Apple’s mixed-reality headset reportedly set to debut this June at WWDC
The Reality Pro will finally make an appearance in the middle of the year
Apple will reportedly reveal its long-rumored mixed-reality headset this June during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), after delaying the announcement from spring.
According to Bloomberg, Apple pushed back the reveal after product testing showed hardware and software issues still needed to be fixed.
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Apple’s Reality Pro
✋ Apple is expected to reveal its new VR/AR headset this June
🌻 The company had reportedly planned the reveal for spring
🐞 It delayed the announcement after finding hardware and software bugs
💪 Whenever it’s revealed, the Reality Pro will make a big splash
This is just the latest delay of many, with Apple reportedly originally thinking of launching the device in June last year, before pushing it back to January 2023, then to spring, and now at WWDC. It’s expected to go up for sale by the end of the year.
Rumored to be called Reality Pro, the VR/AR headset sounds like a real beast of a device that will outstrip current competitors and upcoming models like the Meta Quest 3. Internal sensors will track the users’ eyes, and an array of external cameras means users can navigate menus and make on-screen selections by squeezing only their thumb and forefinger, saving the need for an external, handheld controller.
Pitched as a consumer and commercial device, it’ll feature a bunch of productivity tools and VR versions of popular iOS apps, like FaceTime, as well as its own version of the metaverse. Apple’s take on virtual social meet-up spots will likely be very different from Meta’s concept.
As well as offering an immersive cinema feature for watching movies, and new environmental toolsets that take advantage of its pass-through mode, the device also supports a games library. We’ve already seen Apple pinch a couple of game developers to ready some titles for when the headset launches, but don’t expect its catalog to rival the upcoming PSVR 2 games. This device isn’t a gaming-first headset, and won’t pack as nearly dazzling a library as Sony’s homegrown system.
It will also come at a hefty cost. Bloomberg reports Apple is set to price the Reality Pro at $3,000, clearing the Meta Quest Pro and similar HTC Vive XR Elite by miles. It sounds like Apple is really banking on the ‘Pro’ of its name to do a lot of heavy lifting.
Apple isn’t the only company producing weird and wonderful headsets. The newly unveiled Bigscreen Beyond looks to be the world’s smallest VR headset, packing a lot of impressive hardware in an incredibly slim package.
Apple will only face more challengers in the months ahead. It’ll have to do a lot to convince regular consumers and businesses that its pricey device is really as premium as it sounds.