Apple Reportedly Completes Production Tests for AR/VR Headset

[HobeSoundDarryl]

AR goggles like in the render? No way.

Do people really think that Apple is going to try to get into the gaming market? They have had so many opportunities, and they have not pursued it yet, I doubt they are going to now.

The only "headset" I see Apple launching is an AR headset which would help with everyday things, like displaying a HUD for navigation, notifications, etc...

Am I wrong here? If they are going to do VR, and they are not making the headset for gaming, what are they making it for?

No, people around here probably don't assume gaming. As you say, Apple has had MANY opportunities for that and never seriously gone after it (off phone).

If pricing rumors are true, it needs to bring something very desirable. For example, I just spent over $2K on a widescreen, high-resolution monitor for my next Desktop. There's some believing this product could virtualize ANY size monitor so your "big"/"best" monitor could always be with you. If so and if it works well (no headaches), I'd much rather have shot that $2K towards THIS instead.

My last big screen TV cost much more than the rumored price. If this could allow me to bring an equivalent big screen TV with me when traveling, I could rationalize a pretty good outlay for it.

The question will be: if something can fool your eyes into seeing ANYTHING, what anythings are worth whatever the actual MSRP will be? That's not a hard list to make. For example, sports fans might pay upwards of several thousand dollars for court-side seats to ONE game. A service that creates a realistic sense of sitting front-row center for any sporting event/show/etc seems like it would easily sell for several thousand dollars plus an ongoing service fee.

Peloton gets about $50/month so that you can ride a bike with instructors through a variety of places in 2D. If you could feel much more like actually being in those places (if you could look side to side and even behind you and see that you are THERE, is that not worth at least the same subscription cost? If so, how much is 2-3 years of that kind of experience worth?

Exercise/Dine with celebrities? Turn staycations into something that feels much more like true vacations? Go to a "live" Beatles concert in approx. 1963? Go be a part of ANY historical event that can be rendered for this? Lunch on the moon? (Superman) fly around anywhere? Swim down to check out Titanic first hand (and not be crushed by the pressures). Etc.

Many of us seem to only think gaming and that this is going to have to deliver a way for us to slice boxes flying at us in 3D upwards of 4X-6X better than Oculus. But gaining control of what our eyes see and what our ears hear has tons of possibilities far beyond what we've seen so far.

As others say, the software will make this sale. If the software dazzles, the demand will be there.

 

[Jackalasonix]

Are you willing to pay 3k to enjoy AR/VR versions of Apple Arcade games? I just don't see this device succeeding if that is what we have to look forward to.

Also, FB bought the platform, they did not have to / try to launch it by themselves.

I don't think it will cost 3k if it is intended to be a consumer platform. If it does, it will not be a gaming platform anymore than the Mac is, in other words, not at all. iOS is Apples gaming platform, there is no other ones. And games are becoming more "AAA" as iOS hardware progresses.

 

[webkit]

Hopefully it’s ready by the end of the year. It would be an intense competition between Oculus and Apple.

This looks to compete more, at least as far as price, with Microsoft's HoloLens.

 

[lazyrighteye]

Hopefully it’s ready by the end of the year. It would be an intense competition between Oculus and Apple.

I have tried the neighbors' Oculus a few times now and it is pretty incredible. If anything, it's the potential I find more interesting than anything Meta is doing (though it is a pretty fun experience, overall). I have zero interest in anything Meta. But Appe's take? I'm in.

 

[macsareveryinteresting]

Oculus $299, Apple 3k. This isn’t a price point apple should want to hit

Then Apple needs to start making things cheaper. There is one reason where their competitors are passing Apple right now.

 

[alpi123]

Hopefully it’s ready by the end of the year. It would be an intense competition between Oculus and Apple.

There's a big price difference. Even though it looks like Apple's headset won't be just for games, and it should have much better specs than Oculus.

 

[dugbug]

The big question here is if they are pursuing commercial uses (aircraft maintenance, medical training, CAD design, etc) or consumer/entertainment.

One commands a higher price and lower volume, the other doesn't.

