Apple VR Headset: News, Rumors, and Expected Price, Release Date, and Specs

Three Apple headsets and glasses are looking to take shape over the next several years, and the first, possibly called Apple Reality Pro and to be released in 2023, could be a premium virtual reality headset.

When Will the Apple VR Headset Be Released?

According to Front Page Tech, Apple reporter and leaker Mark Gurman has confirmed that the company is working on multiple headsets, and he even has a name for the first one:

There are at least three Apple headsets in development that I know of: N301, N602 and N421. The first headset is what will probably end up being called the Apple Reality Pro.

If N301 is the code name for the VR headset, one of the other two must correspond to the more affordable augmented reality headset that's in the pipeline, dubbed Apple Glasses. Some reports claim that Apple Glasses is where the company wants to eventually invest most of its efforts, and that the VR headset will be a first-edition attempt in gauging development and interest.

With the order somewhat figured out, all that's left is the release date. Respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks the headset will be announced in January 2023, believes in a general release date timeframe of 2Q23, with availability in stores by WWDC 2023.

Lifewire's Release Date Estimate

We'll stick with Kuo's early 2023 prediction for the headset's announcement, and the mid-2023 timeline for the actual release date. Learn when the next Apple event will be; we could see a glimpse of this headset anytime.

Apple VR Headset Price Rumors

Our guess is somewhere between the $2,000 and $3,000 range. This same price point is supported by Kuo.

Since no official pricing structure has been revealed, all we can do is guess. Keep in mind, this is also the company's first attempt at hardware like this, so it's tough to come up with an accurate estimate.

The 2022 Meta Quest Pro launched at $1,500, which is definitely in line with how Apple prices its other products—the iPhone 14 Pro Max is just over $1,000.

However, Apple might consider the VR headset unlike the iPhone in the sense that it won't sell like hotcakes, so they could bank on just a subset of fans buying in—specifically, professionals, much like Meta's target audience. If so, they could launch it at a very premium price, not unlike Microsoft's $3,500 HoloLens 2.

Pre-Order Information

Pre-ordering isn't open yet because Apple hasn't officially announced the VR headset. Kuo believes pre-orders will start in 2Q23 after the unveiling event, and then we'll see the headset in stores by WWDC 2023.

We'll provide the link here when pre-ordering commences.

Apple VR Headset Features & Specs

According to Tom's Guide, frequent leaker and Apple reporter, Mark Gurman, has said that Apple's headset will be designed for "short trips into VR," as opposed to Meta's dream where you wear it as much as possible for the Metaverse. Apple reportedly sees their headset as something you'd use for gaming, viewing content, and communicating, though it might be working on its own virtual world.

We all know what VR headsets look like. There's a strap positioned around the head to keep it in place, and it covers your eyes completely to block out your regular vision. This is the idea behind every other current VR headset, and it's what we expect from Apple as well.

What's not so clear is how it will work. It could be tethered to a power source, meaning you can't freely move around the room or use it outside. But what's more likely is a standalone device with its own power, in which case there'd probably be huge restrictions in how it could be used—think performance and battery life.

The headset will likely reach out to another Apple device, like an iPhone or Mac, for some sort of processing or an extra level of control. Wi-Fi 6E support has been suggested, which would make sense if huge datasets need to be related between the headset and another device.

Something we could see being used in this headset is a passthrough technique so that cameras are used to show your real environment within the headset, right next to the VR data. This would turn it into a sort of mixed-reality device.

It's obvious that Apple would heavily integrate the rest of its products into this one. Think FaceTime and SharePlay coupled with face tracking for immersive movie experiences.

AppleInsider reports that leaks reveal that the company has tested chips for its VR headset that outperform the processors from M1 Macs. This makes sense since Apple unveiled M2 in mid-2022. Similar silicon for the VR headset makes sense.

There's no doubt that Apple would offer stylish headbands to match the rest of its product lines. Especially considering the iPhone would likely serve as a companion device, a matching set would definitely be desirable for any dedicated Apple fan.

We've heard that Apple could opt for a lightweight casing to drop the overall weight of the headset. This would make it easier to wear for longer periods of time. Plus, if the rumor is true that a battery could be built into one of the headbands, this would increase wear time due to the weight offset and increased battery life.

