Apple and the Metaverse: Everything We Know So Far - Decrypt

Tech giants spot immense accidental successful the metaverse—the sanction fixed to a future, much immersive imaginativeness of the net with imaginable real-world ties. Facebook genitor Meta has bet large connected the prospect, arsenic its rebrand suggests, portion Microsoft has some teamed with Meta and acquired a large crippled publisher arsenic it builds momentum successful the space.

What astir Apple?

The iPhone and Mac shaper has famously taken a unsocial attack to hardware and bundle design, adjacent incorporating that “Think Different” ethos into its marketing. As the metaverse takes signifier done caller hardware and online worlds—some of which volition beryllium built with interoperable Web3 tech similar NFTs—Apple whitethorn again instrumentality its ain path.

Reports suggest that Apple volition statesman its introduction into the metaverse with a pricey headset that bridges the spread betwixt virtual environments and digitally enhanced real-world use. Can Apple instrumentality the metaverse mainstream arsenic it has with truthful galore past gadgets? Here’s what we cognize truthful far.

What is Apple building?

Apple’s augmented world (AR) ambitions person been tracked by tech media for years arsenic the steadfast reportedly has been gathering successful that absorption since 2015. The latest reports suggest that Apple volition statesman with a high-end mixed world headset that offers some virtual world (VR) and AR functionality, with ambitions to merchandise different AR-specific hardware further successful the future.

Bloomberg reports that Apple’s archetypal headset is expected sometime successful 2023 and whitethorn beryllium called the Reality One oregon Reality Pro, based connected trademark filings believed to beryllium tied to Apple. It’s expected to beryllium a premium instrumentality that volition merchantability for upwards of $3,000—although noted Apple expert Ming-Chi Kuo has pegged a price successful the $2,000-$2,500 range.

A conception render created by creator Ian Zelbo. Image: Ian Zelbo

In either case, it would beryllium a notable summation implicit Meta’s caller Quest Pro mixed world headset, which sells for $1,500. Still, Meta’s headset offers a glimpse of the types of experiences that are imaginable with a mixed world headset that tin overlay integer contented atop a user’s full-color, existent satellite view—and the much lifelike interactions perchance enabled by the tech.

On 1 hand, it’s a fully-loaded VR headset that tin entree online societal platforms (like Meta’s ain Horizon Worlds) and play immersive games. On the different hand, mixed world functions tin beryllium utilized for interacting with integer screens and models portion inactive seeing the existent world, oregon creating creation and euphony with integer tools alongside carnal collaborators.

The Meta Quest Pro. Image: Meta

Apple’s archetypal headset volition reportedly usage a almighty M2 processor from the firm’s Macs and diagnostic a wider array of cameras and sensors—including ones that tin accurately recreate users’ limb movements, which Meta is still figuring out. The Information reports that retina scanners volition alteration biometric information for logging in, making payments, and more.

Other imaginable features mentioned successful reports see an outer surface to amusement the wearer’s facial expressions—a imaginable drain connected artillery life—plus custom, snap-on medicine lenses for glasses wearers to use. However, thing has been confirmed by Apple astatine this point, and immoderate reported features whitethorn not marque the archetypal instrumentality (or adjacent aboriginal ones).

What astir the metaverse?

The metaverse won’t beryllium constricted to VR and AR headsets. There are already aboriginal Web3 metaverse games and applications that unrecorded connected computers and mobile devices, and that volition apt proceed to beryllium the lawsuit arsenic much metaverse platforms popular up and overlap with each other, creating a much immersive, experiential net astatine scale.

But mixed world headsets are considered a cardinal stepping chromatic towards that future, and what galore judge volition beryllium the champion mode to acquisition metaverse worlds. After all, specified headsets tin amplify immersion and much people seizure the nuances and interactions of wearers, each portion retaining a nexus to the existent world—potentially the champion of some scenarios.

Such hardware is useless without compelling software, however, and Apple knows good the request for a creaseless matrimony of the two. Apple is reportedly processing a RealityOS operating system, per Bloomberg, on with experiential versions of apps similar Maps and FaceTime, arsenic good arsenic avenues to devour media and games and collaborate with different wearers.

Whether Apple’s imaginativeness for mixed world experiences and immersive online interactions matches the efforts of different builders remains to beryllium seen, but it’s precise apt that Apple volition not clasp the buzzy “metaverse” word itself. Apple ever uses its ain unsocial branding—and, besides, CEO Tim Cook says he’s not a instrumentality of the word.

"I ever deliberation it's important that radical recognize what thing is,” Cook told Dutch outlet Bright successful September. “And I'm truly not definite the mean idiosyncratic tin archer you what the metaverse is."

But Cook is bullish connected augmented and mixed world tech, and the imaginable usage cases there, telling the publication, “I deliberation AR is simply a profound exertion that volition impact everything. Imagine abruptly being capable to thatch with AR and show things that way. Or medically, and truthful on. Like I said, we are truly going to look backmost and deliberation astir however we erstwhile lived without AR."

What astir Web3 and interoperability?

Web3 enthusiasts privation to spot a metaverse that’s built connected open-source blockchain technology, uses NFTs to correspond ownership of integer assets, and is dispersed crossed interoperable platforms that users tin hop betwixt and inactive utilize each of their integer stuff.

Given that, there’s been fear of centralized tech giants trying to musculus successful and steer the absorption of the aboriginal net towards a absorption that they tin control. Interestingly, however, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that helium believes an “open, interoperable” metaverse is “better for everyone,” and said that Meta volition enactment alongside different builders acold and wide.

While that’s not an explicit clasp of Web3 tech, oregon an acknowledgement that Meta volition physique a genuinely unfastened metaverse platform, it is simply a much permissive code than galore person travel to expect from the institution successful the past. Will Apple travel suit and physique its ain metaverse apps and experiences with a akin mindset?

History suggests otherwise. Apple is arguably the biggest purveyor of the “walled garden” closed ecosystem, with its locked-down iOS level and App Store exemplary that takes a sizable chopped from developers’ app and contented sales.

That’s riled up rivals similar Fortnite shaper Epic Games, which is waging ineligible battles against Apple and Google successful the hopes of opening up its app ecosystems. In November 2021, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said that “no institution tin own” the metaverse, and Epic itself is making important moves successful that arena portion besides not utilizing Web3 tech itself.

Recent grounds besides suggests that Apple isn’t keen connected letting Web3 exertion disrupt its immensely profitable concern model. Apple lets App Store developers merchantability NFTs done their iOS apps, but inactive takes a 30% chopped of each sales—several times much than immoderate starring NFT marketplace. That poses a sizable situation to galore existent Web3 organisation models.

But Apple isn’t needfully anti-crypto. Many notable crypto exchanges and wallet makers person iOS apps that fto users walk their cryptocurrency from an iPhone. Cook has said successful the past that Apple is “looking at” cryptocurrency, positive said helium owns cryptocurrency and has been funny “for a while.” Apple has besides listed occupation openings with crypto acquisition required.

All of that amounts to a decidedly murky outlook on Apple embracing a Web3-centric, unfastened metaverse. Apple whitethorn good take to physique the metaverse its ain way, isolated from the remainder of the industry, but it's unclear if that exemplary volition proceed to carnivore effect successful the aboriginal arsenic Web3 adoption grows and unfastened platforms emergence successful prominence.

Zuckerberg, astatine least, is convinced that Apple is making its ain play towards the metaverse. In effect to an worker question successful July 2022, per a transcript seen by The Verge, the Meta CEO said that it and Apple are successful a “​​very deep, philosophical contention astir what absorption the net should spell in.”