Category: apple ar

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Report: Apple Hires Meta’s XR Head of Public Relations

Apple may be nearing launch of its long-awaited XR headsets, as the company has reportedly hired Meta’s head of communications for its consumer XR products.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports in his weekly ‘Power On’ newsletter that Apple has hired Andrea Schubert, Communications Director at Meta’s consumer hardware division for XR, including Portal, AR and VR devices.

Schubert has yet to comment on the report or change her employment status on LinkedIn. We’ve reached out and will update this piece when/if we receive reply.

Schubert joined Meta (then Facebook) in March 2016 for the launch of the company’s first consumer VR headset, Oculus Rift. Over the years Schubert has overseen public relations for the company spanning VR devices including Oculus Rift S, Oculus Go, Quest, and Quest 2. She’s also handled comms for all of Meta’s biggest XR events, including CES, Connect, F8, Sundance, and GDC.

Hiring Schubert, arguably the most connected and experienced XR comms director in the field, could signal that Apple is setting up the last bits of infrastructure ahead of an XR product launch.

At this point it’s fairly clear Apple is preparing its own immersive headsets. Reports have suggested in the past that an Apple VR headset with limited AR capabilities will arrive sometime in 2022, priced at around $3,000 and sporting dual 8K displays. There’s also been talk of Apple ordering high-PPI microdisplays, suggesting the headset will have a less bulky form factor than ones that use conventional VR displays, such as Quest 2.

Apple’s alleged VR headset is said to come as a precursor to a full-fledged AR device. It’s an open secret that the company has been working on AR optics, and releasing AR headset codenames, display dimensions, and fields of view in successive versions of iOS.

In typical Apple fashion the company still hasn’t acknowledged any such claims or supposed information leaks though. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled on Apple’s event website in 2022 for what may be the big ‘one more thing’ moment we’ve all been waiting for.

The post Report: Apple Hires Meta’s XR Head of Public Relations appeared first on Road to VR.

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Year In Review: The Biggest VR & AR Stories Of 2021

While perhaps lacking some of the huge, jaw-dropping announcements of previous years, 2021 was a surprisingly busy year for VR and AR.

We’re looking back at the year that was with this list of the biggest stories from 2021.

It was an interesting year for VR and AR – there were several new hardware announcements, the Quest 2 continued to dominate and some absolutely killer, innovative games were released. And yet, we’re also left a feeling that 2021 might just be the calm before an incoming VR/AR storm.

Read on for the biggest and best VR/AR stories of 2021, month by month.