Here are some other specs we've heard could make their way into this headset:

• Ultra-high-resolution 8K displays for realistic scenery using Sony OLED Microdisplay
• Special lenses which automatically adjust to the wearer's vision requirements (as opposed to custom-made lenses that fit each person's prescription)
• A fan to deal with heat from the processor and battery
• Foveated rendering for precise eye tracking to prioritize detail for what you're looking at and downgrade quality in your peripheral vision. This should save power
• Iris scanning for authenticating your account and making payments
• Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that the headset will feature 15 cameras: eight for passthrough images, six for biometrics, and one for environmental detection
• A custom operating system, possibly called realityOS, which is expected to have MR versions of Messages, FaceTime, Maps, and likely other core apps
• Apple Watch and/or VR gloves to detect gestures

The Latest News About the Apple VR Headset

You can get more Smart & Connected Life news from Lifewire on all kinds of topics; here are some stories and rumors specific to the Apple VR headset:

Apple Plans a 3D World and Video Service for Its Mixed-Reality Headset

There’s Finally a Production Date for Apple’s New Mixed-Reality Headset

Apple’s Mixed Reality Headset to Offer Iris Scanning for Payments, Logging In

New Renders Show Off the Design of Apple’s Rumored Mixed Reality Headset

Trademark Filings Suggest Apple May Be Securing ‘Reality’ Names for AR/VR Headset

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Meta/Facebook's Bet on Virtual Reality

 Facebook made a bold change in 2021 when Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company would shift its focus to the Metaverse and change its name to Meta. The company made early bets on virtual reality (VR) by buying Oculus nearly 10 years earlier, but the road to the Metaverse will also require the development of augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) technologies, and some level of cooperation with other companies that are also working to stake their own claims.

Facebook’s Virtual World: Glimpses of Meta’s Metaverse

Horizon Worlds is the first glimpse of Meta’s idea of a metaverse, and you can see it for yourself through Meta’s Rift S or Quest 2 VR headsets. This virtual reality experience builds on older products like Oculus Rooms and Facebook Spaces, but it allows you to create a single avatar and move seamlessly between a variety of different games, activities, and events.

Some examples of the activities you can take part in include playing games with your friends, having a work meeting with colleagues, and attending a music event with thousands of other users. Users are also able to create their own worlds, virtual reality experiences, and games with a built-in toolbox.

Meta plans on updating Horizon Worlds to work on phones, which mirrors the way the Metaverse will probably be accessible via phones and computers in addition to virtual and augmented reality. The company’s other plans for the service are unclear, although Zuckerberg has stated that significant improvements are coming in terms of graphics.

What We Know About Meta’s Technology Roadmap

Since Zuckerberg’s announcements in 2021, we’ve learned a lot about Meta’s plans and some of the technologies the company is working on. It’s likely they’re also working on projects we don’t yet know about, and we’ll find out more in the future, but we do know that it involves VR, AR, and some other interesting technologies and concepts.

Meta’s Virtual Reality Tech

Virtual reality forms the core of Meta’s Metaverse plans, and we do know they’ll release at least one new headset in the near future. Beyond that, additional research and development is in progress to create the next generation of virtual reality hardware.

Meta has two upcoming VR headsets that we know about, and it probably has others in various stages of development as well. The Quest Pro, also known as Project Cambria, and the Quest 3.

The Quest Pro will be available in October 2022, and it will represent a significant departure from earlier Quest hardware. It will be more powerful and more expensive than previous Quest headsets, and it will have a number of new features. Eye tracking will allow users to make eye contact in virtual reality, and it may even be able to reflect your real-life facial expressions on your avatar. It’s also expected to have some augmented reality features powered by dual 4K cameras.

The Quest 3 is expected in late 2023, and it’s likely to be an evolution of the Quest 2 rather than the Quest Pro. That means the price should be more consumer-friendly. It’s expected to be more lightweight and powerful than the Quest 2, with a higher resolution ultra-OLED display and a GPU that’s better equipped for VR. 

Developing the Next Generation of Augmented Reality

Meta has also pulled out a separate augmented reality team from its virtual reality team to focus on the development of that technology. Augmented and mixed reality will be important in the development and adoption of the Metaverse because they will allow users to leverage information from the Metaverse wherever they happen to be, and engage in Metaverse experiences without putting on a bulky VR headset.

The Quest Pro could provide Meta’s first augmented reality experiences, but we also have information about dedicated AR devices on the horizon. One is known as project Hypernova, and the other as project Nazare.

Meta’s technology roadmap originally forecast the first release of these AR glasses sometime in 2024 with lighter, more advanced updates coming in 2026 and 2028. The current picture is less clear though, as the initial release may only be available to developers, or Meta may shift directions altogether.

Hypernova is expected to take the form of glasses that, while potentially bulky, can be worn anywhere. Since there isn’t enough room in such a small package to fit the necessary hardware, initial plans show these glasses being paired with a wireless device that’s about the size and shape of a smartphone that will be responsible for most of the processing power.

The glasses will also be able to connect to your phone to display incoming phone calls and text messages. They could also include other features, including stereo audio, a camera, and eye-tracking.

