When Apple's Reality Pro VR Headset Might Finally Launch After Another Reported Delay
Apple’s AR / VR headset, which was expected to debut this spring, has now reportedly been shifted to June. The purported Apple Reality Pro, the Cupertino tech giant’s first full venture into this growing segment, will now likely be unveiled during the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).
Bloomberg cited people familiar with the plans as the source of its report regarding the launch rescheduling. Apple’s headset has been a long time coming, but this schedule slip isn’t a strategic choice. The unnamed sources indicate that even after extended development time, the headset hardware and software still exhibited issues in recent tests, necessitating Apple kicking the can down the road.
Overall, Apple’s ventures into VR / AR appear to have presented more than their fair share of difficulties and delays. Bloomberg reminds us that this latest rescheduling, to June 2023, comes in the wake of delays from mid 2022, pushed back to January 2023, and then to April this year. Now it is looking like mid 2023.
It is hard to believe the Apple Reality Pro will not be a hit with consumers. Though headset devices from Meta, HTC, Sony, and Valve have been increasingly popular, we still haven’t seen the big wave of adoption that can follow from the first killer app(s) or compelling uses that capture the zeitgeist. Apple has a good track record in catching the wave and defining new device categories like MP3 players, phones and tablets—but more recent ventures into smartwatches, smart home devices, and TV STBs haven’t been so exemplary.
