‘Apple is working on VR headset the size of Oculus Quest’ – Image and sound – News

Apple is working on a VR headset that is very similar in appearance and functions to an Oculus Quest, reports financial news agency Bloomberg. The headset should be released next year, but Apple does not expect high sales figures, according to the news agency.

Apple sees the headset as a precursor to the AR glasses that the company is also working on, meldt Bloomberg. It is a VR headset that works with a battery. This means that it must function standalone, without cables. On the outside there are cameras for AR functions, but Apple is currently mainly focusing the device on VR applications.

Apple wants to use those cameras for hand-tracking control and for a way to enter text by writing with fingers in the air. There may also be an App Store for the device, whose operating system is known internally as rOS. Prototypes are about the same size as the Oculus Quest.

Apple has not added space to place glasses under the headset and is considering allowing users to insert separate prescription lenses just in front of the screens to get a sharp image. It is unknown whether this method is allowed, because the sale of prescription lenses is bound by rules.

Sales expectations are not high, according to Bloomberg; Apple expects to sell several hundred thousand copies per year through its own stores. This is partly due to the higher price compared to competitors. Ultimately, Apple wants to make AR glasses for displaying an interface over the real world, but that hardware requires even more work and that will take at least two more years, Bloomberg says.

Is rumors have been going on for some time about a headset from Apple. The company has not yet responded to this. With ARKit, it has been offering a sdk for developers since 2017 to build apps for augmented reality. Partly because AR is now on many smartphones.

Looking back: video review of Oculus Quest 2 from last year

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