We saw the first potential Vision Pro competitor yesterday, in the form of the $699 Xreal Air 2 Ultra – and Sony has also now announced its own device. Interestingly, it doesn’t yet appear to have a name.
As with the Xreal glasses, how much competition the Sony headset will pose to Vision Pro depends on who would be buying it, and for what reason …
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There aren’t many cases of another company charging more than Apple for a similar product, but the Varjo XR-3 mixed-reality headset is a rare example.
Not having been one of the chosen few to be invited to try Vision Pro (was it something I said?), I took advantage of an invitation to try what Varjo believes is the most advanced mixed-reality device available. In particular, I wanted to see whether it could change my view of the tech as something that doesn’t yet justify the steep price-tag when it comes to my own needs …
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Apple has limited a Vision Pro safe area to 10 feet by 10 feet, when using fully immersive VR experiences. It follows earlier news of a speed limit when using the device.
The limit is likely designed to prevent the sort of virtual reality headset accidents frequently seen in YouTube videos, but some are saying that it might prove too limiting for some types of gameplay, as well as proving a significant limitation for some commercial and industrial uses …
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The announcement of the $3500 Vision Pro starting price didn’t go down well with those in the keynote audience, but a company which makes an even more expensive mixed-reality headset believes that Apple’s entry into the field is a good thing for its own prospects.
Varjo’s XR-3 VR/AR headset comes in at an even more eye-watering $6500, but the company claims that it welcomes the competition …
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There are very mixed views as to whether the Apple headset and its successors can be the device to transform AR/VR from a niche interest to a mass-market product. But a report today says that those working within the sector firmly believe that it can.
Oculus founder Palmer Lucky said last month that the Apple headset is “so good,” and others in the business are said to be “jubilant” at today’s announcement …
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I won’t be buying Reality Pro. That’s partly down to the anticipated price, but also because I haven’t yet found either augmented or virtual reality to be in any way compelling.
Cute, yes. Impressive, also yes. But I can’t remember the last time I used an AR app, and while I did buy a VR headset, I also can’t remember the last time I dug it out of the back of a drawer …
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Just a few days before Apple officially unveils Reality Pro, an Oppo MR headset has been announced – but it will only be available in China, and is aimed solely at developers.
The Oppo MR Glass Developer Edition has the same mixed-reality (MR) focus, reflected in the name, and the company’s long-term goal is very much in line as that rumored for Apple Glasses …
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A new report on the upcoming Apple Reality Pro AR/VR headset says that the device is significantly compromised, compared to the company’s original vision for the device.
It also says that some top Apple execs are skeptical about the potential of the product and are distancing themselves from it. The report – based on multiple sources close to the project – said that Apple will be selling it almost at cost, in contrast to the high margins it expects from other products …
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A report on Friday suggested that initial Apple Reality Pro availability is likely to be very limited, as the Cupertino company is “anticipating some production issues” with its upcoming AR/VR headset.
A new Ming-Chi Kuo report provides a likely partial explanation for this: Apple is reportedly dependent on just one supplier for most of the key components …
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A new study released by Piper Sandler reveals how teens feel about virtual reality. The data is interesting as we’re moving closer to Apple unveiling its first mixed-reality headset with a premium price. While Apple is expected to aim its first headset at developers and professionals, the lack of interest from the teen demographic – who already have a VR device – could foreshadow a challenge for adoption.
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Meta has announced changes aiming to make its Quest 2 and Quest Pro VR headsets more enticing. The more affordable Quest 2 is dropping by $70 with the Quest Pro 2 price being slashed by $500. The news comes after Meta had a big loss for its “Reality Labs” division in 2022 and expectations for Apple to show off its first headset in June.
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It might seem a little early for a virtual reality antitrust intervention, in a field which is as yet still a niche interest, but the FTC is taking no chances. It has moved to block Meta’s planned purchase of VR fitness company Within.
The aggressiveness of the move makes it seem likely that Apple will face similar bars on acquiring VR companies to assist its upcoming Apple Headset product …
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The future of the internet will depend on the outcome of an Apple versus Meta headset battle, claims Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
He told employees that the two companies had very different visions for the metaverse, and admitted that it’s not yet clear which will be better …
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Apple continues to file and win patents regarding its upcoming augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) headset, dubbed Apple Glasses. The company has won multiple patents today, relating to the use of gloves to detect skin-to-skin contact in AR/VR.
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A new supply chain report reiterates that things are still on track for an Apple headset launch date sometime early next year, but goes on to suggest that a second-generation model will go on sale earlier than expected.
Kuo recently predicted that the 2nd-gen mixed-reality headset wouldn’t launch until 2025, but today’s report says that Apple appears to be targeting 2024 instead …
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We knew that Facebook’s parent company Meta was working on a new high-end VR/AR headset, but a couple of new reports reveal both the name – Meta Quest Pro – and more about what to expect.
The broad specifications for the combined virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headset seem close to what has been reported for the upcoming Apple Headset …
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The global VR headset market grew by 241.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of this year, according to the latest market intelligence data. Virtual reality (VR) headset shipments are expected to hit 13.9M units for the year as a whole.
But next year is expected to be the crucial one for the VR and augmented reality (AR) sector, as Apple enters the market …
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Developers working on VR apps for Meta’s headsets have accused the Facebook owner of hypocrisy over commissions.
They say company founder Mark Zuckerberg described Apple’s 15-30% commissions as “monopoly rents,” yet Meta will take the exact same cuts from them for virtual reality apps …
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A joint research paper by Nvidia and Stanford University describes a technology that could be key to the difference between the bulky Apple VR headset we’re expecting to see in late 2022/early 2023 and the type of thin Apple Glasses likely to launch several years later.
One of the key challenges facing any true glasses-like AR device is the physics of display optics …
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Instagram parental controls were first promised back in December of last year, and these are now available in the US. Additionally, parent company Meta says that supervision options will also be introduced for Quest VR headsets …
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Supply chain sources say that Apple AR headset testing has now reached the next phase of engineering validation after moving beyond the prototype stage.
This means there are now likely 100+ units that combine the functionality of the final device with something that looks less like a prototype and more like a real product …
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The long-awaited Apple headset is expected to be expensive, but one insurer has reported that VR headsets can also result in expenses of an unexpected kind …
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It was yesterday reported that Facebook owner Meta had abandoned work on its own AR/VR OS, but the company responded, saying that it was still working on the project, and that it was growing the team, not cutting it.
However, the wording used by Meta strongly suggests that this is a face-saving statement …
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Intrepid concept creator Ian Zelbo is back with a fantastically detailed rendering of Apple’s long-rumored mixed reality headset. The renderings are based on illustrations created with credible information published by The Information earlier this year. Zelbo calls the concept “Apple View”, but the real name is still completely unknown.
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