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Apple Focusing on Sports, Gaming, and Fitness Apps for AR/VR Headset

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Apple is preparing to unveil its AR/VR "mixed" reality headset at WWDC in June, and the company is working to create appealing app experiences to encourage people to adopt the device. Apple is working on dedicated sports, gaming, wellness, and collaboration apps for the device, reports Bloomberg.

apple-ar-headset-concept-1.jpeg
Concept render by Ian Zelbo​

Apple is planning to adapt iPad apps for the headset, and users will be able to access existing App Store content through the 3D interface of the device. Apple-designed apps such as Safari, Calendar, Contacts, Home, Files, Messages, Notes, Photos, Music, Reminders, and other built-in apps will be optimized for the device. Multiple apps will be able to be run at one time, and there will be a geolocation aspect for swapping between apps when the user is in different rooms.

A Fitness+ app will allow users to exercise while watching the Fitness+ instructor in a virtual reality setting, and there will be a Health app for guiding users through meditations with graphics, sounds, and voice-overs. With Apple's deeper push into sports, there will be a focus on immersive viewing experiences for MLB and MLS content, plus there will be a dedicated TV app for watching videos in virtual reality environments.

There is a dedicated FaceTime experience that will use Memoji-like avatars and virtual meeting rooms, and Apple is designing a Books app for reading in virtual reality. A Camera app will be able to take images from the headset's cameras, and a version of Freeform will be adapted to a 3D interface for working on collaborative projects with others.

Apple has been working with a select number of gaming developers to help them update their existing content for mixed reality, and Apple will also have a robust set of tools available for creating AR/VR experiences.

The AR/VR headset is expected to be priced at around $3,000, and Apple is not planning for it to sell well to begin with. In fact, the company is expecting sales of approximately one million units in the first year, which is low for an Apple device.

Apple employees have expressed concerns about the usefulness of the headset given its price point. Some have questioned whether the device is a is a "solution in search of a problem" and not "driven by the same clarity" as other Apple devices.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in early April that the AR/VR headset is the "last hope" for persuading investors that AR/VR devices will become the "next star product in consumer electronics." Other devices from companies like Meta have lacked appealing software, and this is a major hurdle that Apple will need to overcome.

To get people to purchase the mixed reality headset, Apple will need to convince users that the software experiences are worth it. That will require compelling first-party experiences as well as innovative third-party apps from developers.

Article Link: Apple Focusing on Sports, Gaming, and Fitness Apps for AR/VR Headset
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/04/18/apple-ar-vr-headset-app-development/
J

jigzaw

macrumors 6502a
Oct 12, 2012
556
431
I'm interested, but at this price point I'm waiting for Gen 2 at the earliest. It's just way way too much to spend on a first-generation product with Apple's track record for major leaps between Gens 1 and 2 of a product category.
 
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Lounge vibes 05

macrumors 68040
May 30, 2016
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This is reminding me a lot of the launch of the first Apple Watch.
Tuns and tuns of things being thrown at the wall but if this thing succeeds, it’s not gonna be till version two or three.
And I expect over the years a lot of the stuff that’ll become considered nonsense will be ditched, just like most of the glaringly stupid things about early watchOS
 
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Pezimak

macrumors 68030
May 1, 2021
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MayaUser said:
Lets forget about Kuo who also said that probably this headset is not coming at WWDC
So what KUO is saying is kind of irrelevant..at least when Gurman have inside leaks, its 100% accurate, until now at least
Click to expand...
Gurman stated the current iPad Mini model would NOT launch, on the very same day Apple launched it. He also claimed the Apple Watch 7 would have a redesign with flat edges.
none of these ‘analysts’ have a 100% accurate track record.
 
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philcourage

philcourage

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Oct 27, 2022
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Lounge vibes 05 said:
This is reminding me a lot of the launch of the first Apple Watch.
Tuns and tuns of things being thrown at the wall but if this thing succeeds, it’s not gonna be till version two or three.
And I expect over the years a lot of the stuff that’ll become considered nonsense will be ditched, just like most of the glaringly stupid things about early watchOS
Click to expand...
I hope they don't use the same processor for four years only changing its name. Then again, I don't really care about this thing, so...
 
