• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Apple secretly demoed it's VR headset to the top 100 Executives. $3000 reconfirmed, expecting 1 million sold first year. Little to no profit initially

It's very interesting what they will do in every regard: displays (resolution, FOV, color gamut), controls, AR support, APU, battery-life, software, external GPU support e.t.c.
Knowing Apple they will try to fit the best possible components it's gonna better be HDR OLED's. Is there better small-sized OLED displays than Sony's on PSVR2? Or maybe they will do LCD with local dimming but that's will be awful for the price.
 

Sakura

Member
If I could plug it into a PC, and use it tethered then maybe (assuming the tech is great). Otherwise the thing isn't of much interest to me. I don't need to type on a virtual keyboard or some shit.
 

Snake29

Banned
Apple products are some of the best software and hardware integrated devices. But since Apple isn't really (outside Apple Arcade) in the gaming business, this is more like a professional tool then for the mass. Android isn't greatly integrated with all kinds of external products like Apple. It's why smart home manufacturers most of the time support homekit better then other smarthome platforms.

This VR headset is not created to compete with other PC and the PSVR2 headset at all. The people who still laughing at Apple fans, you people still living in 2014 or what when it was heavenly Apple vs Android, and where especially the Android fans were screaming the loudest.

Good luck trying to sell your 2 year old Android device, which might not even get any update anymore.
 
Last edited:

midnightAI

Banned
It's very interesting what they will do in every regard: displays (resolution, FOV, color gamut), controls, AR support, APU, battery-life, software, external GPU support e.t.c.
Knowing Apple they will try to fit the best possible components it's gonna better be HDR OLED's. Is there better small-sized OLED displays than Sony's on PSVR2? Or maybe they will do LCD with local dimming but that's will be awful for the price.
Most likely microOLED with pancake lenses

If I was Apple and they go down the tethered external battery route then I'd go further and tether the processor and GPU also, an external battery solution isn't ideal but if you are doing that may as well go further so your headset could be as small as possible with no heat issues etc.
 
Most likely microOLED with pancake lenses

If I was Apple and they go down the tethered external battery route then I'd go further and tether the processor and GPU also, an external battery solution isn't ideal but if you are doing that may as well go further so your headset could be as small as possible with no heat issues etc.
Then it's very interesting how they solved brightness problem.
 
Last edited:
i take back all i said about this outselling quest 2 in 2 months....i was assuming that for the 1500 rumor. for 3000 yeah no one except the high class superfans will buy in.

sales will skyrocket tho when reality pro 2 comes out and reality pro 1 ends up on the used market for 900-1500

You'd be surprised at how many people with minimum income go and buy an iphone (at 36+ monthly rates) just 'cause it gives them that "premium feel®" aka "it makes me feel like I'm important" even though they can't harness/utilize 99% of the available computing power with their iphones being used as an exclusive Facebook/Instagram device with the occasional snapshot taking here and there - basically, what a 200$ android device could also do easily.

'Cause, you know, you may not make it to month's end but you absolutely gotta have an iphone as to show off while in public.

Same thing with this incoming VR headset - people WILL go and buy it just 'cause "Apple" no matter if they'll have to mortgage their house , brand royalty and brand recognition is a real thing man.
Also : watch how all of a sudden VR will get to be "normal" and "cool" and not a device catered towards PC and/or Console "nerds"/outcasts.
 

Spaceman292

Banned
You'd be surprised at how many people with minimum income go and buy an iphone (at 36+ monthly rates) just 'cause it gives them that "premium feel®" aka "it makes me feel like I'm important" even though they can't harness/utilize 99% of the available computing power with their iphones being used as an exclusive Facebook/Instagram device with the occasional snapshot taking here and there - basically, what a 200$ android device could also do easily.

'Cause, you know, you may not make it to month's end but you absolutely gotta have an iphone as to show off while in public.

Same thing with this incoming VR headset - people WILL go and buy it just 'cause "Apple" no matter if they'll have to mortgage their house , brand royalty and brand recognition is a real thing man.
Also : watch how all of a sudden VR will get to be "normal" and "cool" and not a device catered towards PC and/or Console "nerds"/outcasts.
I'm not sure it'll be exactly like that. You can't take a VR headset out of your house and show it to you friends.
 
My closest friend works in an industry where firms will buy several Mac studios and throw them away when an upgraded version comes out.

He has grabbed several perfectly working pro Apple displays from the rubbish lol.

If this is pitched for professionals in certain markets and it’s good then it will sell, easily. These firms don’t look at costs.
 

RoboFu

One of the green rats
I doubt that price point is aimed at everyday consumers. It’s more for professional vr setups / venues.
If it is then woooboy.
 
I'm not sure it'll be exactly like that. You can't take a VR headset out of your house and show it to you friends.

