'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
Apple's VR/AR headset is coming. Here's everything we know so far
Virtual reality (VR) headsets are at the cutting edge of consumer technology right now and Meta, Google, and other big tech companies have been eyeing the space for years, so it's not a huge surprise that Apple wants to get involved, too. So, what can we expect from Apple's headset? Here's everything we know.
What is this Apple headset?
The Apple mixed reality headset is Apple's take on VR and augmented reality (AR) headsets. Apple's version will deliver many of the same functions as the headsets that are on the market now, but it will likely house more advanced technology.
Also: Will Apple's Reality Pro signal the beginning of the immersive internet?
Apple has a tendency to wait and watch when it comes to new products rather than be the first to market, but the wait will be coming to an end soon. Apple is expected to unveil its headset at its 2023 developer conference, WWDC 2023.
The headset has been rumored for years, but there is very little in the way of solid evidence that it exists, apart from a few comments by Apple's top execs and a steady stream of rumors.
Also: Apple sets June date for its biggest conference of 2023, with headset launch expected
The existence of the headset has certainly not been confirmed by Apple. However, analysts and aficionados have been keeping a close eye on Apple's activities and have been able to dig up clues about the headset's specs.
What will the Apple headset be called?
Filed patents give us a clue into the name of the Apple headset, which will probably include the word "Reality". Back in August 2022, Bloomberg reported that a shell company, linked to law firms Apple has previously used, filed trademark applications in multiple countries for the names "Reality One", "Reality Pro", and "Reality Processor".
Also: Fitness isn't going to sell me on Apple's rumored Reality Pro headset
A couple of months before that, another shell company filed two patents for "RealityOS", which could refer to the software the headset would utilize. It is not unusual for a big tech company such as Apple to use a shell company to maintain secrecy.
However, Bloomberg reported last December that the company decided to change the software name for the headset from "RealityOS" to "xrOS" as disclosed by people with knowledge of the matter.
At the beginning of May, a month before WWDC, Apple was also found to have trademarked the term "xrOS" via a shell corporation in New Zealand. This further confirms the software name shift to "xrOS".
What features will the Apple headset have?
According to a recent Bloomberg report, the AR/VR headset, which is said to cost around $3,000, will work with existing iPadOS apps, like the Camera, FaceTime, Books, Home, Messages, Photos, Safari, and more.
Like the Meta Quest Pro, HTC Vive Cosmos, and Sony Playstation VR, it's expected that the Apple AR/VR headset will lean heavily on gaming, presumably as a new way to access Apple Arcade, and will feature a new Fitness+ experience.
Also: The best VR headsets for gaming, the metaverse, and beyond
In the workplace, Apple is reportedly planning to include immersive videoconferencing in mixed reality, where users will be able to have realistic avatars in virtual meeting rooms; new collaboration tools using the Apple Freeform app, which will allow users to discuss and work on material together; and the ability to use the AR/VR headset as an external monitor for a connected Mac.
The report also mentions that the headset should be capable of running hundreds of thousands of third-party iPad apps with little modification, including a variety of games, reading apps, and fitness services.
Also: The 4 best AR glasses: Pro-level AR and XR headsets
Additionally, Apple is said to have made a push for a new Wellness app that will feature an immersive AR/VR relaxation experience with graphics, calming sounds, meditation, and voiceovers.
How much is the headset expected to cost?
The current rumored cost of Reality Pro is $3,000. This places Apple's headset at a higher price point than market competitors.
Also: Meetings in the metaverse: Our experience with HTC Vive Sync
Meta's Quest Pro headset retails at $1,000, the HTC Vive Focus 3 is $1,300, and the Meta Quest 2 headset retails at only $400.
When did rumors of the Apple headset concept begin to circulate?
Rumors of a top-secret Apple VR/AR headset began in 2017 when Bloomberg reported on "rOS", which is an operating system that was supposedly being created to run the VR product. At the time, Bloomberg predicted that the product would be ready to ship as early as 2020, but today -- six years after the rumor's inception -- we know how that guess panned out.
When is the expected release date?
According to the latest projections, we shouldn't be waiting much longer, despite the constant delays. Initially, the product was expected to launch in 2019, and then it got delayed to 2020, 2021, 2022, and now 2023.
The general expectation was that Apple would release the product in January 2023 and have shipments follow later in the year. However, that plan also took a detour.
It is now widely anticipated that Apple will unveil the headset next week at WWDC 2023.
Apple frequently uses the WWDC to announce products. At the 2022 WWDC, Apple announced its new software updates for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, as well as the latest iteration of its signature silicon chip.
Also: iOS 17 could get these 'nice to have' features. Here's what we know
Apple-focused analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's predicted last December that we could expect the launch to happen in the second half of 2023 due to software-related issues, aligning perfectly with WWDC.
"My latest survey indicates that the mass shipment schedule of Apple's MR headset may delay to 2H23 because of software-related issues (vs. the previous estimate of 2Q23)," Kuo said in a tweet.
Apple has yet to confirm the existence of the headset or when we can expect a launch.
Are there prototype headsets?
Last August, Gurman reported that Apple had already shared the product with a small number of high-profile software developers for testing, suggesting there is a near-finished product, or at least a prototype, already out there.
Also: Singapore opens up its airport to the metaverse
The internal codename for Apple's first headset is N301, according to Bloomberg. A later model, the N602, and a lightweight set of augmented reality glasses, codenamed N421, can be expected to launch towards the end of the decade.
Aren't there headsets you can use with Apple products already?
If you really want to explore AR/VR, there are already devices on the market that would allow you to do so. Meta's Quest 2 is on the lower side of headset prices without compromising value. ZDNET ranked it as the best overall VR headset because of its easy setup, comfortable controls, excellent tracking, and high-resolution display.
Also: Why Meta wants you to find the flaws in its newest headsets
If you are a proud participant in the Apple ecosystem, a more affordable option is the HoloKit X. This headset harnesses Apple's technology to create an AR experience. The iPhone serves as the headset's eyes, and all you have to do is pair it to an app to get it going. The headset also has an Apple Watch integration, which enables motion tracking on your wrist, allowing you to play games that require handheld movement. To watch ZDNET Editor June Wan use the headset and cast spells in his AR experience, click here.
Who is the intended audience for the headset?
The Apple headset is projected to be a top-of-the-line headset packed with bells and whistles that will be ideal for pros or people who are really invested in AR/VR. If you are just interested in exploring and playing with AR/VR, then a more affordable, existing headset might be a better option for you.
How would Apple's launch impact the industry?
With talk of a potential metaverse on the horizon, more companies have been developing AR/VR headsets and interest in the space continues to grow. In typical Apple fashion, the tech giant has waited until other companies have tried their hand and public interest has built up before entering the scene.
The first modern AR/VR headset, the Oculus Rift, was launched in March 2016. Since then, Meta -- which acquired Oculus in 2014 -- has continued to develop and launch VR/AR sets, culminating in its latest 2022 headset, known as the Meta Quest Pro. During those six years that Meta continued to grow in the space, Apple waited.
Also: Accidental teleports and virtual high-fives: What I've learned about VR meetings
"After Apple launches AR/MR headset, I think Apple's global rivals will compete to imitate it, leading the headset hardware industry to the next stage of rapid growth and benefiting the related services and content ecosystem," wrote Kuo.
In the past, when Apple finally chose to enter a space, it revolutionized and dominated it, creating new interest and raising standards for the product. It is fair to assume that Apple will have the same effect on the AR/VR space when the headset drops.