History is not so telling. recall the ipod was consumer priced, the iphone was consumer priced, etc. I would not be surprised if this was priced more like high end apple watch because it "requires" an iphone or somesuch.

 

[-BigMac-]

AR goggles like in the render? No way.

Do people really think that Apple is going to try to get into the gaming market? They have had so many opportunities, and they have not pursued it yet, I doubt they are going to now.

The only "headset" I see Apple launching is an AR headset which would help with everyday things, like displaying a HUD for navigation, notifications, etc...

Am I wrong here? If they are going to do VR, and they are not making the headset for gaming, what are they making it for?

They have never been interested in persuing gaming. Pretty sure they still have that long going grudge with nVidia.. for what?

Apple has made a choice at every turn to go away from gaming (mobile excluded).

I have 0 idea what they would want/need a VR/AR headset for

 

[BlairMALL]

I really want this to succeed but with Apple's absence from the gaming market I just don't know that they are going to have enough compelling software titles. This product will not sell based on "future availability" of titles, they need to be there at launch and there needs to be a bunch of them.

I agree, but I also feel like all VR offerings are based on future availability of titles/functionality. To me, it seems like we're in this weird space between what people want and believe about VR/AR and what is reasonably available.

 

[happydude]

Apple has completed key production tests for its long-rumored augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headset, according to DigiTimes.

Concept render based on purported leaked information by Ian Zelbo​

Citing information from the headset's component suppliers, the device has reportedly completed second-phase engineering validation tests (EVT 2) to ensure that prototype units meet Apple's design goals and specifications. DigiTimes added that the headset is expected to debut by the end of 2022.

The preliminary information was shared in DigiTimes' paywalled "Before Going to Press" section, so there are no further details yet. The full report should be published by tomorrow, potentially with more information.

While Apple's headset was widely believed to be scheduled to launch this year, a recent report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman cast doubt on the chances of the device emerging this year due to development problems.

Nevertheless, Apple's headset project is said to be "approaching liftoff," with the device mirroring the development timeline of the Apple Watch in the period before its launch. Apple's work on the headset's operating system, realityOS, has been rumored since 2017, but the existence of the operating system was recently confirmed when references to it were found in App Store upload logs and Apple open source code. DigiTimes' latest report is yet another sign that Apple's headset is ebbing closer to mass production, even if the timeframe for the device's announcement now seems to be vaguely situated somewhere in 2022 or 2023.

The headset is rumored to feature a lightweight design, two 4K micro-LED displays, 15 optical modules, two main processors, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, eye tracking, a see-through AR mode, object tracking, hand gesture controls, and more. The device's exact price point is as yet unclear, but some reports indicate that it could cost customers around $3,000. For more detailed information, see our comprehensive roundup.

Article Link: Apple Reportedly Completes Production Tests for AR/VR Headset

hahahahahah, hard pass. $3K?! I'll go outside for some Actual Reality, thanks.

 

[rictus007]

At $3K, that prices out most consumers-- meaning most features will be geared towards enterprise, where I don't really see a current use-case for wide adoption.

On a personal note, if I am ever required to put on a ****ing AR/VR headset to attend a meeting, I'll quit my job on the spot lol.

But imaging that the meeting is like the jedi council meeting. If they are thinking in something like 3,000 I would expect something like that.

 

[lazyrighteye]

Oculus $299, Apple 3k. This isn’t a price point apple should want to hit

I don't think the goggles, alone, will come in at $3k. Thinking more like $999. 😜
I get the feeling the higher $2-3k rumored prices are unknowingly talking about a bundled price point for goggles + AirPod Max and not just the goggles. I could be wrong. But $3k will not yield an adoption rate I suspect Apple is expecting to achieve nor find me jumping in.

It's going to be interesting to see how they position these, their functionality, price point, etc. If targeting the holiday shopping season at year's end, I would think we'll see them announced at the fall iPhone keynote. This going to be one of those long, drawn out rumor cycles that, by the time they do announce, some here will be so worked up that they'll pounce at almost any price point. 😂

 

[Oscar_440]

I think people have very high expectations on this product (me included). Just hope they’ll be good enoug.

