Apple Looking to Make Its AR/VR Headsets More Immersive With Sharper Displays

[Detnator]

but what are their plans on terms of content? how are they gonna get developers onboard?

Whatever those plans are, chances are they've already done it.

 

[Detnator]

It has nothing do do with “cool” or not. It falls firmly under “weird” right now.

Ask a non techie to strap one of those things to their face for the work day and you will be met with resistance, period. Until this segment can “get over” with normal people (by way of packaging it right) it’s just not going to get past the enthusiast part of tech adoption where it’s been stuck for 20+ years.

Now, again, given the wild advances we’re seeing in display tech and cpu/gpu power in a small power budget, it WILL happen (likely this decade). But my entire point is that until someone does it “right” it’s not going to start the trajectory to mass appeal/adoption.

That's pretty much been the story for nearly every highly successful Apple device. Everyone thought it was crazy when the iPhone rumors were out, thinking Apple couldn't possibly compete with a device similar to the Nokias and Ericssons of the day, until they released something completely different (but met the same needs, and more).

Same with the Mac, same with the iPod, the iPad, etc.

They're not going to release just another headset like everyone else's. It's going to be something radically different that none of us ever saw coming and 3 years after Apple releases it, today's headsets will have gone to the same place every MP3 player did by 2005 and Nokia's etc. smart phones did by 2010. The companies that survive will be the ones that copy it like Samsung did the iPhone, before too late (eg. Zune). Meta will probably be smart enough to figure that out. The others, who knows?

 

[Detnator]

I don’t know what to tell you, if you think the ski goggle form factor from Meta and Sony are going to move the needle I don’t know what to tell you. Regular people still think these things are ridiculous outside of gaming 🤷‍♂️

Let’s see how much of a paradigm shift in everyday computing these devices being about, I’ll give you a whole year from the launch of Meta and Sony’s stuff.

Yep. Apple's AR/VR devices will look like Meta's ski goggles as much as the iPod looked like the MP3 players of 2002, and as much as the iPhone looked like the smart phones of 2007.

 

[NT1440]

That's pretty much been the story for nearly every highly successful Apple device. Everyone thought it was crazy when the iPhone rumors were out, thinking Apple couldn't possibly compete with a device similar to the Nokias and Ericssons of the day, until they released something completely different (but met the same needs, and more).

Same with the Mac, same with the iPod, the iPad, etc.

They're not going to release just another headset like everyone else's. It's going to be something radically different that none of us ever saw coming and 3 years after Apple releases it, today's headsets will have gone to the same place every MP3 player did by 2005 and Nokia's etc. smart phones did by 2010. The companies that survive will be the ones that copy it like Samsung did the iPhone, before too late (eg. Zune). Meta will probably be smart enough to figure that out. The others, who knows?

😉 that’s the thing I didn’t say out loud. If anyone is going to bring this to the masses it’s Apple. That’s what was behind my reference to “packaging” the tech right. Apple brings style….but they’ve been working on their User Interface for AR for more than a decade at this point. I trust Apple will be the first to do this “right”.

They’ll do what they always do, change the game with a gen 1, then iterate to what they actually are looking to deliver while everyone else is sprinting to catch up to gen 1.


Again though, the bulbous things of today (and soon to be released by Meta, Sony, etc) are NOT going to be what this space looks like after Apple sets the stage.

 

[TVreporter]

“Reality Pro” just doesn’t sound catchy at all… hoping they have a better name.

Given the economic climate of many countries, I don’t think Apple will announce this in January. Wait a while when spending returns as this rumoured $2,000 price tag will be an automatic deterrent or many consumers.

 

[allnight]

after the launch of the m1 chips, I 100 percent believe in apple to deliver with these new headsets. I just wish the AR apple glasses were coming a bit sooner, if apple's mixed reality headset still hasn't come it makes me think the AR glasses are still 5 years away. As great as the mixed reality headset sounds, those don't intrigue me as much as AR glasses do and the potential of them.

 

[BuddyTronic]

Apple is looking to make its future generation AR/VR headsets more immersive by increasing the sharpness and quality of the displays used in the products, according to a report from The Elec.

Concept render based on purported leaked information by Ian Zelbo​

According to the report, Apple is asking Samsung Display and LG Display to produce displays with 3500ppi (pixels-per-inch), an increase from the previous ask of 2800ppi, for the displays built into the headsets. Displays from LG Display and Samsung Display aren't expected to be used in Apple's first generation AR/VR product that's rumored to be announced in January 2023, but will be used in future models already under development.

The displays that will be used in Apple's headsets are rumored to be OLEDoS, a type of display technology that uses silicon instead of glass and is designed specifically for AR/VR products.

The report claims that the increase in display sharpness is part of Apple's efforts to "increase the immersion consumers feel" when using its headsets. Apple's first AR/VR headset, rumored to be called "Reality Pro," is expected to be a high-end product that serves as an entry for Apple into the competitive AR/VR space with a price tag north of $2,000.

Article Link: Apple Looking to Make Its AR/VR Headsets More Immersive With Sharper Displays

Cool! I want for sure!

 

[8KYUP]

I don’t know what to tell you, if you think the ski goggle form factor from Meta and Sony are going to move the needle I don’t know what to tell you. Regular people still think these things are ridiculous outside of gaming 🤷‍♂️

Let’s see how much of a paradigm shift in everyday computing these devices being about, I’ll give you a whole year from the launch of Meta and Sony’s stuff.

