Malcolm Owen
Apple will be including many different features in its inbound mixed reality headset, with it expected to offer many elements in its first incarnation that other headsets don't provide.
The Apple VR and AR headset is expected to land at WWDC in June and become the center of attention. While speculation has largely centered around its hardware capabilities, it seems that its list of features and functions could be just as expansive.
On Tuesday, a report claimed Apple was working on a number of different apps for the headset. In Sunday's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman expands the software features list considerably.
The first and most important on the list is that the headset will be able to run "most of Apple's existing iPad apps in mixed reality," including Books, Camera, Contacts, FaceTime, Files, Freeform, Home, Mail, Messages, Music, Notes, Photos, Reminders, Safari, Stocks, TV, and Weather.
A new Wellness app will use immersive graphics and calming sounds to focus on meditation. A VR-focused Fitness+ will be included for headset-based workouts, though this apparently won't be available until later on.
The headset will also apparently be able to run "hundreds of thousands" of current third-party iPad apps available from the App Store. The developers may need to make "minimal modifications" for compatibility, but many may need "no extra work" to run.
However, Apple will apparently launch a software development kit and a Mac-based headset simulator at WWDC, to help developers create new apps and services for xrOS, the supposed name for the headset's operating system.
Apple will also include videoconferencing and meeting rooms with realistic avatars, "ideally making users feel like they're interacting in the same space." Freeform will gain new collaboration tools, too.
A big focus on gaming is expected, complete with "top-tier titles" from third parties.
On the video side, users can watch media while immersed in a virtual environment, like a desert. A new portal will be offered to watch sports in virtual reality, part of its push into streaming live games.
To help with Mac-based productivity, the headset will be usable as an external monitor for a connected Mac, similar to a feature provided by Meta's Horizon Workrooms.
As for operating the headset itself, the report claims several methods will be available, including eye tracking and hand gestures, as well as Siri. It will also be feasible for other peripherals to be connected, such as a keyboard, or for controls to be available on other Apple devices, like an iPhone.
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29 Comments
Sitting center ice in a virtual arena watching a game 7 overtime playoff game would be pretty cool.
Of course Apple is going to do something better than everyone else. When was the last time Apple entered a space and just did what everyone else was doing? It changed the MP3 player space, the smartphone space, tablet space, arguably the computer space, and smartwatch space. It did that by doing things others weren't doing and did it better than everyone else in the space, causing them to go back to the drawing board and at least match what Apple did. Apple thinks about the future and prepares its products for the future, even if its late to the space which it typically is.
This will do things others may not even been thinking of, or didn't have the capability or capacity to bring it to market.
I'm not going to argue for or against the success of an Apple headset, but despite the cheerleading of people like Cook, Carmack, and Zuckerberg for years and years, the pathway for consumer relevance of AR/VR feels far less assured than the examples you mention, Macxpress. Consider your use-case, Hexclock: Sure, very cool idea. Worth $3000 to you? Really? Really?
I think it'll be like the Apple TV. Very satisfied users, with a small market share.
Sounds like they'll be introducing a Matrix world, which we will be sucked into, and probably never wanna leave. Sometimes I even end up watching the Apple TV screensavers, just watching the beauty of the world. Apple is great at producing these beautiful experiences. But it's dangerous territory to tread. 1984 hello.