Extended Reality (XR) - Page 3

Apple is rumored to be heavily considering releasing a pair of smart glasses with augmented reality (AR) capabilities, according to a renowned Apple insider and Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman.

Gurman wrote in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter that he is hearing rumblings of Apple "seriously considering" releasing AR glasses. Most notably, these AR glasses wouldn't be completely independent as they would be tethered to an iPhone that would provide the glasses with any necessary processing power. Additionally, these glasses will reportedly transform into an accessory for watching movies, while also retaining a stylish look.

The Bloomberg reporter also writes that if Apple released these glasses, it would reinforce the iPhone as the center of its ecosystem, providing even more value to the device and potentially making it even more popular, especially considering the massive price reduction compared to the $3,500 Vision Pro, Apple's latest wearable venture. Now, Gurman has said that Apple has already started gathering feedback from employees in focus groups about the possibility of smart glasses.

Apple hasn't been selling many units of its Vision Pro headset, however, the 2025 model will feature the company's new M5 processor.

In a new post on X by analyst and insider Ming-Chi Kuo, we're learning that Apple's "only new head-mounted display device in 2025 will be the Vision Pro with an upgraded M5 processor". Kuo said: "As I understand it, production of the cheaper Vision Pro has been delayed beyond 2027 for a while now. This means Apple's only new head-mounted display device in 2025 will be the Vision Pro with an upgraded M5 processor".

The cheaper version of the Apple Vision Pro is something that has been rumored for the last few months, with Kuo adding that the production of the cheaper Vision Pro has been "delayed beyond 2027 for a while now".

In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Apple CEO Tim Cook responded to the lukewarm response to the company's Vision Pro mixed reality headset and how the $3,499 price (for the base model with 256GB of storage) has impacted the device's appeal.

"At $3,500, it's not a mass-market product," said Cook. "Right now, it's an early-adopter product. People who want to have tomorrow's technology today - that's who it's for." Although enthusiasts with $3,500 to burn on an impressive mixed-reality headset picked one up on day one, sales for the Vision Pro have fallen below expectations.

The headset not only failed to ship 100,000 units in the first three months of its release, but sales have continued to slow. Apple's not backing out of the headset market, as several rumors are pointing to Apple developing a more affordable Vision Pro for 2025. However, a new report over at The Information (via Mac Rumors) is now saying Apple is winding down production on its first-gen Vision Pro - and production could stop completely before the end of 2024.

Apple is reportedly set to release smart glasses with AirPods packing cameras, in a bid to compete with the runaway success of Meta and its Quest 3 headset.

In a new post on Bloomberg, analyst and insider Mark Gurman said: "Into 2027, the team is considering launching smart glasses on par with the Meta Ray-Bans, as well as AirPods with cameras. The idea is to salvage the billions of dollars spent on the Vision Pro's visual intelligence technology, which can scan the environment around a user and supply useful data".

He continued: "We'll get a taste of this with an upcoming visual intelligence feature on the iPhone 16, but the plan is to bring the Vision Pro's ability to understand its surroundings to more products".

Apple is rumored to be working on a cheaper version of its higher-end, expensive (and not-so-great selling) Vision Pro headset, which would cost around $2000 with a slower chip, and made from cheaper materials.

The news on the cheaper Apple Vision Pro headset is coming from industry insider Mark Gurman, in a new post on Bloomberg, where he said that he expects Apple to release a lower-end Vision Pro headset to arrive as "early as next year" with a second-generation Vision Pro (with a faster chip inside) following in 2026.

Apple's new lower-end Vision Pro headset will cost "about $2000" and probably use an "inferior processor" and made from "cheaper materials" says Gurman. The new Vision Pro could lack EyeSight, which he said is the "gee-whiz feature that shows a user's eyes on the outside of the headset". Gurman continues, adding that with the lower price, Apple is expecting sales of the device to "be at least double the level of the Vision Pro" with Gurman adding "but that's not saying much" and he's right... the Vision Pro isn't selling well, at all.

Apple has just released the trailer to its first scripted immersive video for its Vision Pro headset, a new short film called Submerged.

