Burning VR Device War... Apple’s First Product Expected to Cost $3,000

Expected Release in Q1 Next Year
Equipped with Mesh Material and High-Spec Camera

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Foreign media reported that the price of Apple's new virtual reality (VR) headset, expected to be released as early as the first quarter of next year, could reach up to $3,000 (approximately 3.3 million KRW).

On the 5th, IT specialist publication The Verge cited a report from The Information, estimating that Apple's VR headset price would adhere to its ultra-premium pricing policy. This price is about 10 times higher than the existing Facebook subsidiary Oculus's VR device, the Oculus Quest 2 ($299). It is also much higher than JP Morgan's expected price of over $500.

According to The Information, Apple's VR headset uses fabric mesh material to reduce weight. This is interpreted as similar to the mesh material used on the head contact surface of Apple's recently introduced premium wireless headphones, the AirPods Max.

From a hardware perspective, it is estimated to be equipped with more than 12 cameras to track users' hand movements and LiDAR sensors for spatial mapping. It also features dual 8K displays with eye-tracking technology, a device designed to achieve higher resolution than existing VR headsets on the market.

Competition among global IT companies in the VR device market is relentless because it is an industry with high added value, such as game title sales. The leader, Facebook, has generated hundreds of billions in sales solely from game title sales through the Oculus series. Mike Verdu, Vice President of Facebook Reality Labs, recently stated, "As of this month, more than six games have each generated cumulative revenue exceeding $10 million (1.12 billion KRW)." Expanding the category to titles with revenue over $1 million increases the number to 60. Facebook has also announced plans to integrate messenger functions.

Apple is accelerating development not only of VR devices but also augmented reality (AR) devices. AR, also called augmented reality or mixed reality, is a technology that adds three-dimensional virtual images to real-world images. The Verge reported that Apple is continuously developing lightweight AR devices similar in form to regular glasses based on its VR headset development and is expected to unveil them within a few years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.