The hype practice for the Apple AR/VR headset is increase steam forward of its anticipated announcement at WWDC 2023, with the Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey seemingly impressed with the mixed-reality wearable.

A latest Twitter publish (opens in new tab) from Luckey (beneath) makes the pithy declare that “The Apple headset is so good”. Whereas the Oculus Rift creator did not broaden on this early verdict on Apple’s headset, a follow-up remark suggests it’s based mostly on some first-hand data of the system.

When requested if his contacts inside Apple have “excessive confidence” within the product’s launch, Luckey agreed – though he stopped wanting revealing if he’d spent any high quality time with the AR/VR headset, which is rumored to be referred to as both the Apple Actuality One or the Apple Actuality Professional.

The Apple headset is so good.Might 14, 2023

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Naturally, we won’t draw any huge conclusions from such a quick, off-the-cuff comment, even when it does come from VR’s greatest pioneer. However the feedback do chime with some earlier ideas on VR headsets from Palmer Luckey, who we branded as one of many nice tech innovators of the 2010s.

Again in 2018, Luckey stated that mainstream VR adoption wasn’t being held again by worth, however fairly the “high quality of expertise”. He referred to as for “higher {hardware}, broader content material, and a deep understanding of the way to finest interface with a human perceptual system that varies considerably throughout age, gender, and race”. 

Since then, Meta has actually made strides in the direction of reaching that, with the corporate promoting almost 20 million Quest headsets to this point, in response to a leaked inner Meta presentation shared with The Verge (opens in new tab).

However these seemingly spectacular figures additionally masks some obvious points with conserving Meta Quest followers within the VR headset, after they’ve purchased it. Within the leaked presentation, Meta’s vp for VR apparently advised staff that latest patrons of the Meta Quest had been “simply not as into it” or as engaged as “those who purchased it early.”

It is these points, hinted at by these earlier Luckey feedback, that Apple could possibly be trying to treatment with its AR/VR headset. The appreciable draw back to this consumer expertise, although, will doubtless be price, with Apple’s headset anticipated to price within the area of $3,000 / $2,200 / AU$4,400.

A premium mixed-reality expertise?

Palmer Luckey’s earlier weblog publish (opens in new tab) on the VR headset pricing, headlined “Free is not low-cost sufficient”, makes for fascinating studying nearly 5 years on, significantly in mild of his tweet concerning the Apple VR headset.

Luckey clearly wasn’t enamored with the extra reasonably priced course Oculus was headed in, saying that “cost-cutting can solely take you to date”. As a substitute, he talked up the influence of an uncompromising “full-dive digital actuality expertise that’s completely indistinguishable from essentially the most thrilling lucid dream”.

Whether or not or not Apple’s mixed-reality headset can present something near this stays to be seen. But when the headset does certainly price within the area of $3,000 / $2,200 / AU$4,400, it’s going to absolutely have to get someplace near that.

Latest rumors recommend that Apple will successfully throw each AR and VR characteristic on the wall with its first mixed-reality headset, with the experiences anticipated to incorporate every little thing from health exercises to video games and new methods to look at TV.

And regardless of obvious manufacturing points, which may restrict early availability, it seems just like the Actuality One or Actuality Professional remains to be on monitor for a long-anticipated unveiling at WWDC 2023. 

• Apple VR headset leaks clarify why it may cost a little $3,000 (£2,200 / AU$4,400)