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poematik13

macrumors 65816
Jun 5, 2014
1,222
1,411
Imagine trying to workout with those massive goggles attached to your head lol

This product will BOMB HARD and send apple's stock price down with it. Time and time again it's been proven that the majority of consumers don't want and don't care for metaverse/VR/AR products. Most recently, the PSVR2 has bombed and Sony's cutting production down

Just release it as a developer kit, don't advertise it as a consumer product for the love of god
 
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rorschach

rorschach

macrumors 68020
Jul 27, 2003
2,273
1,856
This isn’t really a consumer product. It’s essentially a developer transition kit (a la the Apple Silicon Mac mini at WWDC 2020). And honestly that’s how they need to frame it. They’re going to get terrible press if they market it as a “real” product.

The real product is going to be the lightweight glasses, but that won’t be for a few years, so this is basically to get developers started building AR/VR versions of apps.
 
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philcourage

philcourage

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Oct 27, 2022
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Pezimak said:
Gurman stated the current iPad Mini model would NOT launch, on the very same day Apple launched it. He also claimed the Apple Watch 7 would have a redesign with flat edges.
none of these ‘analysts’ have a 100% accurate track record.
Click to expand...
Kuo and Gurman are as a reliable as me saying the next Bond will be Hugh Jackman. I mean, I would love that, but it ain't happening.
 
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D

docbop

macrumors regular
Sep 9, 2008
226
207
Los Angeles, CA
MacRumors said:


Apple is preparing to unveil its AR/VR "mixed" reality headset at WWDC in June, and the company is working to create appealing app experiences to encourage people to adopt the device. Apple is working on dedicated sports, gaming, wellness, and collaboration apps for the device, reports Bloomberg.


apple-ar-headset-concept-1.jpeg


Concept render by Ian Zelbo​

Apple is planning to adapt iPad apps for the headset, and users will be able to access existing App Store content through the 3D interface of the device. Apple-designed apps such as Safari, Calendar, Contacts, Home, Files, Messages, Notes, Photos, Music, Reminders, and other built-in apps will be optimized for the device. Multiple apps will be able to be run at one time, and there will be a geolocation aspect for swapping between apps when the user is in different rooms.

A Fitness+ app will allow users to exercise while watching the Fitness+ instructor in a virtual reality setting, and there will be a Health app for guiding users through meditations with graphics, sounds, and voice-overs. With Apple's deeper push into sports, there will be a focus on immersive viewing experiences for MLB and MLS content, plus there will be a dedicated TV app for watching videos in virtual reality environments.

There is a dedicated FaceTime experience that will use Memoji-like avatars and virtual meeting rooms, and Apple is designing a Books app for reading in virtual reality. A Camera app will be able to take images from the headset's cameras, and a version of Freeform will be adapted to a 3D interface for working on collaborative projects with others.

Apple has been working with a select number of gaming developers to help them update their existing content for mixed reality, and Apple will also have a robust set of tools available for creating AR/VR experiences.

The AR/VR headset is expected to be priced at around $3,000, and Apple is not planning for it to sell well to begin with. In fact, the company is expecting sales of approximately one million units in the first year, which is low for an Apple device.

Apple employees have expressed concerns about the usefulness of the headset given its price point. Some have questioned whether the device is a is a "solution in search of a problem" and not "driven by the same clarity" as other Apple devices.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in early April that the AR/VR headset is the "last hope" for persuading investors that AR/VR devices will become the "next star product in consumer electronics." Other devices from companies like Meta have lacked appealing software, and this is a major hurdle that Apple will need to overcome.

To get people to purchase the mixed reality headset, Apple will need to convince users that the software experiences are worth it. That will require compelling first-party experiences as well as innovative third-party apps from developers.

Article Link: Apple Focusing on Sports, Gaming, and Fitness Apps for AR/VR Headset
Click to expand...

Here it is the Apple headset bla-bla-bla any questions??? When will it ship??? Hey how about the new Macbook Air!!!! Any other questions???? What is the price of the new headset??? Hey lets see the new video we spent hours making.... House light dim.
 
nwcs

nwcs

macrumors 68030
Sep 21, 2009
2,722
5,262
Tennessee
It these are the initial use cases then what is this product bringing that hasn’t been out for the last 30 years?
 
D

DarthBuzzard

macrumors regular
May 17, 2022
217
207
Born Again said:
This is going to bomb so hard.
Click to expand...
When are people going to understand that Apple doesn't expect this to sell many millions? Apple will treat this like their earliest products - Lisa and Macintosh. The very early start of an industry that has to be built upon across many iterations.

VR/AR is hard engineering. Creating the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and other products in the last two decades were the low-hanging fruit. We're now back to the days where you have to invent much of the tech from scratch, just like we saw back in Apple's early PC days.
 
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