Apple’s Rumoured Mixed Reality Headset to Feature Two 8K Displays and Cost $3,000 USD: REPORT

A huge new leak claims Apple’s rumoured VR headset will feature two 8K displays and cost $3,000 USD.

Rumors have swirled about potential VR or AR hardware from Apple for years now. But today, The Information has published perhaps the most extensive account of what the Cupertino company is working on.

The Information viewed internal Apple images of a late-stage prototype from last year, which show a sleek, curved visor attached to the face by a mesh material and swappable headbands.

From the report:

A mixed-reality headset Apple is developing will be equipped with more than a dozen cameras for tracking hand movements and showing video of the real world to people wearing it, along with ultra-high-resolution 8K displays and advanced technology for tracking eye-tracking technology, according to a person with direct knowledge of the device.

Those are among a bevy of features Apple is planning for the headset, a device that could represent one of the company’s most ambitious efforts to build a new technology platform. The Information viewed internal Apple images of a late-stage prototype from last year, which show a sleek, curved visor attached to the face by a mesh material and swappable headbands.

The report claims Apple won’t be running the power-hungry 8K displays at full resolution the entire time. Instead, the device will use the eye-tracking technology to determine where users are looking and then rendering peripheral areas in lower resolution to improve performance.

The chips, as previously reported by Bloomberg, are expected to be internally developed Apple Silicon hardware that could potentially be more powerful than Apple’s current M1 chip.

Apple is reportedly experimenting with a variety of control methods, including hand-tracking and eye-tracking, a dial mounted on the side of the headset, and a “thimble-like” accessory, although nothing is said to be finalized just yet.

The report also says Apple is working on Glasses, but those are not expected to debut until 2023. The VR headset could be available as soon as next year.