But...you can still post about it on FB and IG man !
Plus, you know for a fact that they won't stop talking about it once they get their hands on it, they'll have their socks blown off - like most users when they first tried VR to be honest...

Anyway, they could have priced this at 5000 Eurodollars and it would still sell well - this is Apple we're talking about, the company with the biggest brand recognition on the planet, neither Samsung, nor Sony nor any other brand could take that spot - only...Coca Cola could come in 1st in the brand recognition "game"...

It is what it is, people vote with their wallet and this is the result (for better or for worse).

Cheers
 
Well, not the last 27 years no, but before that...........

Ding dong the spam is dead.

Wizard Of Oz GIF
 

RoboFu

One of the green rats
I just can't figure out who this is aimed at other than people with more money than sense (aka people who buy apple devices)
Medical, military, theme parks, and VR businesses.

Not everything is about people shopping at Walmart.
 
Don't see a problem with it. Obviously it's geared towards high end early adopter types.

Apple having an attempt is a good thing, they could have a good idea or design that can be incorporated years down the line. There seems to be this unrealistic expectation now for some slick $250 unit to win many people over. I get the frustration, I bought an Oculus dev kit at launch but it's probably another 5-10 years away to being a significant viable alternative.
 

Mr.ODST

Member
To be fair Apple do make great technology that just works, I just come out of the apple ecosystem with a 3070 PC and from an iPhone 11 to Galaxy S23 Ultra, it feels weird how non-connected things are in comparison to its "Just work" strategy of the iPhone and Apple Services.

Even still it probably will be a great headset but 3k is ridiculous!
 

V1LÆM

Gold Member
I'm waiting a few years for them to put out "budget" models and of course let them work out the hardware/software issues. I don't like to jump into a new product with the first generation release. That's why I'm waiting for a Steam Deck 2, PS5 Slim, etc.
 

poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
It will be a step up, but welcome to diminishing returns… think of audio, you can easily spend millions in audio equipment for a room but you will not have a million times better experience than someone with a thousand dollars or so Atmos one.
I don't think we are anywhere near that with VR though. The tech, even in 'cheap' devices continues to improve every year. FoV, resolution, screen quality, lens quality, comfort, form factor, color pass through, refresh rate, tracking, processing power on standalone, eye tracking, hand tracking etc.
Plus those million dollar audio set-ups aren't costing a million to make, even the Sonos stuff is going to have a big profit margin.
 

JCK75

Member
It seems like an overpriced mess that no one will want.. but I won't call it a failure because it has an Apple logo on it. Meaning somebody will buy it
 

V1LÆM

Gold Member
If this fails, VR is doomed. I'm curious how Apple plans to solve the issues preventing it from being mainstream.
People will laugh at that statement but it's true. If Apple, the richest tech company on the planet, can't make it a success then who can? Others have tried and failed including Google and Microsoft. Facebook is doing reasonably well with theirs I suppose. Sony's headset has problems but still quite niche. Valve's is expensive aswell.

I think the issue with headsets is that they are too focused on VR and gaming. Augmented Reality could be huge if Apple makes the headset an extension of the iPhone. Instead of looking at a screen and touching it then it's displayed in front of you. People are hooked on their phones as it is so imagine if you never had to look at a phone again and control it with motion and "touch". Instead of everyone walking about looking down at their phones they'll be walking around with headsets.

At first headsets would be an accessory to the iPhone but eventually I guess they'll build the phone into a headset. The biggest issue is how you interact with the augmentations and existing apps. Headsets have huge potential and could be the next big thing if Apple can get it right. They, and others, have a lot to gain from it. Smartphones collect insane amounts of data as it is but a headset would be a gold mine for the likes of Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. I can understand why they are wanting to chase this metaverse goal. People think the metaverse is that shit that Facebook is making but the metaverse is reality, augmented reality, and virtual reality.
 

X-Wing

Member
Some of the takes here are completely stupid and garbage as expected. Guy with the original comment was right, it just works (if you use it for the intended purposes and don’t need anything outside of their eco system).

As owning my own IT consultancy company I can confirm there is no match to Apples ecosystem in a professional way. Everything just works, the OS doesn’t feel like an eternal beta and crashes apps constantly like on Android and many more stuff.

Also Apple stuff is not overpriced. It’s just expensive, but you get value in return. The new M2 Max MacBook costs eg 45000kr here in Sweden, if you buy a comparable laptop with a battery that lasts only 1 hour vs more than a whole day and a way inferior screen you pay more than 50000kr here in Sweden.

Now, if you don’t have a lot of money, the cheaper alternatives are not bad at all nowadays, but there is a reason why Apple can charge for their products, it’s just because they’re excellent in general.

Yes, they also make garbage stuff like any other brand, like those 999 wheels or that tv hanger. Ridiculous stuff. But their main products are well worth the money they charge you for it.

