Apple follows Mark Zuckerberg into the metaverse with plan to launch VR headset

The headset has been delayed multiple times. Bloomberg reported it had been pencilled in for a reveal this month, but that has now been pushed back into the spring.

The Information previously reported Apple’s headset would include a battery pack that is worn on the waist, making the goggles lighter than those of rivals.

Several major developers have already had a first look at the device. It will come with a new operating system, called xrOS. The headset could be called the Reality Pro and go on sale later in 2023.

Ming Chi-Kuo, an analyst who covers Apple for investment manager TF Securities, said: “Apple’s headset development is behind schedule… it is increasingly unlikely that Apple will hold a media event for the new device in January.”

Meta’s rebrand from Facebook has been met with scepticism, with its share price crumbling as it invests tens of billions of dollars in Mr Zuckerberg’s metaverse concept.

The company has launched multiple virtual reality headsets. While its Quest devices have proved popular with technology fans, they are not yet an essential gadget.

Meta has developed games and virtual worlds for its headset, but its metaverse social network, Horizon Worlds, has remained barren and unpopular.

Apple has already released multiple augmented reality tools for its iPhone and iPad devices, which layer virtual images and effects over the real world.