In an interview with Chinese media earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook suggested that something is in the works. At one point, Apple was aiming for at least resolution similar to a 4K TV per eye for its first headset, because anything less could result in users seeing individual pixels, The Information reported.Īpple hasn't confirmed its plans to release a mixed reality headset, and the company didn't respond to a request for comment on this story. The headset will reportedly support passthrough video and offer games and other applications. The company has invested heavily in virtual reality research and development in its Technology Development Group and has purchased several startups specializing in mixed reality technology.Īccording to reports from Bloomberg and The Information, Apple is developing a mixed reality headset that resembles ski goggles with a powerful homegrown chip, similar to what powers its MacBook laptops, and higher-resolution displays than what's currently on the market. "Companies are focusing on consumer-alike experiences, which means that they are still really driven by the size, weight, ergonomics point of view, as well as cost," Konttori said.Īpple is notoriously secretive about its product roadmap, especially when it comes to new categories. That's because developing a consumer-friendly product with the right weight and power consumption is very tricky, especially when it comes to keeping costs down and shipping millions of them. Konttori knows it will be hard for his startup to compete with some of the biggest tech companies in the world, but he says Meta and Apple still face challenges. Meta and Apple are focused on developing devices that don't require attachment to a separate computer. However, to use the XR-3 you have to be tethered by a cable to a powerful gaming PC. "Part of this evolution is that you can see that at some point, the fidelity of this experience is equal to what you would perceive by looking at it with just your own eyes." The key is "being able to merge the physical reality around you with the virtual reality objects and make it into a single coherent scene, where you cannot tell apart what is real and what is virtual anymore," Konttori said. The XR-3 has two 2880 by 2720 pixel displays, and the company uses eye tracking to focus its processing power to deliver better image quality where your eyes are looking. The company wants to almost mimic "human-eye" display quality, which he calls the "holy grail" of mixed reality. Konttori told me that was one of his main goals. This isn't possible with existing VR technology, which forces you to remove yourself from the physical world. Most impressively, when passthrough was turned on, I could interact with the actual environment around me, carrying on a conversation with the person next to me or finding a chair and sitting in it. I was able to walk around it and inspect its interior and discuss what I was seeing with someone who wasn't wearing a VR headset. In the demo, Varjo placed a life-size car model inside the space. I was also able to interact with the world around me through Varjo's passthrough view. I could use virtual computer monitors displaying Windows applications inside the virtual world. I could access a virtual world with the press of a single button, and I could pull up games that took over my entire field of view. In passthrough AR, powerful cameras on the outside of a VR headset take video of the outside world and send it to two or more displays, one each in front of the user's eyes. With existing VR devices, the experience is limited to what's on the headset's display. If passthrough mixed reality works as advertised, a VR headset would also function as a set of augmented reality glasses, enhancing the possibilities for applications and real-world use. Both companies are reportedly betting on a new technology called passthrough mixed reality, which requires better displays and more processing power. To expand the market, Meta and Apple will have to convince consumers that more advanced systems will be worth the investment. Apple sells that many iPhones every few weeks. Just 11.2 million VR units were shipped last year, IDC said. That's a hefty load for products in a category that's yet to go mainstream. Apple's unannounced device could reportedly cost thousands of dollars. Meta's forthcoming high-end headset, codenamed Cambria, is expected to cost at least $800, the company said earlier this year. Consumers who want the next-generation technology are going to have to spend multiples of that. The best-selling virtual reality headset, the Meta Quest 2, retails for $400 and accounted for 78% of the nascent VR market in 2021, according to IDC. Personal Loans for 670 Credit Score or Lower Personal Loans for 580 Credit Score or Lower Best Debt Consolidation Loans for Bad Credit
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