Project Nazare is a standalone AR headset that’s designed to work without a phone, but with the ability to pair with your phone for messages and notifications. Nazare could take the form of thick-rimmed glasses that weigh about twice as much as a heavy pair of sunglasses. In addition to a heads-up display, these glasses could allow you to communicate and interact with holograms of other people.

Meta’s Other Upcoming Technologies

Meta is also working on electromyography (EMG) technology, which could facilitate new ways of interacting with the Metaverse. One device that could be used with AR glasses takes the form of a wristband that would measure electrical pulses in your arm, allowing you to effectively interact with the glasses with your mind.

Ahead of anything that includes Meta’s EMG tech, the company has plans to release a smartwatch. A dual-camera smartwatch with a detachable face was originally slated for late 2022 or 2023, but that project was scrapped or pushed back. We could still see a Meta watch without the EMG technology in the future, or Meta could hold off until that tech is ready for commercial release, but we don’t know yet.

FAQ

• How do I buy Facebook Metaverse coin?

  Meta's financial arm, Meta Financial Technologies, is reportedly exploring a virtual currency for the metaverse, which insiders have dubbed "Zuck Bucks." These virtual coins aren't available yet. They would likely take the form of in-app tokens rather than a blockchain-based cryptocurrency.

• How do I join the Facebook metaverse?

  According to Mark Zuckerberg, "The metaverse will not be created by one company." His company is exploring metaverse-related technology, so you can't exactly join a Facebook metaverse. However, you can download Meta's virtual social platform Horizon Worlds and begin accessing virtual content.

• What is the new Facebook Meta rule about where your photos can be used?

  An online rumor says that a new Facebook/Meta rule allows the company to use people's photos without permission, and you can stop this by posting a message on your Facebook timeline. In fact, Meta's name change does not reflect any new policies. The company doesn't have a new rule that lets it use people's photos.

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What Is the Metaverse?

The Metaverse is a hypothetical future version of the internet built around immersive virtual worlds, virtual reality, and augmented reality. It isn’t here yet, but the concept is it will allow people to work, play, converse, learn, shop, and more through a unified virtual experience.

Big tech companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Google, gaming companies like Epic Games, and even big brands like Nike and retailers like Walmart are all vying to control the development of the Metaverse or tap into valuable virtual markets. Facebook even famously renamed itself Meta specifically to signal its focus on the development of the coming Metaverse.

What Does Metaverse Mean?

Metaverse is a portmanteau of the words meta and universe and was coined in Neal Stephenson’s 1992 science fiction novel Snowcrash. In that book, the term referred to an immersive virtual world that was accessed via goggles, where people were represented by customized avatars and interacted in a realistic virtual space.

Outside the realm of science fiction, the real Metaverse is a potential evolution of the internet that people would access via VR headsets, augmented reality, and more conventional systems like personal computers and phones.

Unlike the social-based web2, or even the hypothetical decentralized web3, where the internet is experienced through websites and facilitates communication through services like Zoom and Discord, the Metaverse would be based around an immersive virtual world or worlds where users are represented by custom avatars.

What Can You Do in the Metaverse?

The central conceit of the Metaverse is it will allow you to dive into a digital world with the help of a VR headset, interact with friends and strangers, enjoy virtual experiences like games, learn new things, shop for both physical and virtual items, and do just about everything else you currently use the internet for.

The idea is the Metaverse will consist of a massive network of interactive 3D worlds and you will be able to move freely between these worlds for work, play, and everything in between.

Can You Experience the Metaverse Today?

The Metaverse isn’t here yet, but a lot of the pieces do exist in various forms. Some companies have even started to describe their products as metaverses.

For example, Epic has referred to their battle royale game Fortnite as a metaverse, because it allows users to interact via virtual avatars, has featured crossovers with big media properties, and even hosted virtual concerts and other events. Epic has also partnered with Lego to build a kid-safe metaverse.

VR Chat is another game that provides a window on what it might feel like to navigate the Metaverse in the future. It’s a game where users are represented by custom virtual avatars, can explore various virtual worlds, and interact with each other through VR headsets or via a less immersive PC experience.

Other games like Rec Room and Facebook’s Horizon Worlds provide similar experiences that allow you to interact, socialize, and play games with other people through a VR interface.

How Does the Metaverse Relate to VR Headsets and the Oculus Quest?

Virtual reality is a key aspect of the Metaverse because it facilitates a more immersive experience. While it will likely be possible to interact with the Metaverse through a variety of means, including computers and phones, the experience will be designed around virtual reality and potentially augmented reality.

Companies like Facebook and Microsoft have set themselves up as driving forces behind the development of the Metaverse, and Facebook in particular has a huge stake in virtual reality.

The Oculus Quest, or Meta Quest, doesn’t currently provide access to the Metaverse, and won’t be required to access the Metaverse in the future, but it is an example of the sort of low-cost standalone VR hardware that will make Facebook’s vision of the Metaverse possible.