On topic: wonder what the headset will be like. It’s either revolutionary seeing the price, or like the 999 wheels.
That and hardware that will last a decade with regular software updates
 

Mephisto40

Member
Medical, military, theme parks, and VR businesses.

Not everything is about people shopping at Walmart.
All of those businesses generally use windows in my experience

The only one of those customers I havnt dealt with at work is the military, and I can't imagine they use apple products all that much
 
Last edited:

RoboFu

One of the green rats
All of those businesses generally use windows in my experience

The only one of those customers I havnt dealt with at work is the military, and I can't imagine they use apple products all that much
The apple headset is a stand alone device which could operate remotely. It’s using apple silicon so it’s basically a MacBook in vr googles

The os doesn’t matter. You can stream any data to any device.

And windows maybe the most used spreadsheet and email is but all the important things in the medical and military is either Unix, bsd, or Linux.
 

ByWatterson

Member
1. Make a headset for no profit.
2........
3. Profit?

Apple really testing the limits of the cult here.
 
Last edited:

Mephisto40

Member
The apple headset is a stand alone device which could operate remotely. It’s using apple silicon so it’s basically a MacBook in vr googles

The os doesn’t matter. You can stream any data to any device.

And windows maybe the most used spreadsheet and email is but all the important things in the medical and military is either Unix, bsd, or Linux.
Possibly, but considering these devices are generally going to be produced in china I can't personally see the military, at least in western counties, making use of them all that much
 
Last edited:

Inviusx

Member
I am slightly excited because I want to see how a company like Apple thinks this could realistically work in the real world. So many AR headsets exist and none have ever provided any actual use case for why anyone would want one outside of the novelty of it.

If Apple's going in now I feel like they might have found an angle that others haven't thought of yet to capture the world's imagination and I'm curious what that might be. That being said if it's just "you can bring up your phone gallery right before your eyes" or something stupid like that, then AR will remain in the dark ages.
 

Skyfox

Member
As a long-suffering glasses wearer, if this thing is heavier than a pair of glasses then it will be used a handful of times and then left in the dust (at best).
 
Over priced gimmick bullshit as always...

It probably will have lots of propietary shit... That don't play well with PC or other devices.
 

Evil Calvin

Afraid of Boobs
I won't even pay $500 for a
PSVR2 ........and I already have a PS5

VR is basically a gimmick, and tech demos. Fun for a bit but not going to play a huge RPG on it (actually most of the games are pretty small in scope).
 
If the VR headset can basically be a Mac, I think it will be worth it. Imagine having your own little office and being able to code and manage a lot more things at once. VR future is applications and productivity, not video games.
 
Last edited:

Stuart360

Member
I dont know whats worse, the $3k price tag, or the fact it has a $3k price tag and they are making NO PROFIT.

Still Apple diehards will buy this, and they probably will hit that 1mil sales in the first year target, as crazy as that sounds.

I do find it interesting how some tech companies seem all in on VR, and some dont seem to care about it. Some companies do def seem to be taking a 'wait and see what happens' stance with VR.

For me, VR will never be mainstream until a VR headset looks like this -
MicAndKeithsMidnightRamble_3Q_1000x_6eb8f81b-ae21-4d09-a256-0942cb81e5e1.jpg


I wonder how long we are away from that.
 

Minsc

Gold Member
I dont know whats worse, the $3k price tag, or the fact it has a $3k price tag and they are making NO PROFIT.

Still Apple diehards will buy this, and they probably will hit that 1mil sales in the first year target, as crazy as that sounds.

I do find it interesting how some tech companies seem all in on VR, and some dont seem to care about it. Some companies do def seem to be taking a 'wait and see what happens' stance with VR.

For me, VR will never be mainstream until a VR headset looks like this -
MicAndKeithsMidnightRamble_3Q_1000x_6eb8f81b-ae21-4d09-a256-0942cb81e5e1.jpg


I wonder how long we are away from that.

Wonder where the battery goes, but yeah, probably 20-30+ years I'd guess.
 

midnightAI

Banned
I dont know whats worse, the $3k price tag, or the fact it has a $3k price tag and they are making NO PROFIT.

Still Apple diehards will buy this, and they probably will hit that 1mil sales in the first year target, as crazy as that sounds.

I do find it interesting how some tech companies seem all in on VR, and some dont seem to care about it. Some companies do def seem to be taking a 'wait and see what happens' stance with VR.

For me, VR will never be mainstream until a VR headset looks like this -
MicAndKeithsMidnightRamble_3Q_1000x_6eb8f81b-ae21-4d09-a256-0942cb81e5e1.jpg


I wonder how long we are away from that.
I don't think we are very far away from something like that but I don't even think that will be good enough due to light bleed everywhere so I think something akin to swimming goggles will be about the closest, but I expect retinal projection to be the future (unless we can eliminate the use of our eyes completely)
 
Top Bottom