Apple’s mixed-reality headset will come with some top-notch hardware, a new report claims.
According to The Information, which claims it has seen Apple’s internal images of a late-stage prototype of the device, the headset will have two 8K displays, advanced eye-tracking tech, and more than a dozen cameras for tracking hand movements.
For comparison, the Oculus Quest 2‘s displays have a resolution of 1,832 x 1,920 pixels per eye, while the Valve Index has 1,440 x 1,600 pixels per eye. Both resolutions are a lot lower than 8K, which is roughly 7,680 x 4,320 pixels.
Don’t expect anything otherworldly in terms of design. The device the outlet has seen has a curved visor with a mesh material where it meets the face. But it would also have swappable headbands, which would add more functionality, including an additional battery or surround sound.
The Information also has a hand drawing of what the final device might look like.
As for functionality, the headset could best be described as a mixed-reality device, with passthrough cameras feeding a view of the real world to the user, overlaid with virtual objects.
Not everything is finalized, though. Apple is working on multiple ways to control the headset, including a “thimble-like device” that’s worn on your finger, and a physical dial on the headset’s side.
The pricing might be around $3,000, the report says. This is roughly in line with a Bloomberg report from January, which said the device would be “far more expensive” than competing headsets, which cost $300 to $900, and comparable to the price of Mac Pro, which starts at $5,999.
As for timing, The Information agrees with previous reports that the headset will probably be launched in 2022.