If you want to experience what it’s like to interact with an immersive virtual world while you’re waiting for the Metaverse to arrive, the Oculus Quest is a good point of entry to the world of virtual reality. It’s a standalone VR headset, which means it doesn’t require an expensive computer to run, and you can use it to check out Facebook’s Horizon Worlds and a variety of other virtual experiences.

Metaverse vs. Virtual Reality: How They Differ and What That Means for You

FAQ

• How do I invest in the Metaverse?

  You can invest in metaverse stocks, metaverse cryptocurrencies, metaverse NFTs (non-fungible tokens), or buy metaverse land and property.

• How do I buy property in the metaverse?

  Purchase virtual real estate through a metaverse platform like The Sandbox or Decentraland. Purchases are made through cryptocurrencies and ownership is logged in a blockchain as a transfer of NFTs.

• How do I make money in the Metaverse?

  You can design 3D assets for other users, create VR games, organize events with paid tickets, and rent or sell property to make money in the metaverse.

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Why VR Is Still Great Even Though Everyone's Dumping on Meta

 

• Investors are thrashing Meta’s foray into the metaverse, but some experts say the tech is still fun and helpful. 
• The game Beat Saber, for example, offers a solid workout. 
• One observer said VR gear needs to get more comfortable to see widespread popularity.

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Meta's stock may be plummeting as investors complain that its vision of the metaverse is losing money, but recent advances in virtual reality are making the technology fun and useful for users. 

The news about Meta is downbeat, which may signify the industry's fate as the company is one of the top players in virtual reality. The company has invested billions in its Quest line of VR headsets to access the metaverse, a version of the Internet as a universal and immersive virtual world. Don't believe the hype, some experts say. 

"For everyday users, VR offers an escape to another time and place—real or imagined," Ryan Harmon, the president of Zeitgeist Design & Production, a company that produces immersive experiences, told Lifewire in an email interview. "Depending on the content, VR can put you at the center of a forest, on a beach, in outer space, or in the middle of a story-rich interactive experience where you play the main character."

Going Virtual

Meta is getting a bad rap in recent negative reviews of its VR products, John Pavlik, a journalism and media studies professor at Rutgers University, contended in an email interview.

Meta's VR platform, the Quest, and its recent addition, the pricey Quest Pro, "is quite good and features many compelling VR applications, including Beat Saber," Pavlik added. "Where the company gets much of its criticism is in its early attempt at building a metaverse platform (networked virtual worlds, which may include VR but are not equal to VR). Its Horizon Worlds is a limited first attempt in this arena. Problems, including virtual sexual harassment and virtual assault, are among the serious problems associated with the metaverse platform.

Pavlik said he uses VR as a teaching and learning platform for his students to explore how VR differs from previous media platforms. "In my personal life, I use VR as an enjoyable and immersive journey into virtual realms where anything is possible," he added. 

Pavlik said there are some top-notch apps on the market for users who want to explore the potential of VR. He recommends the game Beat Saber, the travel simulation Space Explorers: The ISS Experience, and the cinematic app This is Not a Ceremony. 

"Beat Saber is a fun, physically active immersive game played in VR," he added. "Space Explorers features video captured on the International Space Station and gives the user a highly authentic experience via VR. This is Not a Ceremony premiered at the Sundance Institute 2022 and gives the user a compelling social justice experience while in VR."

VR vs AR

The industry's image problem may be partly due to confusion around the terms used. Meta often refers to its VR headset as a way to access the metaverse. The metaverse is commonly described as a version of the Internet that acts as an immersive virtual world. Virtual reality headsets are a way to access the metaverse by using near-eye displays to give users an immersive feel of virtual worlds. There's also the term augmented reality (AR) which is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content.

Harrison Montgomery, the head of growth and marketing at the AR company Aireal, explained in an email that part of the metaverse is AR, but AR can also be standalone and independent of the metaverse. Meta focuses on VR in its current product lineup. 

I use VR as an enjoyable and immersive journey into virtual realms where anything is possible.

"AR is a very natural action for the user by viewing digital content as it co-exists with reality," he added. "When you have that type of experience, it's intuitive, it's natural, and it's honestly the best form of visual articulation because it's already interacting with an environment that humans are already preprogrammed to know how to interact with."

John Burris, the chief strategy officer at the pioneering metaverse app IMVU, said in an email that both augmented reality and the metaverse benefit users. He predicted both areas would evolve and grow. 

"There is 'real life,' the metaverse, and somewhere in between them is augmented reality. There will be instances when someone wants to augment (add to) their real-world experience by overlaying information, communications, offers, etc.," he added. "And there will no question be times when people want to fully immerse into the metaverse. I do think that full VR experiences with heavy headsets will continue to see low adoption."

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