While the long waited virtual/augmented reality headset from Apple may not launch to the consumer market till 2023, developers have found fractions of ‘RealityOS’ that can power it. While the very first reference of RealityOS was made by Bloomberg News in 2017, there were some parts spotted with the pre-release version of iOS 13.
Fast forward to 2022, and 9to5Mac reports that some developers have found references of the RealityOS within GitHub repos and Apple’s App Store upload logs. So, in this article, we are going to uncover the truth behind RealityOS. Not to mention, where Apple stands with their VR headset in the coming future?
Apple’s Take on RealityOS
Based on the previous reports, Reality OS is based on iOS. Being a part of the whole OS abbreviation that Apple uses to define their operating systems. That was all the information we could gather from that time, based on Geoff Stahl, one of the directors in charge of the development of RealityOS.
While Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that the first augmented reality headset from Apple would run on its standalone platform. This explains the development of a separate platform like RealityOS. Kuo also commented the headsets have the same computational power that of M1 Macs. While the codename was initially set to ‘Oak’, RealityOS seems to be the last iteration of the name for the dedicated OS to the headset.
More on Apple’s Headset
The price of Apple’s headset is going to be more on the costlier side, presumably $2000. Although there are supporting claims for such a hefty price tag as well. Housing two separate processors, one on par with the M1 Pro chipset available for MacBook Pro.
According to Ming-chi Kuo, out of the two chips, one of them would be adjacent to M1 specification-wise. The other contributing factors include dual 4K OLED microdisplays along with dedicated 3D sensors for better motion tracking.
Also Read: What is Augmented Reality (AR) and How Does it Work?
The Bottom Line
So that was everything from our side about the latest development of ‘RealityOS’. As for the Apple headsets, they may not be available to the consumer market until 2023. But, they are planning to reveal the headset at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).
Based on some of the leaks, Apple is dealing with some of the underlying problems with the headset. This includes overheating, software, and camera issues. It might delay the entire production line of the OS, but Apple still wants developers to get their hands on the RealityOS SDK (Software Development Kit.)