January

Beat Saber 90Hz Support Hits Quest 2 In New Update
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Hitman 3 VR Review – A (Mostly) Clean Kill
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Editorial: Oculus Quest 2 Developer Success Marks New Era For VR
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Oculus ‘App Lab’: Quest Platform Gets Non-Store App Distribution
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Sony Confirms Next-Generation PS5 VR Headset Coming Post-2021
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Sony: PS5 VR Is ‘Completely New Format’, Dev Kits ‘About To Go Out’
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Report: Apple’s Dual 8K VR Headset With Eye Tracking Could Cost $3000
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Kuo: Apple’s VR Headset Around $1000, AR Glasses Pushed To 2025
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Nearly 20% Of Facebook’s Employees Are Working On VR/AR
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Facebook Says Quest 2 Already Outsold Every Previous Oculus Headset Combined
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PS5 VR Controllers Revealed By Sony – Finger Detection, Analog Sticks, Inside-Out Tracking
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HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Launches In May For $1,249
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Facebook Brings Subscription Support To Quest
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Resident Evil 4 VR Is Coming To Oculus Quest 2
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Confirmed: Resident Evil 4 VR Is The First Quest 2 Exclusive
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Facebook Canceled Oculus Rift 2 Just Before Production – Palmer Luckey
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Floor Plan 2 Review: A Henson-Esque Marvel
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Oculus Quest 2 To Get PC VR Air Link, 120 Hz, And Desk Support
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HoloLens 2 Review: Ahead Of Its Time, For Better And Worse
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Oculus Quest 2 Now Has A 60 Hz Hand Tracking Mode
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Oculus Air Link Launches For All With v28 On Quest 2 & PC
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HTC Announces Vive Pro 2 For Consumers & Vive Focus 3 For Businesses
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Vive Focus 3 Specs: 5K LCD, 120° FoV, Swappable Rear Battery, $1300
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Vive Pro 2 Specs: 5K 120Hz LCD, New 120° Lenses, SteamVR Tracking
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Demeo Review – A Social VR Masterclass In An Engaging Tabletop RPG
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Oculus v29 Update Adds 120Hz Air Link Support
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FRL VP ‘Doesn’t Have An Issue’ With Quest Store On Other Headsets
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Exclusive: Next-Gen PlayStation VR Is 4K With Foveated Rendering And Vibration Feature
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Facebook: ‘Long Term’ Oculus Studios Titles Targeting Quest 2
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Facebook Starts Advertising In Virtual Reality
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Larcenauts Review: A Slick, Rich Shooter For Competitive Play
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Oculus Quest v30 Rolling Out With Microphone Swapping And Multitasking
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Sniper Elite VR Review: Old Dog, New Tricks
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Quest 2 Experimental Mixed Reality & Passthrough API Details
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Oculus Quest v31 Adds Experimental Passthrough API For Mixed Reality
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Quest 2 Sales Paused As 4 Million Facial Interfaces Recalled
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Oculus Quest 2 128GB Model On Sale August 24 For $299
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Steam Deck Could Be Used With Oculus Quest, Gabe Newell Says
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PS5 VR Headset Will Have HDR OLED Display, Hybrid AAA Games – Report
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Confirmed: TikTok Owner ByteDance Buying Pico VR
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I Expect You To Die 2 Review: A Worthy Sequel Rich With Detail
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Valve Suggests Steam Deck Processor Could Be Used In Standalone VR Headset
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A Township Tale Review: A Fascinating Glimpse Of A Future VR Great (Quest)
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Facebook Launches Horizon Workrooms To Power Remote Work
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Facebook Reveals $299 Ray-Ban Stories Smartglasses With Camera And Assistant
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Report Claims Apple AR-VR Headset Uses iPhone/iPad/Mac For Advanced Features
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Andrew Bosworth To Take Over As Facebook CTO In 2022
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Report: Apple’s AR-VR Headset To Launch Second Half Of 2022
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Reports: Valve Working On ‘Deckard’ Standalone Headset With ‘VRLink’ Wireless
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Medal of Honor: Above And Beyond Is Coming to Oculus Quest 2 This Year
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Eyes-On: Facebook’s First Glasses Pave The Way For Public AR
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Quest Pro Potential Specs & Apparent Controller Images Leak
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Oculus Quest Pro Leak? Promo Videos Show Possible Headset Design
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Lynx Standalone AR-VR Headset Kickstarter Launches With $500 Price
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Facebook Rebrands Social VR Platform ‘Horizon Worlds’, Offers $10M To Makers
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Varjo Aero Review: A Powerhouse Headset With Some Big Question Marks
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Unplugged Review: Thrilling Air Guitar With Unmatched Hand Tracking Capabilities
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Microsoft Shows Off Adaptive Shape VR Controller Prototype
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Song in the Smoke Review: A Primal VR Survival Game With Real Majesty
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HTC Vive Flow Announced: Compact $499 6DOF VR Headset
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HP Releasing Upgraded Reverb G2 With Better Tracking
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Resident Evil 4 VR Review: An Incredible Way To Revisit A Classic
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Facebook Responds To Changes To Sexist Sequences In Resident Evil 4 VR
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Zuckerberg Announces Facebook Company Rebrand To Meta
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Oculus Quest Devs Will Get Speech Recognition, Tracked Keyboard, Hand Interaction Library
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Meta Announces AR Glasses Prototype Project Nazare
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Meta: Quest VR Headsets ‘Won’t Need A Facebook Account’ From 2022
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Quest Users Unlinking Facebook Account Keep Their Purchases, Meta Confirms
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Oculus Brand Dead, Oculus Quest To Become Meta Quest
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Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Is Coming To Oculus Quest 2
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New ‘High End’ Headset Codenamed ‘Cambria’ Launching Next Year
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Quest 2 Now Shows Pets, People, & Android Phone Notifications
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PlayStation Patent Filing Shows Work On Eye-Tracking With Foveated Rendering
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Meta Shows Research Towards Consumer Force Feedback Haptic Gloves
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HaptX: Meta’s Glove Tech ‘Substantively Identical’ To Our Patents
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Quest’s App Lab Now Supports DLC And In-App Payments
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HTC Vive Flow Review: A Niche Within A Niche
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Hitman 3 PC VR Support Confirmed, Coming Next Year
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Meta Quest 2 Is Already Replacing Oculus Quest 2 Branding
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Application SpaceWarp Can Give Quest Apps 70% More Performance
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Kuo: Apple Headset To Launch Late 2022 With 4K Displays & M1 Level Performance
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Upload VR Showcase Winter 2021: Everything Announced
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Apple Hiring AR/VR Frameworks Engineer For ‘Entirely New Application Paradigm’
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Horizon Worlds Beta Goes Public In US & Canada With 18+ Age Requirement
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Among Us VR Announced For Quest, PSVR And PC VR
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New Meta Avatars Now Available To All Unity Developers
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Kuo: Apple Headset Is 300-400 Grams, Second Gen Will Be “Significantly Lighter”
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Meta Supernatural Acquisition: FTC Opens Antitrust Probe For $400 Million Deal – Report
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After The Fall Review: Frantically Fun Co-Op That Needs More Content
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Watch: Blaston Passthrough On Quest Turns Your Living Room Into An Arena
Read Here