Submerged was written and directed by Edward Berger, as is set inside of a WWII submarine as the crew scrambles to deal with a "harrowing torpedo attack". The trailer above shows some of the behind-the-scenes work behind Submerged, with fisheye-looking clips and a voiceover from Berger, claiming that the immersive format displayed on the Apple Vision Pro will "change the future of filmmaking".

Berger adds that putting on Apple's new Vision Pro headset changes "the way you think about storytelling". The vibes of the narrow you-can't-escape halls of the submarine are amplified when you're seeing it in an immersive format with a headset strapped to your head.

A Microsoft company spokesperson has informed The Register there will be no more production of the HoloLens 2, and that Microsoft isn't planning on releasing a replacement model for the foreseeable future.

According to a new report from The Register, a Microsoft spokesperson said that this is the signal for any last consumers looking to pick up the HoloLens 2, as Microsoft won't be producing any more units. As for the HoloLens 2's that are already out in the world, Microsoft said it will continue rolling out support for the product until December 31, 2027. As for the future of mixed reality with Microsoft, the spokesperson said Redmond will continue investing in "mixed reality opportunities with first-party software solutions and services."

The spokesperson added that Microsoft plans to partner with the "broader mobile phone and mixed reality ecosystem" to bring new products to market. Through these sentences from the spokesperson, we can distill that Microsoft wants to step away from producing a mixed reality headset by itself and instead wants to combine its technology with other companies' technology to produce something together.

Meta has announced a more affordable version of its Meta Quest 3 mixed-reality and VR headset with the new Quest 3S. Starting from $299.99 USD for the 128GB model ($399.99 for the 256GB version), the new Quest 3S is positioned as an upgrade or direct follow-up to the popular Meta Quest 2 by hitting the same price point.

Featuring the same Snapdragon processor as the Quest 3, the Quest 3S's performance will be identical when playing games and firing up various apps. Before the announcement, rumors pointed to Meta removing the headset's mixed-reality and video passthrough features to keep costs down - however, that's not the case.

The Meta Quest 3S includes six front-facing cameras like the Quest 3, albeit arranged in a different formation. According to reports, the Quesr 3S uses cheaper lenses than the mainline Quest 3, which is one way it has kept the cost down. Although the press release doesn't include full specs for the new Quest 3S, it does note that the cut-down headset lacks the state-of-the-art 4K pancake lenses as the baseline model and features a smaller field of view.

HTC is launching its new Vive Focus Vision XR headset aimed at enterprises and high-end gamers, with the new extended reality (XR) headset the latest member of HTC Vive's Vive Focus Series of high-end VR and XR headsets.

The new HTC Vive Focus Vision XR headset is priced at $999 and features high-end features for high-end gamers and enterprises that want to be immersed in PCVR and standalone gaming. The new XR headset is built as a model for Location-Based Experiences (LBE), industrial training, collaboration, and mixed-reality applications.

Shen Ye, global head of product at HTC Vive, told VentureBeat in an interview: "Not only is it great for gamers, but it's also going to be great for gamers that are experiencing this in arcades and other LBE experiences. We've now brought Vive Focus Vision to PCVR gaming".

The Omni One from Virtuix is an all-in-one full-body VR gaming system that allows full 360-degree movement because you're on a treadmill. We've covered this product a few times here on TweakTown, as it solves one of the key issues with movement-based VR gaming: being limited to a very small play space.

More than a gimmick, treadmill-based gameplay has seen several impressive VR games, including Amid Evil VR, Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord, and Sniper Elite VR, optimized for the new Omni One system. The system ships with a customized Pico 4 Enterprise headset with controllers, a treadmill that can be packed away when not in use, tracking sensors, and 'overshoes.'

Orders for the Omni One, priced at $2,595, are now open, and Virtuix also offers the system on a $90 monthly plan. That said, with the company currently shipping out over 3,000 preorder units, this 'greater-than-expected' demand for the Omni One means those placing orders now can expect to receive their Omni system in January 2025.

Microsoft is working on a next-generation mixed reality (MR) headset, signing a contract with Samsung Display to develop and supply OLED on silicon (OLEDoS) panels for the new mixed reality headset.

The news is coming from Korean outlet The Elec, which reports that Samsung is expected to provide hundreds of thousands of OLEDoS panels to Microsoft, according to their sources. The Elec's sources said that Microsoft was developing its new MR headset for gaming and multimedia consumption, versus being used for the Metaverse.