 

[elvisimprsntr]

wheels are extra

 

[Diamond Dog]

But imaging that the meeting is like the jedi council meeting. If they are thinking in something like 3,000 I would expect something like that.

The meeting will be a cartoon office and everybody will be a Memoji. The thought alone makes me sick lol.

 

[Spock]

After spending some time with the Oculus Quest 2, I can't see myself paying over $1k for a similar device. If Apple sells this at $3k it better make me feel like I am on the holodeck of a galaxy class starship.

 

[dwaltwhit]

I find it hard to believe that the strap would be based off of the 1sr gen sport watch band.

 

[FightTheFuture]

AR goggles like in the render? No way.

Do people really think that Apple is going to try to get into the gaming market? They have had so many opportunities, and they have not pursued it yet, I doubt they are going to now.

The only "headset" I see Apple launching is an AR headset which would help with everyday things, like displaying a HUD for navigation, notifications, etc...

Am I wrong here? If they are going to do VR, and they are not making the headset for gaming, what are they making it for?

You’re exactly right. This isn’t for games, this is the next step in computing interface. Things like gaming and new software will be a subset.

 

[blackxacto]

My son says he hates the ways these var masks make you sweat and get hot beneath. He isn’t buying into VR for that reason anymore. He’s a gamer, but has his limits.

 

[suns93]

I have to assume Apple will lock out porn. It may be apocryphal, but the story goes that the technology porn adopts is the victor (vhs over Betamax, Blu-ray over hd dvd).

Do we think Apple buckles and allows porn, or does it try to position itself as the wholesome option? I figure the latter.

Video games are the other top pick for “obvious application”: a segment that Apple has always, for decades and across all product lines, dedicated the least amount of support for as possible. I doubt they make an about face and try to position themselves as the “gaming headset”.

So what does the first promo video for the Apple headset show off? A partnership with U2 where they have a 360 camera at a concert and you feel like you’re “there”? Same for a professional sport league, sitting court side or whatnot? Some sort of FaceTime+ of a toddler and grandma playing virtual patty-cake? Immersive Apple TV+ content? Virtually box your favorite Fitness+ instructor? And then a single half-baked Arcade game to wrap things up?

 

[suns93]

Do we think iPhone will be integrated in with the headset in such a way that you could hold it in your hands and use it as input for your virtual world? That seems like a huge differentiator for Apple against the other headsets.

 

[urnotl33t]

I don’t know how many times it has to happen. I can’t see how anyone with some imagination cannot the see the potential of this product.

?‍♂️

 

[44267547]

I think the focus is too much on the price tag, but we don’t fully know the capabilities of the software. If the software provides the advantages for both the functionality and enhancement, (and depending on what you’re using the headset for), this could be a really beneficial tool. But it’s still too early to know how Apple plans on executing this product. I think one thing is for certain, there’s going to be a lot of marketing around this product, and probably have its own separate Keynote.

 

[richinaus]

I’m enjoying all the “nobody wants this” comments. Reminds me of so many other product rumours like the iPad and watch that slowly burned into massive successes, or the AirPods that were mocked for their design and went on to become iconic must-haves.

I have a feeling the first AR/VR sets won’t yet know what their killer feature or use case is. They’ll pitch it as one thing, but a few years in people will show the tech giants what these things are really for and the companies who adapt the quickest will rise to the top and dominate the industry.

I remember buying the Apple Watch launch day. It was about 2 years until they were 'popular'.
Same thing will happen with this headset, and will most likely get to 3rd gen before it starts selling on mass. Hopefully Apple nail it and deliver a product that can be used on Macs and PC's as a high end VR tool.

I will not be buying for gaming, but for use as a professional tool for design. The Oculus we have is basically crap for professional use, and just has games on it we may play once every 6 months.

 

[richinaus]

My son says he hates the ways these var masks make you sweat and get hot beneath. He isn’t buying into VR for that reason anymore. He’s a gamer, but has his limits.

does he have a beta version of the Apple one? Lucky boy.