What were your favourite VR/AR stories of 2021? Let us know in the comments below.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook: AR Is One Of ‘Very Few Profound Technologies”

In a recent interview with YouTuber iJustine, Tim Cook called himself “AR fan #1” and said he thinks it’s one of “very few profound technologies” that have the potential to permanently embed themselves in day-to-day life.

The comments on AR, prompted by a question from Justine, start around the 9:15 mark. Here’s a transcription of what he had to say (emphasis is our own):

You know, I am so excited about AR. I think AR is one of these very few profound technologies that we will look back on one day and, ‘How did we lives out without it?’ And so right now you can experience it in thousands of ways, using your iPad or your iPhone, but of course those will get better and better over time. Already, it’s a great way to shop, it’s a great way to learn, it enhances the learning process. I can’t wait for it to be even more important in collaboration and so forth. So I’m AR fan #1. I think it’s that big.

Simple things today that you can use it for, like if you’re shopping for a sofa or a chair or a lamp, in terms of experiencing it in your place… We’ve never been able to do that before until the last couple of years or so. And that’s at the early innings of AR, it will only get better

This is far from the first time Cook has been publicly bullish about AR. In April, he said it was “critically important” to Apple’s future, following on from comments two months earlier about how he thinks AR could one day attract as big of an audience as the iPhone. As far back as 2016, Tim Cook was telling Apple investors that AR will be huge but also take some time to get right.

Five years on, AR has come a long way but still has a ways to go. Facebook’s recent Ray-Ban smart glasses pave the way for that company’s public AR efforts, but Apple has yet to dip its toes into AR hardware beyond iPhone and iOS integration. It’s reported that this could change next year, with Apple rumored to launch an AR-VR headset in the second half of 2022 for anywhere between $1000-$2000 or more.

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Report: Apple’s Rumored VR Headset Could Feature 3,000 PPI MicroOLED

Apple is hosting what promises to be its big iPhone 13 event today. While we’re once again holding out hope for that ‘one more thing’ to see if the company reveals anything about its upcoming AR or VR wearables, it seems a supply chain rumor contends that Apple’s alleged VR headset may be gearing up to sport a microOLED display with a pretty high pixel density.

Apple has a tight reign on internal leaks, which typically force tech pundits to look at the greater supply chain to get an idea of where the Cupertino tech giant is headed next. That typically also means you’ll have to take whatever pops out of those rumors with a big grain of salt.