Microsoft's new MR headset is expected to launch only after the specifications of the new OLEDoS panels have been finalized, and then supplied from Samsung Display to Microsoft, with The Elec's sources adding that the commercial launch will happen in 2026 "at the earliest".

Recently, we spotted the existence of a PlayStation VR2 app on Steam, hinting that official PC support for the VR headset designed for the PlayStation 5 console was coming soon. Well, that day has arrived, and PC gamers can now use the PlayStation VR2 or PSVR2 headset to play the thousands of games available in the SteamVR library - including the iconic Half-Life: Alyx.

However, there's a catch. Because the PSVR2 headset was never intended for PC use, support requires the purchase of a special PlayStation VR2 PC Adapter, which is available now for $59.99 USD at select retailers or directly from Sony when you add this to the $549.99 cost of the PlayStation VR2 headset, it might not be as attractive an option as initially thought.

Also, key PSVR2 features like HDR, headset feedback, eye-tracking, adaptive triggers, and haptic feedback are unavailable on PC - a shame. Sony hasn't confirmed or stated if these features will become available. On the plus side, foveated rendering is supported alongside 3D audio.

Although sales for Sony's next-gen PlayStation VR2 headset for PlayStation 5 haven't set the virtual world on fire, and reports indicating that Sony is pulling the plug on VR game development, there is some good news.

Yes, you'll be able to play Valve's killer VR app Half-Life: Alyx on PlayStation VR2, thanks to the arrival of full PC support and the PS VR2 App. Although Sony hasn't formally announced the launch, the Steam page for the PS VR2 App is now live with a release date of August 6 listed. We've also got screenshots of the PS VR2 App's interface, which looks similar to how it's set up on the PS5.

The listing states, "Play VR games and apps on Steam using your PlayStation VR2 headset and PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers." This confirms that the motion controllers will work (via Bluetooth) and that the headset will be integrated into SteamVR. However, there is one catch.

In a world where new technology is released almost every day, it can be quite hard to get excited about a new product release. However, the Apple Vision Pro was an exception, or at least it appeared to be at first.

Reports indicate the Apple Vision Pro is struggling to gain popularity across the United States, with estimates putting its unit sales below the 100,000 mark. Unfortunately, this kind of lackluster response from the US market may mean the newly released virtual/augmented reality headset may not reach even 500,000 units throughout 2024. However, Apple is preparing to release the new spatial computing headset in other markets, which may help bolster its unit sales.

So, why is the Apple Vision Pro not being purchased? Firstly, what is likely preventing the Vision Pro from gaining traction is its price. Apple released the new headset at $3,499, which automatically made the headset an enthusiast-level device unobtainable for the vast majority of consumers. Additionally, the problems don't stop at the price as some people who have bought the Vision Pro are returning it only a few days later, which is an indicator the headset lacks intrinsic utility or value.

Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus and the creator of the popular Rift VR headset that kicked off the VR movement for PC gaming, has announced that he's working on a new head-mounted display (HMD) that is being "driven" by military requirements.

Details are a bit light, but he made the announcement during a casual fireside chat at the 2024 Augmented World Expo (AWE). "I'm actually building a new headset right now," Luckey said during the panel. "It's driven by military requirements, but it's also going to be used for non-military stuff. It's really cool, it's really something."

As a VR pioneer who created Oculus in 2012, which Meta/Facebook acquired for $2 billion in 2017, Luckey co-founded Anduril Industries, a military defense technology company, shortly after he departed from Facebook. By the sounds of it, the new headset is being built specifically for unknown military purposes.

Reports indicate that sales of Apple's premium VR and AR headset, the Apple Vision Pro, have slowed dramatically - which is to be expected for a device starting at $3,499 USD - and the Vision Pro team is reportedly pivoting. The, err, vision for the Vision team is now focused on creating a more affordable headset that is expected to launch by the end of 2025.

This news comes via a new report on The Information citing Vision Pro component suppliers that have been made aware of Apple's plans. The cheaper Vision headset, codenamed N109, aims to keep the impressive high-resolution display of the Vision Pro but make cuts elsewhere to bring the overall cost down. How Apple will achieve this remains unknown.

