After several years in development, Apple’s first big step into the metaverse—a high-end mixed-reality headset—will be unveiled to the world for the first time this spring.
According to a report from Bloomberg, the tech giant is likely to show off its hybrid headset in the coming months, ahead of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which usually takes place in June. Some third-party developers are reportedly already creating apps for the device, which may be called the Reality Pro.
Following the spring announcement, the combined augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headset will be released later this year alongside new iPhones and other updated Apple devices. The handset’s operating system will reportedly be called xrOS, though it’s said to be called “Borealis” internally.
The Reality Pro headset is expected to be a premium device priced up to $3,000, which puts it at twice the price of Meta’s recent Quest Pro mixed reality headset ($1,499) and many times more expensive than the consumer-focused Quest 2 VR headset ($399).
That’s a high price for wearable hardware, but Apple’s devices are often more expensive than the competition and pack more polish and perks. In this case, the Apple Reality Pro is expected to be a powerful standalone headset — no computer or phone required — that can overlay digital images over users’ views of their surroundings, as well as handle immersive VR experiences.
It’s seen as Apple’s most decisive move into the metaverse, a term that describes the next-generation internet that’s experienced through controlled avatars in 3D environments. The Metaverse is envisioned as a hub for work, play, gaming and social activities, and Meta is among the major firms actively building this vision.
However, there is a potential disconnect between the way the tech giants and Web3 creators think about the future of the Internet. In the Web3 space, creators envision open and interoperable spaces that overlap and share functionality in the form of user-owned NFT assets such as avatars, clothing, accessories, and other digital items.
Whether Meta and other companies will build the metaverse with Web3 technology remains unclear. In October, Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said an open and interoperable metauniverse is “better for everyone,” though its approach appears to be through standards shared between tech companies and developers, as opposed to a Web3 infrastructure.
Whether Apple itself sees Reality Pro as a metaverse remains to be seen. Apple CEO Tim Cook said last year that he was not a fan of the term, he told a Dutch outlet Bright“I’m really not sure that the average person can tell you what the metaverse is.” However, he added that he is optimistic about augmented reality.
Furthermore, Apple’s closed “walled garden” software ecosystem is not compatible with the Web3 notion of a metaverse. But that approach could change for the tech firm, as a recent report suggests that Apple will soon allow iPhone and iPad users to install apps from external sources to comply with changing European Union (EU) regulations.
In other words, there are still a lot of question marks about what Apple’s mixed reality headset will do — and whether Apple is building some version of a future metaverse. But like any major Apple device of the moment, it’s sure to generate huge buzz both before and after it’s finally unveiled — and could have significant implications for mainstream headphone adoption and the metaverse.
Add Comment