Apple ‘Reality Pro’ headset will toggle between AR/VR, serve as Mac display, 2-hour external battery packs, more - 9to5Mac

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Apple’s archetypal AR/VR headset could beryllium unveiled sometime this spring, and rumors proceed to connection much accusation astir what Apple has successful the works. A wide-ranging new study from Bloomberg present offers a slew of details connected Apple’s “Reality Pro” headset, including that the “eye- and hand-tracking capabilities volition beryllium a large selling point” for the product.

Apple Reality Pro headset: Features, design, and more

Bloomberg details that Apple’s Technology Development Group, a squad of much than 1,000 people, has spent the past 7 years moving connected the archetypal mentation of the AR/VR headset. The Reality Pro headset is slated to outgo “roughly $3,000” erstwhile it debuts, which is “roughly doubly the terms of rival devices” from companies similar Meta.

According to the report, the “eye- and hand-tracking capabilities volition beryllium a large selling point” for the Reality Pro headset. Using outer cameras, the headset volition beryllium capable to analyse the user’s hands, portion interior sensors volition beryllium utilized to work the user’s eyes. The study explains:

The headset volition person respective outer cameras that tin analyse a user’s hands, arsenic good arsenic sensors wrong the gadget’s lodging to work eyes. That allows the wearer to power the instrumentality by looking astatine an on-screen point — whether it’s a button, app icon oregon database introduction — to prime it.

Users volition past pinch their thumb and scale digit unneurotic to activate the task — without the request to clasp anything. The attack differs from different headsets, which typically trust connected a manus controller.

More details connected the hardware of the headset see that determination volition beryllium a Digital Crown akin to the Apple Watch for switching betwixt AR and VR. The VR mode volition afloat immerse the wearer, but erstwhile AR mode is enabled the “content fades backmost and becomes surrounded by the user’s existent environment.” This is reportedly 1 of the features Apple hopes volition beryllium a “highlight of the product.”

To code overheating concerns, the Reality Pro headset volition usage an outer artillery that “rests successful a user’s pouch and connects implicit a cable.” There volition besides beryllium a cooling instrumentality to further trim the likelihood of the headset overheating.

“The headset tin past astir 2 hours per artillery pack,” Bloomberg reports. The artillery battalion is “roughly the size of 2 iPhone 14 Pro Maxes stacked connected apical of each other, oregon astir six inches gangly and much than fractional an inch thick.”

Other tidbits from the report:

The AR/VR headset volition beryllium capable to service arsenic an outer show for Mac: “Users volition beryllium capable to spot their Mac’s show successful virtual world but inactive power the machine with their trackpad oregon rodent and carnal keyboard.”
Apps including Safari, Photos, Mail, Messages, the App Store, Apple TV, and much volition beryllium disposable connected the headset.
Text input tin beryllium done via Siri oregon via a adjacent iPhone, Mac, oregon iPad.
- Apple is besides “developing exertion that volition fto users benignant successful midair with their hands.”
Apple has developed “its ain underlying motor to powerfulness VR games.”
Some interior Reality Pro prototypes person a built-in artillery with USB-C charging
The archetypal mentation of the Reality Pro headset volition beryllium made from “aluminum, glass, and cushions.”
“The merchandise volition person a curved surface connected the beforehand that tin outwardly amusement a wearer’s eyes, with speakers connected the sides and a headband that helps acceptable the instrumentality astir a user’s head.”
Apple expects “immersive video watching volition beryllium a halfway feature” of Reality Pro, with imaginable partners including Disney, Dolby, and more.
- There volition beryllium a “dedicated video watching diagnostic that tin marque viewers consciousness similar they’re seeing a movie connected a elephantine surface successful different environment, specified arsenic a godforsaken oregon outer space.”
FaceTime connected the headset volition “realistically render a user’s look and afloat assemblage successful virtual reality”