Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Bloomberg: Apple's First AR/VR Headset 'Pricey, Niche Precursor' to More Ambitious AR Glasses and Could Launch Next Year
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I was willing to consider it as more than that until they started talking about setting up a system to build in prescription lenses. If in all of Apples engineering resources, not one engineer pointed out that a simple pair of focusing lenses would solve that entire problem, I’ll eat my hat.
I imagine this is to support the working from home market. Doesn’t matter how small or messy your space is if you can have a brand new environment strapped to ya face
I'm curious to see what they'll make out of a VR or AR 'headset', nevertheless it should be interesting. Not all products have to appeal to everyone or have to be a success (at first).
So, expensive, a fan, and no ability to handle prescription glasses (or an additional cost to get custom lenses.)
All deal breakers.
According to the report, Apple plans to put much higher resolution displays in the headset than those in current VR offerings, and it aims to include advanced chips more powerful than even its latest M1 processors found in Apple Silicon Macs.
A powerful, high resolution VR headset would be awesome, but if this is a really expensive niche product that developers have no incentive to develop for, then this is really disappointing. Unless they have a way to make it really easy to port content from the Quest etc, this is going to be useless. But it’s also just rumors at this stage - I hope we get official word on what Apple is planning to release in the near future.
I agree, it can be like the first Apple Watch. Compelling, but flawed, but they ultimately figured out what worked and made it a successful product line. I would rather see the same approach here with glasses and not go full nerd with a headset (sorry if that offends anyone).
I would really like a VR headset.
But coupled to a more powerful (stationary) computing platform. Wirelessly connected via 802.11ay. If it had the high resolution (8k) panels of Apples patents, it could fill a lot of functions beyond gaming.
Whether people would go for it? Well, not in iPhone numbers, obviously. But that is not to say it couldn't turn into its own class of product. Simulating environments (various architecture applications), VR training would be more business like applications. Virtual travelling, games, cinema et cetera would be more casual.
They would have to build that market though. But I don't think that would be impossible. Self-contained hardware is an unnecessary limitation, and brings weight and battery life concerns. The point of VR is to simulate other environments where you are, not that you go into VR while in a forest.
But coupled to a more powerful (stationary) computing platform. Wirelessly connected via 802.11ay. If it had the high resolution (8k) panels of Apples patents, it could fill a lot of functions beyond gaming.
Whether people would go for it? Well, not in iPhone numbers, obviously. But that is not to say it couldn't turn into its own class of product. Simulating environments (various architecture applications), VR training would be more business like applications. Virtual travelling, games, cinema et cetera would be more casual.
They would have to build that market though. But I don't think that would be impossible. Self-contained hardware is an unnecessary limitation, and brings weight and battery life concerns. The point of VR is to simulate other environments where you are, not that you go into VR while in a forest.
all I can say is I will be a day one purchaser. Dont care about the price.
Did the same with the watch, phone and Ipad. This will be no different.
More importantly [and my tech obsessions aside], my whole business direction is AR & VR so this product is something I have been gearing up for for some time.
Did the same with the watch, phone and Ipad. This will be no different.
More importantly [and my tech obsessions aside], my whole business direction is AR & VR so this product is something I have been gearing up for for some time.
We won't really know what this will be like until we see it, but a pricier unit with high-resolution (and, let's hope, wide FOV) displays is where the VR market is going anyway. It would make very little sense to bring to something to market that didn't set itself apart. That does bring it's own set of challenges however. I use a Pimax 5K+, and it takes serious power to get games to drive the number of pixels you need to drive, plus the stereoscopic overhead, plus the minimum of 90fps (don't let *anyone* tell you less is OK. That might be true only for seated VR, like Racing SIMS). It remains to be seen how Apple will get that kind of power into a stand-alone headset. I mean, the M1 is great, but it's not a high-end VR-class of chip. But with what Apple pulled off with the M1? I think if anyone can do this, Apple might!
I was thinking something similar given the amount of power I use to drive my visuals.
AR seems to be less taxing given it is not generating a whole environment.
it’s going to be interesting over the next 5 years how this all pans out as it is certainly the next big thing.
Inexpressibly happy .... 😢
All this talk for so long about this AR nonsense --
when the AR people think of when they hear "AR" is YEARS away --
but neglecting Doug Bowman and his humongous VR team at Apple,
has finally borne out and is not too long away, now!!
Be afraid, Quest 2: be very afraid ....
🙂👍🏻♥️
All this talk for so long about this AR nonsense --
when the AR people think of when they hear "AR" is YEARS away --
but neglecting Doug Bowman and his humongous VR team at Apple,
has finally borne out and is not too long away, now!!
Be afraid, Quest 2: be very afraid ....
