Apple’s mixed reality headset has apparently received the seal of approval from a VR lamp that Oculus founder Palmer Lucky says is “pretty good.”
A rendering of a potential Apple headset [AppleInsider]
Apple’s VR and AR headset has long been rumored to be a high-end concept, with no indication that anyone outside the company has actually tested it. In a short tweet, one of the major names in the VR field may have seen or tried the device.
Oculus founder Palmer Luckey published on Sunday a single sentence on the matter: “Apple headphones are very good.” While firm in its brevity, Luckey generally doesn’t expand on the statement in replies or follow-up tweets.
The lack of further details and the brief message itself do not at all imply that Luckey has actually spent hands-on time with the headset, nor does it confirm that he has been directly briefed or seen the capabilities of the headset. However, his previous history in the field makes his words charming.
As the founder of Oculus, Luckey was instrumental in shaping the current state of VR headset technology before the company was acquired by Facebook in 2014. Facebook has now said that Luckey will not introduce Oculus’ Mac support during his tenure at Meta. Until the Rift headset released a “good computer” that favors high-end GPUs.
He left the social network in 2017 and ended his association with Oculus before launching defense technology company Andruil Industries.
Apple headset is very good.
— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) May 14, 2023
With WWDC 2023 expected to be the main focus this June, it won’t be long before Apple reveals what the actual headphones will look like or do.
Expected to cost around $3,000 when it ships in the fall, the headset will go “ski goggle” style, complete with high-resolution 8K displays for each eye and a choice of internal and external cameras and sensors. supports hand and eye tracking as well as some AR features.
In addition to its capabilities, it appears that Apple will support a wide range of iPad applications, working on custom VR versions of its own tools and apps.