Just this year multiple reports have maintained that Apple’s long-rumored VR headset may arrive as early as 2022, cost $3,000, and include limited AR capabilities, something that’s said to act as a precursor to a full-fledged AR device.

Korean publication The Elec is now reporting that Apple has requested a sample of a display component called a fine metal mask (FMM) from the South Korean company APS Holdings, something that’s used for depositing organic RGB material onto OLED displays. The type allegedly requested by Apple is supposed to reach a pixel density of 3,000ppi.

It’s not unusual for micro displays to features pixel densities of that size, so the notable bit here is Apple may be looking to maintain a slim and light profile for its VR headset, which may depart from the high resolution smartphone-size displays used in current consumer VR headsets.

Apple intends on testing the FMM sample, and then forming a more concrete plant for the VR device’s development, The Elec maintains in its report.

Japan’s Dai Nippon Printing is widely considered the number one manufacture of the sort of FMM (Gen 6) reportedly requested by Apple, however these are produced using a process called ‘wet etching’. It’s thought that Apple instead wanted a laser patterning FMM from ABS Holding, as laser drilling the holes “will make 3000ppi more achievable,” The Elec reports.

We’ll be watching the Apple event today and keeping our eyes peeled for AR/VR news. You can follow along live here on YouTube.

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New Apple Watch Feature Could Form the Basis of the Company’s XR Input Strategy

This week Apple debuted new accessibility-focused features for iOS. Among them, the AssistiveTouch feature for Apple Watch allows for single-handed control of the watch by detecting clenching and pinching of the hand, as well as accelerometer-based control. The system looks awfully similar to work Apple and Facebook have done on XR input, and may prove a strong hint that Apple will lean into wrist-worn input for its rumored XR headset.

If you’ve been following along with the XR space, you’ll remember the research Facebook recently shared on its wrist-worn prototypes for XR input & haptics. Apple, while much more secretive about its R&D, has filed patents for similar XR input modalities which use micro-gestures from the hand to control interactive content.

This week the company revealed new accessibilities features for iOS devices, including an AssistiveTouch feature for Apple Watch which bares a striking resemblance to the XR input work seen recently by Apple and Facebook, at least in an early form.

Here the company demonstrates the use of fist clenching and pinching as distinct commands for making selects on the watch. Another feature allows a cursor to be called forth and controlled using accelerometer data.

While these inputs are low fidelity compared to what would be ideal for input with an XR headset, Apple says that even its current generation watches can “detect subtle differences in muscle movement and tendon activity.” More precise sensing of this sort seems to be exactly what Apple and fellow tech-giant Facebook are counting on as the future of XR input which can be discreet enough to work in a wide range of use-cases, including on-the-go and in public.

Another Apple patent shows that the company has been investigating the use of head-worn haptics as a means of helping users navigate inside of XR experiences. The patent specifically notes that such haptics could either be in a headset itself, or in a pair of earbuds…. future versions of Apple Watch and AirPods could cover a wide range of input and output for Apple’s rumored upcoming XR headset.

The post New Apple Watch Feature Could Form the Basis of the Company’s XR Input Strategy appeared first on Road to VR.

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Editorial: Pokémon Go Should Be AR’s Guide For Decades

Pokémon Go is in a class by itself with near-universal appeal and it will be a guiding light for AR development in the years to come.

Perhaps I’m a bit warped by my attachment to the creatures I started capturing on my Gameboy before the turn of the century. No matter where I went with my family, I was immersed in a world that lived inside my head as much as it did on that simple little monochrome screen.

My Squirtle evolved into Wartortle, who evolved into Blastoise, as he and I worked together to grow our bond and expand our collection of pocket monsters on a journey through the world together. I even had one of those magnifiers with built-in light so I could play at night with a bigger screen, consuming AA batteries as much as I did candy.

Decades later, Pokémon is still played by millions searching for monsters that roam unseen around the physical world. It is difficult to say exactly how many people play Pokémon Go each month as its developer, Niantic, remains a private company so its revenue and userbase can only be estimated by firms like Sensor Tower.

While the below chart is an estimate, the overall trend is likely true — Pokémon Go was a sensation in 2016 when it debuted, crashed the following year, and then steadily improved its revenue and game mechanics to grow overall. The evolution continued even through the COVID-19 pandemic when game changes made it easy to enjoy even while staying physically distant from other people.