🙂👍🏻♥️
There are many very distinct niches around VR and AR.
There is the classic PC game VR, when the headset connected to a computer with a beefy graphics card, going for maximum immersion and fidelity. Good luck to Apple competing with PC ecosystem, with Steam etc. Probably not a viable path for Apple at this stage yet.
There is the more "lightweight" standalone VR like Oculus Quest 2. A much more realistic target for Apple, and their first prototype seems to be exactly in this category.
In my opinion, though, Apple has a unique chance to truly shine in the AR glasses niche. A wearable device that would display e.g. heart rate during exercise, navigation hints, notifications etc. Its software could be quite close to Watch OS, and the apps could be similar (connecting to the phone in the same way). The early attempts like Google Glasses did not really get much traction. Perhaps they felt awkward to the person wearing them and to everyone around. Well, we know that Apple has an excellent history of changing the fashion and redefining the norm, so who if not them?
There is the classic PC game VR, when the headset connected to a computer with a beefy graphics card, going for maximum immersion and fidelity. Good luck to Apple competing with PC ecosystem, with Steam etc. Probably not a viable path for Apple at this stage yet.
There is the more "lightweight" standalone VR like Oculus Quest 2. A much more realistic target for Apple, and their first prototype seems to be exactly in this category.
In my opinion, though, Apple has a unique chance to truly shine in the AR glasses niche. A wearable device that would display e.g. heart rate during exercise, navigation hints, notifications etc. Its software could be quite close to Watch OS, and the apps could be similar (connecting to the phone in the same way). The early attempts like Google Glasses did not really get much traction. Perhaps they felt awkward to the person wearing them and to everyone around. Well, we know that Apple has an excellent history of changing the fashion and redefining the norm, so who if not them?
My guess is they will release a developer-focused variant before targeting consumers. That may be what this article is referring to, although it’s kind of all over the place.
It sounds similar to what MS is doing with HoloLens 2. That device sells for $3,500 USD.
I don’t understand because isn’t a Glasshole still a thing and why you all want Apple to do VR, make no logical sense! 
Apple's first virtual reality headset will be a "pricey, niche precursor" to a more ambitious augmented reality product, according to a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
According to the report, the initial device has hit "several development hurdles" and the company has "conservative" sales expectations. However, the high-end, niche product reportedly aims to prepare outside developers and consumers for more mainstream AR glasses further down the line.
According to the report, Apple plans to put much higher resolution displays in the headset than those in current VR offerings, and it aims to include advanced chips more powerful than even its latest M1 processors found in Apple Silicon Macs.
Apple is also said to have included a fan in the design of the headset, which is codenamed N301 and in a late prototype stage and yet to be finalized, suggesting the company's plans could change or the device could even be scrapped.
The inclusion of the fan and powerful processors is said to have initially resulted in a device that was too large and heavy, so Apple reportedly brought the headset closer to the face and helped shrink the size. This meant users can't wear eyeglasses while using the headset, so to address this, Apple has developed a system where custom prescription lenses can be inserted into the headset over the VR screens. Apple is also said to be discussing how it might implement prescriptions at the point of sale online and in retail stores.
Meanwhile, the AR glasses, codenamed N421, are in an even earlier development stage and are "several years away," according to people with knowledge of the matter, although Apple had initially planned to to release them as early as 2023.
Current prototypes of the AR glasses are said to resemble high-priced sunglasses with thick frames that house the battery and chips. Former chief designer Jony Ive, who has since departed the company, is said to have preferred the concept of the N421 glasses over the headset.
Apple was initially aiming for an ultra-powerful headset that came with a hub to house the processor, but Ive did not want to sell a device that would require a separate, stationary device for full functionality.
Ive instead wanted a headset with less powerful technology that could be embedded directly in the device, but the leader of the AR/VR team, Mike Rockwell, wanted the more powerful device. It was a standoff that lasted for months, and Tim Cook ultimately sided with Ive.
As a result, the headset is reportedly designed to work as a standalone device, meaning it can operate on a battery rather than be plugged into a wall or a Mac. According to Gurman, prototypes of the headset include external cameras to enable some AR features. Apple is said to be testing using the cameras for hand-tracking and is also working on a feature where a user can type virtually in the air to input text.
Apple's AR/VR ambitions have long been rumored, with many of the developments emerging from Gurman's reporting. Be sure to check out the full Bloomberg article, and for everything we know on Apple's AR/VR plans, check our dedicated roundup.
Article Link: Bloomberg: Apple's First AR/VR Headset 'Pricey, Niche Precursor' to More Ambitious AR Glasses and Could Launch Next Year
Where’s Steve Jobs when you need him? This would never be tolerated on his watch!