Apple works on a virtual reality headset for launch in 2022

Apple VR is on the way, he says Bloomberg in an “exclusive” where he talks about a virtual reality headset for launch in 2022 to compete with models like Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

We have been talking about Apple’s entry into this type of market for years. Investments have been large, accumulating talent and technology, the most important being the purchase of PrimeSense, the firm that developed the sensor technology for the Microsoft Kinect. Also other startups dedicated to AR like, Vrvana, Metaio and Flyby Media. Another interesting detail was the ARKit, one of the most interesting news in the launch of iOS 11 and more recently we saw the purchase of Akonia Holographics.

Although it was expected that the first product to arrive would be the augmented reality glasses, Bloomberg says that it will eventually be a virtual reality headset that is larger and more powerful than the glasses, although it will also include some AR functions, allowing you to superimpose images on the world. real. The report says that this aspect will be “limited” and the focus will be on virtual reality.

CWith code name N301, the Apple VR is described as a immersive and multipurpose device for games, videos and communications. It would be the size of an Oculus Quest, completely wireless, and offer a display with resolution up to 8K. It would be governed by its own operating system called “rOS”.

In terms of performance, the prototypes they are currently testing include a processor that outperforms the Apple M1 and that it would also be used on Mac computers from 2021. It is expected to be quite expensive (over $ 1,000) and the first release will target a very specific niche of enthusiastic users and developers. As for the AR goggles, codenamed N421, they are still in development, but are still “several years away.”

Neither one nor the other are guaranteed to reach the market. The Bloomberg report states that there is still a chance that Apple could scrap the two projects entirely. It would be strange after Apple’s huge investment, but it is true that the “revolution” of the VR / AR that the industry promised has been a failure. In the consumer market it has not curdled, income is residual and some like Google have shelved platforms with great theoretical potential such as Daydream VR.

Only HTC and Oculus seem capable of sustaining the VR in consumption and in any case with limited sales. Hence the importance of an Apple VR. We will have to wait. There is no confirmation of the information from Bloomberg.