Shame on me for expecting anything less than $3,000.
I love virtual reality, and I’ve talked it up to many a friend, family member, and colleague. But even I must admit that paying $3,000 for a VR headset is a bit too rich for my blood—a lot too rich for my blood, actually. Yet that’s how much Apple is said to be charging for its first VR/AR headset.
I have no doubts in my mind that Apple’s headset will be a sleek, impressive device. It’s said to have been in the works for over half a decade now, and Apple tends to do hardware pretty darn well—it doesn’t even pain me a bit as a PC gamer to admit that. I do have some questions about the eventual ecosystem of software for Apple’s VR headset, as the company tends to keep its ecosystems locked down, but we’ll find out more about all of that very soon.
Apple is expected to reveal the headset at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) next month, June 5–9. According to the Wall Street Journal (opens in new tab), speaking to people familiar with the matter, the headset will cost roughly $3,000. It also resembles a pair of ski goggles, and will come with a separate battery pack.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that sort of price going around, either, as it was also noted when rumours started flying about Apple indefinitely delaying its cheaper AR glasses (opens in new tab). At that time it was cited as a high cost due to the M2 processor, cameras, sensors, and high-resolution displays included on the device.
