"Apple VR" is the company's rumored virtual reality headset. Most leaks relating to Apple's headset plans have pointed to a pair of augmented reality.
What is Apple VR/AR Headset?
"Apple VR" is the company's rumored virtual
reality headset. Most leaks relating to Apple's headset plans have pointed to a
pair of augmented reality glasses, informally dubbed "Apple Glass."
However, several reports have hinted at a premium VR or mixed-reality handset
arriving first.
Apple's first headset will support both AR and VR capabilities,
technology that's usually referred to as "mixed reality." Augmented
reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are similar technologies, but their potential
applications vary significantly.
Virtual reality refers to a full immersive experience in a
virtual world, while augmented reality refers to a modified view of the real
world. With a VR experience, the real world is largely shut out to focus on an
entirely virtual experience, but augmented reality overlays virtual elements on
your real-world view.
Rumors
Apple is rumored have a secret team of hundreds of employees
working on virtual and augmented reality projects. In recent months, rumors
about Apple working on a top-secret handset project have reached a fever pitch
but at the same time, the chatter has become increasingly convoluted. Apple is
reportedly planning to use mixed reality (MR) rather than solely augmented
reality (AR) or VR. That is where this roundup comes in. We have combed through
the rumors and reports to find all the latest key information, then combined it
in one convenient location. Here is everything we know about Apple's upcoming
mixed reality headset, including price, features and more.
Apple VR Price and Release Date
Apple is planning on pricing its headset "above the
$300 to $900 of its rivals," and possibly as high as $3000. The only
current mass-market standalone VR headset is the $299-and-up Oculus Quest 2.
Apple's device would use much higher quality components while prioritizing
users privacy.
Apple was rumored to be targeting WWDC 2022 as the unveiling
date for the AR/VR headset, but due to the issues outlined above, it's now
looking like the earliest we might see the headset is late 2022, with 2023
perhaps being even more likely. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes te headset
will see a January 2023 announcement with a launch to follow, and Bloomberg's
Mark Gurman said that while Apple was targeting mid-2022 for an unveiling,
that's now been pushed back to 2023.
Apple VR/AR Specifications
According to leaks, Apple has tested chips for its VR
handset that outperform the M1 processors found in the latest Macs. Apple could
use a custom version of M1, M1 Pro, or M1 Max in the handset built specifically
for VR applications.
"Apple VR" will also have a much higher-resolution
display than those found in existing VR products. Among current consumer
headsets, the HP Reverb has the highest resolution. It offers 2160x2160 for
each eye, totaling 4320x2160 combined resolution.
The Apple headset will reportedly use ultra-high-resolution
8K displays. Such a pixel-dense screen would produce an ultra-sharp image
without any "screen door effect, "the term used for early VR
handsets" tendency to display visible pixels. An 8K display would also allow
for more realistic environments, increasing the user's overall feeling for
presence.
Powering an 8K display would be significant task for even
Apple's bet in house chips. The company is allegedly approaching that by
incorporating foveated rendering. This technology tracks the user's eyes, only
prioritizing graphical detail in the section the user is looking at. Portions
of the virtual image in the user's peripheral vision have downgraded quality.
Design, build quality, handling
Apple's AR/VR headset will look similar to some other VR
headsets on the market, featuring a design that's not too far off the Facebook
Oculus Quest virtual reality headset. Several of the design details have been
revealed in rumors, and The Information even a saw a prototype so we have a
good idea of what to expect.
The headset will use fabrics and lightweight materials to
ensure a comfortable fit. It has been described as having a "sleek, curved
visor attached to the face by a mesh material and swappable headbands."
The renders below from designer Ian Zelbo are based on these headset
descriptions.
A band in the back that's made of a material similar to an
Apple Watch band will hold the handset on the wearer's head, and soft mesh will
make the fit comfortable against the front of the face. Headbands are swappable,
and come with size adjustment options.
Software Performance
Every Apple product runs some kind of operating system and
software and upcoming VR headset is no exception. Hints to Apple's naming
convention for this new operating system has been discovered through various
code leaks and documentation.
Like iOS for iPhone, macOS for Mac, and tvOS for Apple TV,
the Apple VR headset could run something called "rOS" or
"xrOS". A trademark filed by a company called "Realityo Systems
LLC" was filed for something called realityOS to be published on June 8,
2022, suspiciously close to the WWDC keynote taking place on June 6, though
that didn't pan out into anything.
Cameras and Hand tracking
Apple's headset prototypes include outward-facing cameras that could enable some AR features and support hand tracking. Today's VR headsets primarily rely on motion controls. Somewhat similar to Wii remotes, they include motion sensors that track the user's hand movement and, in the case of the Valve Index, finger movement. While wearing the headset, users will typically see virtual hands that move in real time along with the remotes.
Battery Life
The onboard battery will have to be large, which contributes to the weight of the headset. It's also more evidence that product will only have a few hours of battery life.
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