The rumor: Apple is continuing work on a VR headset with some AR features, according to Mark Gurman (89.1% accurate).
- It will mainly be a VR headset: Gurman says “it will display an all-encompassing 3-D digital environment for gaming, watching video and communicating”
- Some AR functionality will also be present on the device…but they won’t be the focus
- What makes it different than the competition? Super high-res displays, a built-in fan and some of Apple’s highest-end chips…some of which beat the M1 in benchmarks
- Due to a limited market and higher price tag than competing headsets, “some Apple insiders believe the company may sell only one headset per day per retail store”
- There won’t be any room for eyeglasses, so Apple is working to implement “custom prescription lenses” in front of the screens
- The Apple VR headset could launch as early as 2022
Our take: Gurman compares this VR headset to the $5,999 Mac Pro: an ultra-premium device aimed at an extremely specific niche. I’m certainly interested, but it doesn’t seem like this is going to be anywhere near affordable.