Kind of you , no need to give any time at all. Every company wants a part of a 15,000,000 unit, 6 billion dollar single product that has just now become technologically feasible.

"Outside of gaming" and by that you mean the 3.2 Billion gamers (half the planet)? Not mass market enough for you?

You don't like the form factor, but regardless of your insisting, it is not a hindrance to purchase for most.

It has been great (and humorous) to watch the gaming community change tune overnight about VR with PSVR2. This is going to be an inexpensive headset ($500) and it is gaming focused but, poof, it is clear what is coming in that 200 Billion a year (in games alone) industry.

It is even more relevant for computing, viewing (anything) social, meet, collab, etc, but if you can't see that, well, as you said, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[Mike WA4D]

This is a big issue with VR, you need a really high resolution if you want to have something like a virtual workstation covering your whole field of view, not just games which can tolerate lower resolutions.

But if anyone can do it, it's Apple with their power-efficient GPUs.

Why are so many MacRumors commenters ignorant of or misuse nomenclature when commenting on devices here? The coming

i don't think it can be aimed towards businesses. absolutely needs to be consumer focused.

that **** is going to be expensive. i'm not sure how Apple is going to sell this. maybe after a few years they'll release a Pro/Ultra/Max version and then an SE/Mini version. it's going to take years for this to take off.

Thankfully Apple (like Microsoft’s holo lens) will be expensive. There is this ridiculous idea that Apple is supposed to build products for the masses. And thus cheap. Nor should success be measured by some popularity metric. I will buy Version 1 next year. That’s my “Take-off” point.

 

[bobcomer]

1. Educate yourself about AR and how it's used today and in the past. AR is not for playing games (though it can be - you're likely thinking of some VR applications). It's a tool for helping people solve problems.

2. Flex your imagination a little. Let it run wild thinking about potential applications. It's not that difficult.

There's a reason Apple is getting into this market. And why Apple released ARKit to Apple developers way back in 2017, and why Apple has been collaborating with Stanford University's AR/VR lab for the last seven years.

I don't need to educate myself, nor do I need to flex my imagination -- you're assuming way to much about me and you're assuming wrong. Insulting someone in an argument doesn't win you any points.

As for solving problems -- that's what I see that it doesn't do for me -- there is no problem it would solve for me that I can't already do, and in an easier and cheaper way, and without headgear.

And I don't need to remind you that Apple has failed before and will again.

I'm out.

 

[bobcomer]

Good to know. Thanks for sharing.

Nothing different than what I was responding to.

And, you're welcome.

 

[citysnaps]

I don't need to educate myself, nor do I need to flex my imagination -- you're assuming way to much about me and you're assuming wrong. Insulting someone in an argument doesn't win you any points.

As for solving problems -- that's what I see that it doesn't do for me -- there is no problem it would solve for me that I can't already do, and in an easier and cheaper way, and without headgear.

And I don't need to remind you that Apple has failed before and will again.

I'm out.

No insult intended.

Just trying to help you understand AR's potential in commercial and consumer markets, and suggesting you dig deeper to recognize that. It's huge.

And again, there's a reason Apple is pursuing this. Facebook/Meta and google too. There's plenty of information out there.

Check out what was revealed at last month's Siggraph conference.

 

[citysnaps]

after the launch of the m1 chips, I 100 percent believe in apple to deliver with these new headsets. I just wish the AR apple glasses were coming a bit sooner, if apple's mixed reality headset still hasn't come it makes me think the AR glasses are still 5 years away. As great as the mixed reality headset sounds, those don't intrigue me as much as AR glasses do and the potential of them.

Same here. That's why I believe users' iPhones will be a part of the solution. Putting an M/A-x type chip and a large capacity battery to power AR processing, displays, and cameras in a pair of glasses would force it into being more like an uncomfortable bulky goggle.

Which is kind of silly considering most potential people/business users of AR already have an iPhone with the processing and high battery capacity resources for AR processing. A much smaller and less power hungry custom ASIC in the glasses with a much smaller battery to handle that could power the displays and data streams to user's phone via UWB where the heavy-lift AR could be done. And have access to the internet for any needed documents/photos/animations/etc.

 

[4nNtt]

Hard to say... It certainly could allow for higher resolution or wider field of view, but higher pixel density could be to create smaller chips with more compact optics. Eventually they may need to get to 8K per eye to get a decent sweet spot at "retina" resolution.

 

[BenRacicot]

15 million Quest headsets have been sold. 6 billion for one headset alone. You are seeing the very beginning.

I agree! We’ve already seen the beginning and it does work. The point does stand that it’s not that great yet, which I also agree with.

Last weeks article on Facebook’s progress on a 10,000dpi display is kind of proof of that.

IMO I’m not interested until the FOV matches my eyes. It’s just not a better medium than regular screens until then.

 

[Gaywetdingo]

This is a big issue with VR, you need a really high resolution if you want to have something like a virtual workstation covering your whole field of view, not just games which can tolerate lower resolutions.

But if anyone can do it, it's Apple with their power-efficient GPUs.

Foveated rendering and eye tracing reduce the strain on cpu and gpu’s