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Apple reportedly targeting 2021 unveiling, 2022 launch for AR/VR headset

By Aaron Mamiit Published April 25, 2023

Apple is reportedly aiming to unveil a headset with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) capabilities next year, with a plan to release the device in 2022.

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Though plans may still change, the AR/VR headset may be announced next year, Bloomberg reported, citing Mike Rockwell, the leader of Apple’s Technology Development Group, at an all-hands meeting last fall. The secretive division, which is said to be devoted to AR and VR, is also planning to roll out AR glasses by 2023 at the earliest according to the report.

Apple’s AR/VR headset will come with ultra-high-resolution screens, which “will make it almost impossible for a user to differentiate the virtual world from the real one,” according to the report. Making the experience more realistic is a cinematic speaker system, according to people who have tried out prototypes of the device. The headset will also have its own App Store, which will be gaming-focused, the ability to stream videos, and the capability of serving as a communications device for virtual meetings.

The initial design for the AR/VR headset was an “ultra-powerful system, with graphics and processing speeds previously unheard of for a wearable product.” The device, however, would have come with a stationary hub, which was dropped after Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly sided with Jony Ive, the company’s former design chief, who reportedly preferred the concept of standalone AR glasses.

Digital Trends has reached out to Apple for comments on the rumored AR/VR headset.

Apple working on AR/VR

Apple’s development of an AR/VR headset has long been rumored, with a DigiTimes report from November claiming that the company has teamed up with video game publisher Valve for the device. A leaked build of iOS 14 apparently revealed a photo of a controller for an AR or VR headset that resembled the one used for the HTC Vive Focus, MacRumors reported in March.

Apple continues to invest in VR, with its purchase of California-based events broadcaster NextVR in May. Leaker Jon Prosser, meanwhile, claimed that Apple’s AR glasses, which will be known as the Apple Glass, will be released in 2022 with a starting price of $500.

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Computing

Apple is no longer working on smart glasses to rival Meta

Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer smart glasses

It's been a rumor for some time now that Apple had a pair of AR glasses in development, but a new report from Mark Gurman says the company has cancelled the project. Apple has expressed a lot of interest in the AR/VR space, but its first attempt with the Vision Pro didn't make the splash the company expected. Its over-the-top price and more professionally-focused applications led to fewer sales and a lot of excess stock.

The goal was to create a competitor to the Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, but Gurman says the cancellation comes in the wake of an attempt to change and improve the design of the glasses. The first version of the glasses would link with an iPhone, but its limited power meant applications were limited — and the demands of the device also had an impact on phone battery life. Apple pivoted and focused on linking the glasses with a Mac instead, but that was met with poor evaluations. The development team reportedly dealt with frequently-changing goals, adding to the difficulty, until the project was cancelled.

Computing

Sony’s flip-up XR headset costs even more than an Apple Vision Pro

Sony's SRH-S1 held in a hand at CES 2025.

Sony is one of the biggest names in VR gaming with the popular PlayStation VR2. Now it’s launching a high-end XR headset with specifications that rival the Apple Vision Pro. To be clear, this isn’t the Sony XYN headset powered by Google's new Android XR, and it won’t connect to a PlayStation 5. It’s aimed at enterprise customers that design products, and it costs even more than the ultra-premium Vision Pro.

Priced at $4,750, the Sony SRH-S1 is a powerful system with integrated hardware and software, a flip-up visor, and unique controllers optimized for manipulating virtual 3D objects. Being able to lift the visor for face-to-face conversations is convenient. The halo strap design also removes all facial pressure. A ring on one finger lets you grasp items, and a 3D stylus that looks like something from a sci-fi movie allows precise adjustments.

Gaming

Apple could tie up with Sony for a critical Vision Pro upgrade

A man wears an Apple Vision Pro headset.

Apple hasn’t quite tasted the domain-shifting success it expected with the Vision Pro headset. A price tag worth $3,500 was already a deterrent, but the gaming ecosystem — a key driver for the VR segment — has also been lackluster. The company is now hoping to fix that situation with some help from Sony.

According to Bloomberg, the two companies have been working together to bring support for the PlayStation VR 2’s controllers to the pricey Apple headset. “Apple has discussed the plan with third-party developers, asking them if they’d integrate support into their games,” adds the report.