The ugly truth of Pokémon Go in 2021 is the augmented reality portion of the game remains one of its worst features. There’s no reason to throw a Poké Ball and try to catch a Pikachu in AR except to make it harder to catch. We only hold our phones vertically like the feature requires when we’re taking a picture, and I’m not taking a picture when I’m catching a monster. Pokémon AR remains a terrible experience. For this to become great, our computers need to become glasses and they need to understand our environment to a degree we’ve still not seen in consumer hardware.

This is coming, it’s just unclear still how many years away it really is. Last year, Niantic acquired spatial mapping company 6D.ai and introduced a reality blending feature that more believably inserts Pokémon into the environment.

The feature is far from perfect.

In recent weeks, Niantic revealed a glimpse of the AR glasses it is developing based on a Qualcomm reference design.

And with Microsoft, Niantic recently teased full multiplayer Pokémon Go on HoloLens 2.

Facebook is working on AR glasses and Apple’s CEO Tim Cook was recently quoted as saying that AR was “critically important” to the future of the company while also stating person-to-person interactions could arguably be “better if we were able to augment our discussion with charts or other things.”

If by “charts” he means Pokémon stats and “other things” he means battles in a gigantic virtual stadium out in an open field? Then yes, Mr. Cook, you’re right. But given that the current state of AR is ruggedized hyper-expensive military tool or examining a 3D model with coworkers and hanging windows of 2D content in the room? I’m not sure that’s what Cook actually envisions. Either way, the future of my dreams is still far far away from realization.

The Pokémon universe will be absolute magic when it is finally realized with true head-worn AR and robust environmental understanding. The idea of leaving home on an adventure and befriending new creatures wherever you go is inviting to many groups of people in a way very few gaming franchises are. And the fact that Pokémon don’t die when they’re defeated in battle (they only faint) doesn’t hurt its appeal either. In my mind the franchise’s core tenets can be thought of as lasting friendship and harmless rivalry, and I can’t think of a layer I want added to reality that would be better than that.

That’s why — after all the technical milestones are met and you can release a Poké Ball from your fingertips and see it hit the ground in a cloud of dust where a giant creature bursts out — Pokémon Go should continue to be a guide shaping the development of AR over the long term.

In the year 2050 will people be catching Pokémon like I’ve described here? I think they will.

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AR Is ‘Critically Important’ To Apple’s Future, Confirms Tim Cook

Apple CEO Tim Cook has confirmed that augmented reality is a “critically important part” of the company’s future.

Cook acknowledged as much in a recent interview with Kara Swisher on the Sway podcast. While he declined to talk about Apple’s specific plans for the technology, he did talk a little bit about its promise.

“But in terms of AR, the promise of AR is that you and I are having a great conversation right now,” Cook began. “Arguably, it could even be better if we were able to augment our discussion with charts or other things to appear. And your audience would also benefit from this, too, I think. And so when I think about that in different fields, whether it’s health, whether it’s education, whether it’s gaming, whether it’s retail, I’m already seeing AR take off in some of these areas with use of the phone. And I think the promise is even greater in the future.”

Asked if AR was a “critically important part of Apple’s future”, Cook simply replied: “It is.”

Speculation about Apple’s work with both VR and AR has persisted for years now. A few months ago, we reported on rumors that the company is aiming to release a headset that is “mostly VR” in 2022, but could be very expensive. Later reports have estimated the device to cost anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000, while the company’s full AR glasses may not arriving until around 2025.

When do you think we’ll finally see Apple’s work in AR revealed? Let us know in the comments below!

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New Apple Patents Cover “Micro-gesture” XR Input, Head-worn Haptics to Guide User Attention

A newly published patent application from Apple highlights the company’s internal exploration of “micro-gestures” for AR input, which involves using the thumb against the index finger as a sort of virtual joystick or selector. Another newly granted patent covers the use of head-worn haptics as a means of directing the user’s attention toward virtual objects which are out of sight.

