Apple realityOS Was A WWDC No-Show: AR And XR Skip The Party
Apple wasn't short on exciting new features and products during its WWDC 2022 keynote, with announcements including new features coming to iOS, an updated version of Apple Car Play, its new M2 chip, and some of the notebooks that will be using it. Despite giving their customer base a lot to look forward to, though, fans of virtual reality might be disappointed that there was no discussion of any kind of virtual or augmented reality headset, eyewear, or software during the entire keynote. Although sources had previously suggested a headset reveal was not on the cards at the developers' conference, there were hopes some kind of AR developer kit would be outlined.
However Apple didn't even hint at a new virtual reality platform during a section of the keynote that discussed the Mac's expanding possibilities as a gaming platform. This contrasts heavily with Facebook owner Meta, which used the majority of its 2021 Connect keynote to discuss what Mark Zuckerberg has branded "The Metaverse." Even though Meta's customer base didn't get the in-depth new headset reveal they were hoping for either, they at least received confirmation Meta is working on something, and a rough idea of when more information would be released.
What we know about Reality OS and Apple's rumored VR headset
As you might expect, if the rumors are to be believed then Apple does not intend to enter the virtual and augmented reality markets at the low end. A consistent theme with Apple VR/AR rumors is that their headset is going to be powerful, and it's going to be expensive. It might also require a lot of power, with one rumor suggesting an Apple headset will require the same type of charger Apple currently uses for the MacBook Pro 14. According to one leak, Apple's M1 chipset will be using that power to create a virtual world that users will see displayed on a pair of Micro OLED displays.
VR isn't all Apple allegedly has planned. "Apple Glass," the tech giant's foray into augmented reality, has been rumored to be on its way for a few years now. A patent filed in 2020 describes what could be the AR glasses as a "modular device" with multiple interchangeable components. More recent rumors suggest the Apple Glass will debut as a "Quest Style" headset, before iterating into a wearable device you'd be happy to wear daily by 2025.
In terms of software, several developers have spotted references to "Reality OS," the apparent framework of Apple's virtual and augmented realities. There is a suggestion that these instances of Reality OS' name appearing in code could mean Apple is close to a VR or AR release. Though, that assumption relies on the individuals claiming to have spotted the references being legitimate. Figures like renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have suggested Apple's VR headset could be in customers' hands, albeit in limited numbers, as early as the end of this year, though with the tech a no-show at WWDC, it's likely that the Cupertino firm decided its big post-iPhone tech push probably deserves a standalone event of its own.