While Facebook’s parent company Meta Platforms and other businesses have been producing virtual reality headgear for years with mixed results, many industry observers think Apple can broaden the market for the technology beyond video games and largely tech geeks who have been early adopters.

Beginning on February 2, Apple’s expensive headset for switching between the physical and virtual worlds will be sold in its stores. This marks the beginning of the trendsetting company’s drive to increase the appeal of what has up until now been a specialized technology.

The stylish $3,500 goggles were unveiled by Apple during a software conference at its Cup facility. Eight months ago, at a software conference held at its Cupertino, California, headquarters, Apple introduced the sleek $3,500 goggles. The purpose of the event was to inspire developers to create programmes specifically for a device that projects users into three-dimensional reconstructions of reality.

Apple has long been noticeably missing from a major consumer electronics expo in Las Vegas, where its announcement is being made.

More than a million apps created for the iPhone and iPad are compatible with the goggles’ operating system, according to Apple. Pre-orders for the goggles, which are operated using a few basic hand gestures and the user’s eyes, open on January 19. However, to ensure a perfect fit, customers must visit a store.

Several industry analysts think Apple can broaden the appeal of virtual reality technology beyond the video game players and largely tech geeks who have adopted it thus far, even though Facebook owner Meta Platforms and other businesses have been producing the headsets for years with mixed results

After being tested in closely supervised demos under Apple’s supervision, the Vision Pro has already garnered positive reviews from the media. However, given its high price, it is likely that the device will see relatively low sales during its first year on the market.

Nevertheless, Apple’s first new product since the release of its smartwatch ten years ago may pave the way for the release of more accessible models that will appeal to a wider market. As of right now, Meta’s most recent virtual reality headset, the Quest 3, costs seven times as much as the Vision Pro.

Apple added the capability to record 3-D recordings that can be viewed through goggles on its most recent high-end iPhones, the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, suggesting that the corporation hopes the Vision Pro will open up new markets. The individuals and other pictures in these videos seem to be standing directly in front of the viewer because they are so lifelike.

After experiencing a minor drop in revenue during its most recent fiscal year, which concluded in September, Apple is searching for strategies to boost its sales. Even still, Apple’s revenues were $383 billion, with the iPhone contributing more than half of that revenue.

SOURCE: https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/devices/apples-vision-pro-headset-launches-next-month-as-company-seeks-to-expand-mixed-reality-market/106650862