The Apple Vision team also plans to make the new affordable Vision headset one-third lighter, addressing some of the initial feedback and responses it has received for the Vision Pro.

Apple is expected to start selling the Apple Vision Pro outside of the United States for the first time after the WWDC event on June 10, according to previous reports. Now, a new report suggests that we can add two countries to the list of countries that we'd already been told to expect that launch to take place in.

Those two countries, we're told by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, are the United Kingdom and Canada, two countries that would normally be included in any first-wave launch of new Apple devices. That made it all the more interesting that neither were added to the list of countries that Gurman believed would be included in the second wave but he has now shared a post on X to suggest that they will indeed be included after all.

This list of launch countries now includes Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the UK. Ap[ple has not yet confirmed that any of these international launches are happening, but Gurman has previously reported that work is underway to train the relevant retail workers ahead of a global launch. The Apple Vision Pro has also already received regulatory approval in China ahead of the headset's launch there.

The Apple Vision Pro went on sale in the United States this past February and while it was an initial hit among early adopters, it's that that retail interest in the mixed reality headset has started to die down. There has so far been little information on when we can expect the spatial computer to go on sale outside the United States, but there have been reports that something could happen within weeks. Apple's own website simply says that the Apple Vision Pro will go on sale internationally in 2024.

Now, we might have our best indication yet that a larger launch is in the offing and we might even know one of the countries that will be included in the second wave of Apple Vision Pro launches. China is one country that had previously been tipped to be involved, and now the country's regulatory outfit has approved the Apple Vision Pro for sale.

The news was shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in a post on the X social network that confirmed China's Quality Certification Center approved the Apple Vision Pro for sale on Monday. This is the last major hurdle that Apple needs to overcome before the Apple Vision Pro headset can go on sale in China, suggesting that a launch is imminent.

The Apple Vision Pro has been on sale in the United States since February and that came months after it was announced at WWDC in June of last year. Now, as we get to almost a year since the so-called spatial computer was announced, new reports suggest that the company is readying a global launch. And this comes as Apple continues to be working on making the headset cheaper, allowing more people to consider buying one. But did you know that you don't have to wait for Applet to offer a cheaper Apple Vision Pro in order to get one for less than the going rate of $3,499? Did you know that you can do it right now?

When the Apple Vision Pro first went on sale they were a little difficult to get hold of, and as always scalpers put them up on eBay in an attempt to make a profit. Some did, but as the months tick by people who bought their AR/VR headsets are starting to have buyer's remorse. Whether they paid the $3,499 that Apple chargers or the extortionate prices that eBay rip-off merchants were selling it for, people are finding that they maybe aren't using the Apple Vision Pro as much as they thought. And that means that those who had a little patience can now bag themselves a bargain.

As reported by 9to5Mac, now is an excellent time to treat yourself to a new Apple Vision Pro if you're willing to buy from Apple. You can now pick up an Apple Vision Pro with around a $500 discount, although we've seen reports of headsets being offered for around $2,000, a huge saving over the original price. Apple's $3,499 asking price gets you the 256GB model, while those who need extra space can pay $3,699 for the 512GB version and $3,899 for the 1TB capacity. Note that additional accessories like a new battery pack, ZEISS Optical inserts, and AppleCare Plus cost extra, too.

The Apple Vision Pro has been on sale in Apple's home country of the United States since early February but there has so far been no confirmation of exactly when we can expect the so-called spatial computer to go on sale globally. Apple has said that we should expect that to happen in 2024, but that leaves for a big time window in which a launch could happen, and with no confirmation of which countries will be involved, there's a lot of guesswork. Now, there might be more information on the horizon with a new report suggesting a launch could be imminent.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple appears to be readying a launch in multiple countries with the confirmation set to come at the company's WWDC event that will take place on June 10. That of course means that it is highly unlikely that we should expect Apple to announce the launch of the headset anywhere before then. Gurman also believes that Apple has been training its retail workers in a number of countries ahead of launch, potentially giving us a hint as to which countries will be on Apple's next wave of launches.

Gurman believes that workers in Germany, France, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and China have undergone training which is likely an indicator that those will be the first international markets that Apple intends to target with the Apple Vision Pro. There is ofc course no news on when the headsets will actually be available to buy, although the fact that an announcement is seemingly imminent is enough to get potential buyers excited.