Apple at the forefront of innovation

It is no longer a secret that Apple is increasingly investing in virtual and augmented reality. Several companies have already been acquired and the development of its own headset has been confirmed for 2022. Now another start-up has been acquired and specific developments have been leaked.

Is VR and AR now a fleeting hype and when will the technology finally reach the mass market? There has been speculation in both directions for years. Apple has now officially confirmed the purchase of Spaces and, like many other players, shows the direction of travel.

Spaces is a spin-off of DreamWorks Animation and recently developed various VR content such as the Terminator Salvation: Figh fort he Future gaming arena or software that enables the use of a VR avatar in virtual Zoom meetings.

Spaces is not Apple's first acquisition in this area. The iPhone company has strengthened its position in the exciting VR market of the future with NextVR, Akonia Holographics and Vrvana, among others.

Content is king

According to Bloomberg, additional AR content is also being worked on for the Apple TV+ streaming service. For example, a moonrover may appear on the coffee table when watching the show For All Mankind on a neighbouring Apple device. The first of these features are set to appear as early as 2021.

VR/AR headset from 2022

In 2022, Apple plans to release a headset that enables AR and VR content in the areas of gaming, conferences and videos. The acquisition of Spaces and the announcement of the first AR content as an additional feature for Apple TV+ is already a first step towards having a reasonably well-stocked content library for the launch of the headsets. After all, a lack of content is a key factor that is currently preventing consumers from buying the headsets and glasses.