Alongside a string of acquisitions and job hiring focused on XR, Apple has long been exploring the space through internal R&D. While much of that work is secret, the details that emerge through the company’s patents shed light on some of the technologies and concepts Apple has been exploring in VR and AR.

In a patent application filed September 2020 and published this month, Apple covers the use of “micro-gestures” as a means of controlling XR devices. One version of this micro-gesture input envisions the user using their thumb, pressed against the side of their index finger, as a sort of virtual joystick for making directional selections.

Image courtesy Apple

The patent application indicates that Apple thinks this approach would allow for a hands-free, highly motor efficient input which is also unobtrusive:

“Using the cameras to capture the micro-gestures to interact with the three-dimensional environment allow the user to freely move about the physical environment without be encumbered by physical input equipment, which allows the user to explore the three-dimensional environment more naturally and efficiently,” the application states. “In addition, micro-gestures are discrete and unobtrusive, and are suitable for interactions that may occur in public and/or require decorum.”

The patent application shows several examples beyond the ‘virtual thumbstick’, including gestures which treat each segment of each finger as its own ‘button’ for input (ie: pressing your thumb to the middle section of your ring finger).

Image courtesy Apple

The patent also throws some serious shade at existing input modalities for XR devices:

“For example, systems that provide insufficient feedback for performing actions associated with virtual objects, systems that require a series of inputs to achieve a desired outcome in an augmented reality environment, and systems in which manipulation of virtual objects are complex, tedious and error-prone, create a significant cognitive burden on a user, and detract from the experience with the virtual/augmented reality environment. In addition, these methods take longer than necessary, thereby wasting energy. This latter consideration is particularly important in battery-operated devices.”

Interestingly, Facebook has shown essentially the same exact ‘virtual thumbstick’ as an input concept used with its prototype wrist-worn XR input device:

This particular patent application hasn’t yet been granted to Apple yet, but something tells me the two companies are likely to be butting heads in the near future over XR patents.

Another Apple patent, this one filed November 2018 and granted last month, envisions head-worn haptic devices which would be used to help direct the user’s attention to objects that are outside of their field of view.

Image courtesy Apple

The patent envisions three different levels of head-worn haptics, ranging from those implanted in earbuds or glasses all the way to a headband forming a complete circle of haptic modules.

Image courtesy Apple

The haptics would be used, in some way, to turn the user’s attention to one side or the other in order to draw their gaze toward something. Use-cases spelled out in the patent include helping the user locate an out of view speaker during a VR or AR teleconference, or directing the user’s attention to an important object inside of a virtual reality environment.

Image courtesy Apple

Exactly how haptics would be superior for guiding the user’s attention over simply using spatial audio isn’t entirely clear from the patent.

We’ve seen head-worn haptics experimented with previously, though for an entirely different use-case; researchers found they could significantly reduce discomfort related to smooth locomotion in VR with haptics mounted on a headset.

The post New Apple Patents Cover “Micro-gesture” XR Input, Head-worn Haptics to Guide User Attention appeared first on Road to VR.

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Report: Apple’s First VR Headset Rumored to Cost $3,000 & Include 8K Displays

According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple may be planning to release a VR headset with limited AR capabilities as soon as 2022, which is said to be a precursor to its long-rumored, full-fledged AR device. Now, a follow up report by The Information contends the company’s first VR headset will cost around $3,000 and include a bevy of items high on any VR enthusiast’s wish list.

Update (February 4th, 2021): Citing people with direct knowledge of the device, The Information’s report maintains that Apple’s upcoming VR/AR headset will reportedly be equipped with more than a dozen cameras, which will be used for room-scale tracking, hand-tracking, and passthrough AR.

It’s also said to include dual 8K displays which make use of eye-tracking for foveated rendering, a technique of rendering content at its highest resolution where the center of the eye is pointed.

Internal Apple images leaked to The Information showed a late-stage prototype from 2020, which included a “sleek, curved visor attached to the face by a mesh material and swappable headbands.”

The report maintains that Apple internally discussed a $3,000 price point for the device, which suggests it will be pitched at the prosumer segment or at enterprise, similar to how Apple positions its Mac Pro computers.

