In a juicy new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, we’ve learned quite a lot more about upcoming Apple’s Reality Pro headset and how we’ll be expected to use it, let’s talk about it!
Mark details some key features of the Reality Pro headset, and what sets to differ Apple’s entry into a market dominated by Meta and their gaming-focused Quest 2 headset:
Apple’s goal is to bring something new to the table. The eye- and hand-tracking capabilities will be a major selling point for the device, according to people familiar with the product, which is expected to cost roughly twice the price of rival devices. Its core features will include advanced FaceTime-based videoconferencing and meeting rooms.
Mark Gurman
Expected to be revealed and go on sale later this year, the Reality Pro is to be priced around $3,000 USD – twice the price of Meta’s high-end Quest Pro headset; however, Apple enthusiasts can expect quite the suite of features that will give you a compelling reason to spend the same amount as a used 2003 Honda Civic!
In Mark’s report, we learn that Apple also intends the Reality Pro to be used as an external display for Mac, and be able to controlled fully with hand and eye tracking – something mostly unachievable by other current headsets on the market:
The headset will have several external cameras that can analyze a user’s hands, as well as sensors within the gadget’s housing to read eyes. That allows the wearer to control the device by looking at an on-screen item — whether it’s a button, app icon or list entry — to select it.
Mark Gurman
More major features of the Reality Pro include immersive, VR-based FaceTime integration that can be expected to realistically render the user’s whole face and body – think Meta’s Horizon Worlds avatar integration, just hopefully less creepy!
Gurman notes that due to the high-resolution nature of these avatars that the Reality Pro is expected to render, realistic avatars will only be available in one-on-one video chatting. Fair enough, I’ll take quality over quantity in this instance.
As Gurman has previously noted, we’re expecting the Reality Pro to show its face as early as spring 2023, though he notes that, as usual, plans could shift (as they have, frequently).
If dropping three grand for first generation Apple hardware isn’t your jive, know that a second generation of the Reality Pro is already in development, and expected to be released in 2024 for a rumored $1,500 USD – half of its predecessor.
So, things are looking pretty spicy! We haven’t received too much info regarding a gaming experience on the Reality Pro, though Mark’s report notes that gaming is looking to be a popular offering featuring third-party titles with a custom Apple-designed engine. Powered by a version of an M2 chip with some extra goodies thrown in for VR processing, the Reality Pro should offer a decent gaming experience at worst!
I just can’t wait to see how bad Siri is in virtual reality, can you imagine?
