Apple‘s long-reported mixed reality headset will include a 3D video service and its own interpretation of the ‘metaverse’, a new report claims.
Apple reported Mark Gurman’s latest newsletter for Bloomberg claims that new job listings suggest the company is building a video service for the headset which features 3D virtual reality video.
Gurman points out that Apple purchased NextVR in 2020. NextVR provided high-quality 3D music and sports coverage in VR on Quest devices up until it was removed following its acquisition.
Gurmans also mentions the creation of a 3D mixed-reality world. This Gurmans suggests may be an indication that Apple has its own metaverse. The project is one on which the parent company Meta, Facebook, has already spent over $100 billion.
Gurman has previously reported that Apple’s new headset will likely be branded ‘Reality’, having trademarked the terms Reality Pro and Reality One in August.
Due to its Mac-level M2 chip and more than 10 cameras, the headset is expected to cost between $2000-3000.
Apple has hired co-founders for a mixed reality mobile studio to continue its work on virtual reality and augmented realities.
Mobilegamer.biz reported that two of Playdeo’s co-founders, Jack Schulze and Timo Arnall, are now employed by Apple, essentially closing the studio down.
Playdeo’s most notable title is Avo, an iOS game in which players direct a sentient avocado through a series of real-world environments by drawing lines for it to follow, as seen in the gameplay footage embedded above.
For a long time, reports have been persistent that Apple plans to enter the VR/AR market at some point. The hiring of Schulze & Arnall is a clear indication of these plans.
Gurman claimed that Apple was developing its own high-end VR headset in 2021. It plans to release it by 2022. These plans are unlikely to be realized, but there may have been some delays due to factors such as the global chip shortage.