Original Article (January 21st, 2021): “As a mostly virtual reality device, it will display an all-encompassing 3-D digital environment for gaming, watching video and communicating,” Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter. “AR functionality, the ability to overlay images and information over a view of the real world, will be more limited.”

Apple is reportedly aiming for a niche, high-end category with the VR headset. It’s said the device will be more expensive than rival devices in the VR space, with sales expected to be somewhere around one Apple headset per day, per store—small potatoes in comparison to the company’s fleet of mobile devices, laptops, and desktop computers.

Bloomberg maintains the late-stage prototype headset is codenamed N301, however it’s still being finalized and could be subject to cancellation.

Oculus Quest 2 | Image courtesy Facebook

Much like Oculus Quest, some prototypes of the VR headset are said to include “external cameras to enable some AR features,” which could be used for hand-tracking. Considering it’s described as containing Apple’s “most advanced and powerful chips,” it’s reasonable to assume we’re talking about a standalone device with passthrough AR capabilities.

Weight savings was also a concern, the report maintains. The headset is said to be close-fitting, requiring additional prescription inserts due to the lack of extra room to accommodate for glasses. It’s also said to have a fabric exterior.

The AR prototype, which is projected to follow at some point, is said to be codenamed N421. It’s suggested N421 is still in an early stage of development, and has a reported 2023 unveiling.

Apple doesn’t comment on its projects still in progress, but it’s been an open secret that the company has been creating headsets behind closed doors. Credible reports in the past have suggested the company has already begun preliminary work on AR optics. Code found in iOS 13.1 last fall even revealed AR headset codenames, display dimensions, and fields of view.

A rumor supplied by known tech leaker Jon Prosser back in May 2020 maintained the AR headset will be named ‘Apple Glass’, relies on Apple mobile devices for data processing, and would launch at $499 sometime this year. That may just be some hopeful conjecture though.

If the release strategy can be believed—first a VR headset with limited AR capabilities, then a true AR headset—we’re sure to hear plenty more about the two in the coming years leading up to their respectively release windows. Supply chains can’t always work in complete stealth, accessories are constantly revealed by lower-tier manufacturers, and app ecosystems don’t magically appear out of nowhere—the latter of which can make or break any new product class looking for consumer dollars (or rather pro-sumer if it’s exceptionally expensive).

For now though, all of it needs to be taken with a big grain of salt. Anything in pre-production from such a prolific company as Apple is always subject to cancellation. And like with all things Apple, the Cupertino tech giant also isn’t in a rush.

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Apple Aims For High-End, ‘Mostly VR’ Headset As Soon As 2022 – Report

A new report states that Apple is working on a high-end standalone headset that is “mostly virtual reality” with some limited AR features.

Bloomberg, which first reported on the device in mid-2020, cites “people with knowledge of the matter” in saying that this device should serve as a precursor to headsets with more advanced AR features and would be used for gaming, media consumption and communication. A glasses spacer — which would allow users with glasses to make room for them inside the headset — has reportedly been removed from the device to help with size, but users will be able to acquire custom prescription lenses. The current design also includes a fan to keep the system cool and has a fabric overlay.

The report goes on to state that Apple could release a device, which is still in the prototype phase under the codename N301, that’s far more expensive than Facebook’s Oculus Quest 2 (which starts at $299), utilizing the company’s latest chips and featuring a “much higher-resolution” display than those seen in current headsets.

More over, the article suggests that some versions of the device are around the size of an Oculus Quest (the article doesn’t specify between the original or Quest 2) and that it includes “external cameras to enable some AR features” as well as hand-tracking, though such features might not ship with the device itself.

Finally, the device runs on a new operating system labelled ‘rOS’. Bloomberg notes that plans for the kit could be scrapped and that some Apple insiders don’t expect it to sell huge numbers in its first iteration.

Recent patent filings support Bloomberg’s report that Apple is working on a VR headset, though its future plans for more dedicated AR devices remain unclear. A ‘mostly VR device’ with limited AR features would also be an accurate way to describe the Quest 2 – Facebook is developing a virtual work application that lets users see the real world mixed with virtual screens.