The VR market looks to have a new competitor entering the fray. Apple is reportedly developing an expensive virtual reality headset intended to serve as a first step towards even more advanced technology in the future.

There have been quite a few reports in the past few months regarding Apple and its new product development. In addition to the news of a potential VR system, the tech giant might also be making a self-driving car. Codenamed Project Titan, Apple's vehicle project plans to launch in 2024, a decade after its inception. The VR headset has a considerably shorter turnaround time, with plans to launch the device as early as 2022.

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According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple's new standalone device will feature both VR and AR technology, and is capable of multiple functionalities including gaming, video, and communications. The company is aiming to incorporate some of its most powerful chips ever into the headset, even more advanced than any device it currently has on the market. Some of the chips currently being tested are outdoing the performance of Apple's M1 Mac processor. The device has faced several hurdles in its development, resulting in the company having conservative sales expectations. This can be seen as quite uncharacteristic of Apple, which normally predicts massive numbers with its new devices.

apple vr headset

The powerful chips being utilized require the use of a fan, something the company avoids with mobile products. Apple has also condensed the VR headset closer to the face, eliminating the usual space reserved for glasses. While this would surely be an issue with a large amount of prospective buyers, the device can be equipped with custom prescription lenses. However, this could make Apple subject to regulations governing the sale of products with prescriptions. The tech giant usually sells its products in dozens of countries, many of which have different rules about prescriptions. Perhaps the biggest issue of all (as far as regular consumers are concerned), is the VR Headset's price, expected to be far, far greater than its competitors like the Oculus, or even the upcoming Samsung Odyssey VR headset.

Despite all of the logistical issues Apple needs to iron out, VR headsets are set to only increase in popularity in the next few years. Over a dozen different VR sets have been launched in the past four years alone, and a recent study says that 45 million VR headsets will be actively used by 2025.

While Apple's new device is expected to be pricey, fans of both the company and premium tech will likely shell out whatever the price is anyways. It should be exciting to see what VR and AR products the tech giant releases in the next few years, although they'll hopefully work out better than the Oculus Quest Cybershoes.

The Apple VR/AR Headset is reportedly in development.

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Source: Bloomberg