Apple's VR headset could become expensive

There's a new insider report about Apple's VR headset, which has been buzzing through the rumour mill for a while now. As Bloomberg reports, the device could be launched on the market in 2022.

The virtual reality headset, codenamed "N301", is in a late prototype stage, according to the Bloomberg report, which refers to anonymous sources. Although the concept of a stand-alone VR system with a built-in battery is quite similar to an Oculus Quest 2, it is said to be a high-priced premium product, as one is actually already used to from Apple.

According to this, Apple is deliberately targeting only a niche market within the VR sector, while sales figures are not expected to be too high. It is not known how much the VR headset will cost, but since it is supposed to be more like the competition from Oculus, HTC and co., at least 1,000 US dollars are suspected, perhaps even considerably more. To justify the price, powerful chips and displays with a much higher resolution than in existing VR products are to be used.

Furthermore, Apple wants to save weight, which is why a kind of fabric cover is to be used. During development, Apple reduced the space normally reserved for glasses in order to reduce the form factor of the entire VR headset. For spectacle wearers, insertable lenses with the personal prescription are planned instead. External cameras and features like hand tracking are also being worked on. All this information has not been officially confirmed.

Sources: 4Players, Eurogamer, Bloomberg