Eddie-Griffin
Banned
https://mixed-news.com/en/apple-headset-will-be-macintosh-moment/
Apples previous head of XR development believes that Apples upcoming headset will be VR's "Macintosh moment" which is a very hyped sentiment that matches many other journalists, experts, and insiders who say that Apple will accelerate VR's acceptance into the mainstream despite it's price range of $1500-$3000 rumored. Mostly toward the latter recently.
Nepveu, who was in charge before leaving in 2021, believes that in ten years the VR device will be an extension of the person the same as the smartphone is today.
Now, while Apple based on the recent news/threads is going for a unique approach different from all other companies involved in VR, price and software is still an important factor to consider. Now that Samsung has also been revealed to be making a headset, and TCL is going for high-spec low cost strategy with its own hub to improve software, it's anybodys game right now. PSVR2 is launching within a week, and there are other competitors launching in 2023. That's a lot of competition.
However, Nepveu does have one thing other people reporting on the headset have, he's actually seen it, is aware of what it can do, and what Apples plan for it is. This makes me even more curious just how Apple will be approaching the VR market if what he saw had lead him to believe so strongly that Apple is prepping a game-changing product.
Bertrand Nepveu worked on Apple’s Mixed Reality headset. He sees the company’s entry into the market as a critical piece of the metaverse puzzle.
Mixed reality headsets are touted as the next big step in the development of spatial computing. One of the first commercially available devices is the Meta Quest Pro. Apple has been working on a mixed reality headset for many years, according to numerous reports, which will be called “Apple Reality Pro” and could be released this year.
Will the Apple factor make the difference?
Nepveu was employed by Apple between 2017 and 2021, according to his Linkedin profile. In an interview with the website Radio Canada, the mixed reality pioneer and Metaverse enthusiast talks about his time in California. About a thousand people were reportedly working on the headset at the time of his departure, says Nepveu, who now works as a tech investor.
He won’t reveal details about the device, but he expects Apple’s entry into the market to be a game-changer. “I always say that when Apple gets into virtual reality, it will be a Macintosh moment.”
The Macintosh came out in 1984 and cost about $2,500. He said the machine showed the potential of a computer for the creative industries. All creatives wanted it, despite the high price, Nepveu said. Apple’s mixed reality headset will reportedly cost between $2,000 and $3,000.
Nepveu bubbles with optimism
Nepveu thinks Apple could succeed where others like Meta have failed. That remains to be seen. So far, the company has not even announced its product. But Nepveu is convinced that the device is the missing piece of the puzzle that will make the Metaverse a success. A term strongly associated with meta, and one that Apple itself deliberately avoids.
Nepveu is very optimistic about the future of VR and AR. He is convinced that in ten years everyone will own a headset. The device will become an extension of the person, just like the smartphone is today, says Nepveu.
Such statements sound as if they come from the hype year of 2016. Experience shows that the industry develops much more slowly. The question is whether and how much the Apple factor can accelerate it. Even Apple experts like Mark Gurman are skeptical that the upcoming headset will be a resounding success in its current form.
Apples previous head of XR development believes that Apples upcoming headset will be VR's "Macintosh moment" which is a very hyped sentiment that matches many other journalists, experts, and insiders who say that Apple will accelerate VR's acceptance into the mainstream despite it's price range of $1500-$3000 rumored. Mostly toward the latter recently.
Nepveu, who was in charge before leaving in 2021, believes that in ten years the VR device will be an extension of the person the same as the smartphone is today.
Now, while Apple based on the recent news/threads is going for a unique approach different from all other companies involved in VR, price and software is still an important factor to consider. Now that Samsung has also been revealed to be making a headset, and TCL is going for high-spec low cost strategy with its own hub to improve software, it's anybodys game right now. PSVR2 is launching within a week, and there are other competitors launching in 2023. That's a lot of competition.
However, Nepveu does have one thing other people reporting on the headset have, he's actually seen it, is aware of what it can do, and what Apples plan for it is. This makes me even more curious just how Apple will be approaching the VR market if what he saw had lead him to believe so strongly that Apple is prepping a game-changing product.