Leaks abound about the one of the most eagerly awaited wearable in year
If you’re into virtual reality, you were probably focused on the news coming out of CES this week. There was no shortage of new augmented reality glasses and virtual reality headsets. But the biggest AR-VR news came from a company that very deliberately did not announce it at CES.
More leaks emerged this week about Apple’s upcoming mixed-reality headset. A report by The Information outlined new details about the most eagerly anticipated wearable in years. According to unnamed Apple insiders working on the project, there’s a bevy of features coming to the ski-goggle-shaped device. Some of them, like foveated rendering and pass-through views, are also found in competing headsets like the Meta Quest Pro and Sony’s imminent PS VR2. But Apple’s headset is aiming to be lighter than the Quest Pro and more maneuverable than either competitor.
Internal sensors automatically adjust the 8K visuals (4K for each eyeball) to fit users’ unique facial features. Some of the features also seem aimed at making the experience of wearing a headset feel less like being hermetically sealed in a digital silo by yourself. Cameras inside can translate your facial expressions to a display on the outside of the device. An Apple Watch–esque dial on the side lets you quickly switch between VR views and color views of the real world around you. Much to Meta’s chagrin, Apple’s headset might even be able to capture leg movements.
The leaks also exposed some limitations. Bluetooth buds not made by Apple reportedly won’t sync well with the headset. There’s no headphone jack, so you’ll either need AirPods or one of the headset’s bands with speakers Apple is apparently developing. And while there’s no hint of a release date, production of the device has reportedly been pushed back several times. Apple could be poised to announce the device later this year.
A version of this article was originally published in Wired.com
