Apple Tapped Jon Favreau to Create Content for VR Headset Coming in 2023: Report

Apple has contracted Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Elf) and other Hollywood directors to create video content and mixed reality experiences for its much-anticipated AR/VR headset — reports The New York Times.

Favreau previously executive produced Prehistoric Planet, an Apple TV+ natural history documentary that premiered last week.

According to three people familiar with the matter, Favreau is working to bring the dinosaurs from Prehistoric Planet to life on Apple’s upcoming mixed reality headset, which is expected to ship sometime next year.

If Apple is going to make its AR/VR headset the “next big thing,” the company’s going to need a lot of compelling content for the device. That’s where Apple’s developers — and, apparently, Hollywood directors — come in.

The Cupertino, California-based tech giant is gearing up to unveil new software tools at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) next week that would allow apps to add new camera and voice functionality, two of The New York Times‘s sources said.

The Times claims ongoing challenges with battery power have delayed the headset to 2023. As for the software toolkit for this mixed reality headset expected to be previewed at WWDC next week, one aspect will allow Siri and QR codes to trigger shortcuts inside apps.

A tool kit that Apple is expected to introduce at the conference offers software developers new abilities to trigger shortcuts inside their apps using Siri and QR codes, interactions that will be leveraged in future headsets, a person familiar with the project said.

The added capabilities would give developers the means to create a more hands-free interface. Any guesses as to where Apple could put a hands-free interface and experience to use?

While there have been whispers of a full-blown headset reveal at WWDC, it seems highly unlikely. Ming-Chi Kuo, TF International Securities analyst, reported earlier this week that Apple won’t unveil its long-rumoured mixed reality headset at WWDC.

However, we still might hear something about “realityOS” — the software that will power the mixed reality offering — at the event, judging by details found within trademark filings for the mixed reality operating system.

A headset that melds the digital world into the real one is an entirely new frontier for Apple. The iPhone maker won’t be the first to enter this market segment, but it may spark unprecedented innovation in the space once its first hardware offering takes the stage.

According to leaks and reports, Apple’s first mixed reality headset will look like a pair of ski goggles and feature a lightweight design, two 4K micro OLED displays, 15 camera modules, two main processors, Wi-Fi 6E for connectivity, eye tracking, a see-through AR mode, object tracking, hand gesture controls, and more.