Apple said to partner with Valve to make AR headset

A report claims that Apple is working with game distributor Valve for the development of an Augmented Reality head-mounted display, which may be released in the second half of 2020.

Citing supply chain reports, Digitimes claims that Apple has partnered with the game developer, Valve, in order to produce an Augmented Reality headset. As well as developing the headset with Steam, Apple is said to be using familiar suppliers Pegatron and Quanta Computer to assemble the device. It's not expected to be released before the second half of 2020 at the earliest.

Valve wouldn't be providing VR or AR experiences itself, but could use the Steam distribution system to distribute them. Back in 2017, Valve leveraged Apple's macOS High Sierra's eGPU and virtual reality support to bring a beta version of its SteamVR to the Mac.

Then for macOS Mojave, Apple worked with both Valve and HTC to support their HTC Vive Pro headset for VR.

This timescale reported by Digitimes is later than previously predicted by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Last month, he reported that production of an AR headset would begin before the end of this year, with a launch in the second quarter of 2020.

Digitimes does not have the greatest reliability in its Apple reporting. Most significantly, it claimed in July that Apple had abandoned its AR Glasses project entirely. This new report admits that wasn't correct, but attributes it to Apple purportedly closing its internal project in favor of this collaboration with Valve.

24 Comments

gatorguy 13 Years · 24627 comments

About 5 years ago

AppleInsider said:

A report claims that Apple is working with game distributor Valve

Valve wouldn't be providing the VR experiences itself, but could use the Steam distribution system to distribute them. .

Rather than AR as the focus Apple will be targeting VR uses like gaming, just the opposite of what has been reported in the past couple of years??
I remember Mr Cook not all that long ago arguing that augmented reality is preferable to virtual reality. Partnering with a gaming company on the development seems at odds with that.

indieshack 9 Years · 336 comments

gatorguy said:
Rather than AR as the focus Apple will be targeting VR uses like gaming, just the opposite of what has been reported in the past couple of years??

Disagree - I think if Apple nails this, it will be huge, as big as the iPhone for them. The release of this can’t happen soon enough

indieshack said:

gatorguy said:
Rather than AR as the focus Apple will be targeting VR uses like gaming, just the opposite of what has been reported in the past couple of years??

Disagree - I think if Apple nails this, it will be huge, as big as the iPhone for them. The release of this can’t happen soon enough

What are you disagreeing with, Mr. Cook's comments from a few months ago?

cy_starkman 16 Years · 653 comments

gatorguy said:

AppleInsider said:

A report claims that Apple is working with game distributor Valve

Valve wouldn't be providing the VR experiences itself, but could use the Steam distribution system to distribute them. .

Rather than AR as the focus Apple will be targeting VR uses like gaming, just the opposite of what has been reported in the past couple of years??
I remember Mr Cook not all that long ago arguing that augmented reality is preferable to virtual reality. Partnering with a gaming company on the development seems at odds with that.

Quite the opposite actually. AR in many respects is even better for gaming. With even more immersive potential, less issues with disconnected movement sickness and more.

from multiplayer, to board games, to interactive stories, alt reality tie ins (such as marvel or star wars), next level or virtualised existing sports, first person shooting - AR is going to be better, healthier, more engaging and self promoting.

not so much for vehicle simulators

cy_starkman said:

gatorguy said:

AppleInsider said:

A report claims that Apple is working with game distributor Valve

Valve wouldn't be providing the VR experiences itself, but could use the Steam distribution system to distribute them. .

Rather than AR as the focus Apple will be targeting VR uses like gaming, just the opposite of what has been reported in the past couple of years??
I remember Mr Cook not all that long ago arguing that augmented reality is preferable to virtual reality. Partnering with a gaming company on the development seems at odds with that.

Quite the opposite actually. AR in many respects is even better for gaming. With even more immersive potential, less issues with disconnected movement sickness and more.

from multiplayer, to board games, to interactive stories, alt reality tie ins (such as marvel or star wars), next level or virtualised existing sports, first person shooting - AR is going to be better, healthier, more engaging and self promoting.

not so much for vehicle simulators

The AI article implies it will involve VirtualReality.