If you've been wondering why the predicted price of the Apple AR/VR headset is reportedly $1,000 to $3,000, a new report makes it clear: you're going to be strapping a high-end Mac to your face. In a new report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, as reported by MacRumors, the Apple AR headset is so powerful it needs the same 96W power adapter as the 14-inch MacBook Pro.
Kuo says that the AR/VR headset will have the same computing power as an M-series Mac, delivered via two processors. The high performance processor will do the heavy lifting and the lower performance one will handle all the sensor data for tracking movement.
Kuo also said something that'll make the blood drain from Oculus owner Mark Zuckerberg's face: it'll be "two to three years" ahead of any rival product in terms of its computing power.
In your face, Facebook
We've previously reported that Apple isn't interested in the metaverse hype pushed by the likes of Meta/Facebook, and Kuo's research note suggests that it's trying to do something a lot more ambitious than a VR social space. The Apple AR/VR headset will deliver seamless switching between AR and VR modes, which sounds fascinating: whenever I try to imagine the games or apps that could take advantage of that, I get so excited I have to go and have a lie down.
Apple's AR/VR headset is still expected to be launched in late 2022 with widespread availability in 2023. I don't know if I can afford it, but I really want it: it looks very much like Apple will have the best VR headset to launch this year.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
Quick! This stunning Bang & Olufsen Bluetooth speaker is $200 off, but it'll be gone tomorrow!
The Beolit 20 is one third off right now
By Sam Cross Published
-
I love my Ember Mug 2 so this last-second Cyber Monday deal stands out for me
Keep your coffee warm for less this winter season
By Rik Henderson Published
-
HTC Vive Focus Vision review: VR perfection?
HTC's latest headset is a premium offering – but there's some questionable older components in the specification
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Samsung's Vision Pro rival could come with a neat charging case
Samsung might be cooking something up
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Sony's rival to Vision Pro clears certification, prepare for a major XR headset announcement
Sony's headset looks mightily interesting
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
New Meta VR headset appears online – could be the super-cheap Meta Quest 3S
Meta's allegedly working on a budget headset
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Here's when your PSVR2 will be able to play PC games
PlayStation has confirmed when its compatibility app releases
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Meta Quest looks set to get AI before the Apple Vision Pro
New features are reportedly coming soon
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Logitech's MX Ink is the mixed-reality stylus we expected from Apple
Albeit designed specifically for Meta Quest headsets
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
A new Meta Quest headset has seemingly been leaked... by a Meta exec
A glimpse of the future
By Max Freeman-Mills Published