarly to a standard VR headgear, but with additional capability unlocked by a variety of external cameras and sensors.
Apple’s VR and mixed reality headset will be able to blend real-world settings into a virtual area and enable body tracking as a result. Additionally, the Apple VR headset could have a see-through feature that can give an augmented reality experience. So, it differs somewhat from the VR-only Oculus Quest 2.
Mark Gurman has said that the Apple headset, as opposed to joining the’metaverse’ bandwagon like so many others, will be made for quick excursions into VR. In fact, it’s claimed that Apple has made the metaverse “off bounds.” The mixed reality headset will allow users to communicate, watch material, and play games, but it won’t be something you wear all day or serve as a substitute for reality.
Apple VR and mixed reality headset rumored price
Reports on the Apple VR and mixed reality headset price have been mixed. But rumors suggest a developer focus, so pricing may center around attracting programmers.
The ultimate objective of Apple, according to Tim Cook, is augmented reality. According to reports, the company’s plans for wearable AR begin with the headset. According to reports, the headset’s primary objective is to get developers ready for the release of Apple Glass and make sure the specifications have app compatibility for launch. According to rumours, Apple’s primary motivation is not to generate money, and the headset’s pricing will reflect this.
However, Mark Gurman has asserted that the headset would prioritise communication, media consumption, and gaming, suggesting that Apple is creating something with users in mind. This may eventually lead to a less expensive second-generation headset. That doesn’t mean the first-generation headgear won’t be pricey or largely intended for usage by developers, either.
Although reports differ on how pricey Apple’s VR and mixed reality headset will be, it is expected to be costly.
The Information predicts that the price of Apple’s virtual reality headset might reach $3,000. The Microsoft Hololens 2 costs a staggering $3,500, yet most gaming VR headsets are around $1,000.
According to Mark Gurman, the headset might cost up to $2,000 in total. The headset’s hardware, which may feature the Apple M1 Pro processor, a prolonged development period, and the customary higher markup charged for other Apple items are all included into that pricing.
The ultimate cost, according to Ming-Chi Kuo’s latest assessment, should be between $2,000 and $2,500. Additionally, he appeared to validate the alleged launch window.
In any case, the cost of entry is going to be high and certainly a lot higher than other stand-alone VR headsets. For example, the Oculus Quest 2 costs $300 by comparison.
Apple VR and mixed reality headset display rumors
According to a story in The Information, the VR/AR headgear will include 12 tracking cameras that can transmit data to two 8K monitors that are placed in front of the user’s eyes. Additionally, it is said that the headgear will have LiDAR sensors. Display Supply Chain Consultants, or DSCC, disputes this allegation and asserts that Sony is producing 1.4-inch diagonal 4K 4000 x 4000 panels for Apple’s headgear. It is crucial to be aware that DSCC did bring up LiDAR as a potential alternative in its remarks.
DSCC also suggests that Apple might cram in three displays total inside its headset. There could be the two Sony-made 4K displays mentioned above, as well as one larger lower resolution AMOLED display on the back. This, according to the report, would allow Apple to create a foveated display.
The fovea, which is located along the retina at the back of the eye, is referred to as a foveated display. The fovea aids in central vision acuity. Eye tracking could be used in a foveated VR headset to help focus an image on the user’s field of vision while reducing the resolution in the peripheral areas. The YouTube channel SweViver does a fantastic job of explaining fixed foveated rendering in this clip (FFR).
The rumours that Sony is creating the display panels for Apple’s mixed reality headset have some merit. According to recent reports, the Apple headset will reportedly use OLEDoS panels, which produce unbelievable resolutions by using silicon substrates rather than glass ones. Working on OLEDoS panels are Sony, Samsung, and LG, with Samsung and LG rumoured to supply displays for the second generation of the Apple VR/AR headset and Sony and LG rumoured to supply displays for the first generation.
Apple VR and mixed reality headset rumored features
Mixed reality is the Apple headset’s main feature. The headset will have external cameras, which are now being used to test features like hand-tracking and gesture control, claims Mark Gurman. One aspect of this is the potential for using a virtual keyboard to type in the air.
According to at least one report, Apple isn’t putting much emphasis on games for its AR/VR headset. Given how early adopters are frequently drawn to features like gaming, that decision seems odd.
According to rumours, the Apple VR/AR headset won’t just rely on sensors. Users will be able to wear a “thimble-like” device on their finger to aid in hand tracking and other controls, according to sources who spoke to The Information.
To keep everything running, a lot of power will be required, and according to Gurman’s report, the headset will be equipped with Apple’s “most advanced and powerful chips.” It appears that the chip in Apple’s virtual reality headset will be more potent than the recently released M1 Mac chip.
The headset will have 16GB of RAM and the new M2 chip, according to a later report from Gurman. Although it may not be the most potent chip in the Apple Silicon lineup, it does provide a good balance of power and energy efficiency.
Speaking of specifications, a more recent report from Kuo claims the headset will include a brace or processors, indicating Apple won’t be cutting corners with regard to power.
According to Kuo, “the lower-end processor will be responsible for sensor-related computing, while the higher-end processor will have similar computing power to the M1 for Mac.”
According to The Information, the headset will have two processors, with the main processor being an equivalent to the M2 chip that will reportedly debut in devices like a new MacBook Air later this year.
Kuo claims that all of that hardware will require a sizable amount of power. To the extent that the headset will reportedly include a 96W MacBook charger to maintain power throughout.
Recently, Kuo also revealed that the device could have object detection features and hand gesture controls, which could be activated through “highly sensitive
He asserts that the AR/MR headset can recognise not only changes in the user’s or other people’s hand or object’s position in front of the user’s eyes, but also changes in the hand’s dynamic detail. Kuo suggested that the machine could track a user’s change in hand position from a closed fist to an open hand and produce an image of a balloon that appears to be released.
Other anticipated features, such as finger gestures, may now be more clear in light of Apple’s recent patent victories. According to recent Apple patent applications, the company wants to integrate wearables with Apple Glasses and its VR/AR mixed reality headset. These innovations would enable users to make finger gestures using wearables like two Apple Watches and a VR glove. Users may be able to perform a variety of actions with these gestures, such as scrolling through pages or hanging up the phone.
Apple has been developing smart rings that can track finger and hand movements, according to a patent found by Apple Insider. This could be used to enhance the capabilities of the external cameras when used with a virtual reality or mixed reality headset.
The ability to recognise objects the user is holding, such as an Apple Pencil, is also mentioned in the patent. Accordingly, the headset will adjust its functionality based on what it perceives you want to do. Therefore, if you hold an Apple Pencil, it will still recognise that you prefer to write by hand to type. and so forth
In order to allow light to reflect back and forth between the display and lenses, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Apple will use “3P pancake lenses,” which have a folded design. This might make it possible to create a lightweight, compact headset.
Additionally, according to Ming-Chi Kuo, the headset will support Wi-Fi 6E, enabling it to connect to an additional device and transfer large amounts of data quickly. This implies that the headset might enable a different device—such as an iPhone or Mac—to perform all the labor-intensive tasks and beam them directly to the headset without the use of a physical cable.
Because Apple won’t be doing all the processing in the headset itself, it will also be able to keep the weight low and extend the battery life significantly.
Apple VR and mixed reality headset design
The Information claimed to have received design sketches for Apple’s potential mixed reality headset in an early 2021 report. This might not represent the finished product as it appears to be based on early prototype work by Apple engineers.
In addition, concept artist Ian Zelbo produced some renders of a potential headset design based on a leak from The Information earlier this year.
Nevertheless, given that this is Apple, we would anticipate that the mixed reality headset would have a sleek industrial design that prioritises user ergonomics.
For what it’s worth, Ming-Chi Kou asserted that the weight of the Apple headset when it ships will be between 300 and 400 grammes (roughly one pound). Kou continues that a lighter version is being prepared for a later release.
Apple Glasses realityOS
With references to “realityOS” in App Store upload logs by keen developers, it appears that Apple will be providing the tweaked operating system needed for a completely new device form factor.
Although there isn’t much information available about this potential software, it would make sense for Apple to create a unique operating system for its VR and AR devices. This operating system would probably be more similar to iOS than to macOS, in our opinion.
Apple VR and mixed reality headset: Will you want to buy it?
Current reports and rumors suggest that Apple’s AR/VR mixed reality headset will have a professional and developer focus. The idea is to ensure developers have a real device so they can get to grips with designing apps for augmented reality, ahead of the eventual launch of the Apple Glasses AR specs.
According to reports we’ve read, Apple’s AR/VR headset could cost up to $3,000, but other reports claim it will only cost “several thousand dollars.”
The Apple headset’s appeal might change over time, though, given that the Apple Glasses are reportedly still a few years away. Since developers will have more time to work on it, the more apps they can create and the more interesting it will be to own, the more time they will have. That’s assuming people don’t keep being turned off by the price.
Granted, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has stated that Apple could be looking to launch a second-generation headset in 2024. He expects this headset to sell 10 million units, rivaling the Oculus Quest 2. Maybe this headset will have much larger mass-market appeal.
Apple VR and mixed reality headset wish list: What we want
Comfort over time: The issue with the majority of VR headsets is that they’re not designed for continuous use. Generally, discomfort worsens after about 30 minutes. Of course, the longer you can continue, the more comfortable the headset is from the beginning.
Apple can certainly make sure its mixed reality headset is as comfortable as possible if it can design the AirPods Pro so that you can forget you’re wearing them.
Strong battery life: At the moment, standalone headset batteries don’t last very long. Depending on what you do, the Oculus Quest 2 only lasts two to three hours. At the very least, we want Apple’s VR and mixed reality headset to have this much battery life; however, we would prefer more.
An emphasis on fitness: The Apple headset may revolutionise the fitness industry thanks to potential integration with Apple Fitness Plus and the Apple Watch. During your workouts, you could use the device to track your progress as you adhere to the instructions of a personal trainer.
Proper AR: We want to see some proper AR features if Apple decides to launch its wearable augmented reality efforts with a mixed reality headset. Apple should at the very least take all reasonable steps to ensure that any see-through AR functionality is as realistic as possible, even though users will always be aware that the headset is in place. That indicates a good field of view, no discernible lag, and good image quality.
No gimmicks: If the mixed reality headset is truly a developer device that is being made available to the public, Apple should at least ensure that there is some benefit to owning one. Release the headset only when absolutely necessary, especially if it is truly that expensive.