Apple VR headset may arrive in 2022 — here's why you shouldn't buy it

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Is Apple already working on a successor to its long-rumored VR headset?

Apple VR headset
Apple VR headset (Image credit: Apple)

Apple is reportedly poised to unveil its hotly anticipated Apple VR headset late next year, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The long-awaited head-mounted display reportedly packs a high-end processor that emulates Apple's well-received M1 CPU. 

Although the mixed-reality headset hasn't hit the market yet, Kuo claims that Apple is already working on its successor. The second-generation VR headset will puportedly be lighter, faster, sleeker and offer battery improvements (via iMore).

Second-generation VR headset reportedly arriving in 2024

Apple's alleged first-generation VR headset will sport Mac-level computing power, thanks to its M1-esque CPU. The head-mounted display will also reportedly feature a lower-level processor to manage the device's sensor-related operations. Kuo added that the headset will be a standalone device. In other words, it won't be tethered to a Mac or an iPhone.

A drawing of Apple's possible mixed-reality device by The Information.

A drawing of Apple's possible mixed-reality device by The Information. (Image credit: The Information)

As it turns out, the Cupertino-based tech giant is already working on a second-generation headset that is slated for a 2024 launch. iMore recently spotted a Kuo note that, in part, said, "the improvements of the second generation include lighter weight, appearance design, battery system, and processor."

As such, if you were planning on snagging Apple's first-generation VR headset, you may want to hold your horses. According to Kuo, one of the key selling points of the 2024-bound second-gen VR headset is that it will feel much more weightless. The second-gen VR headset will also feature a new design optimized to fit an improved battery system.

Kuo's report isn't the only gossip we've heard in regards to Apple's VR headset. In Power On (a weekly newsletter), Bloomberg's Mark Gurman unveiled that the headset's main focus is gaming. It reportedly has multiple processors, a fan and high-resolution displays. This coincides with Kuo's November report, which claimed that the first-generation AR/VR device will sport a pair of 4K, micro-OLED displays from Sony. Apple may also bring a FaceTime-like experience to VR, launching a new, avante-garde era of videconferencing.

Apple's 2022 roadmap seems to be an exciting one. Not only will the company reportedly release a VR headset, but we should also see a new AirPods Pro, novel Apple Watches, and more.

To keep abreast on Apple's AR/VR headset news, check out our oft-updated rumor hub.

Kimberly Gedeon
Kimberly Gedeon

Kimberly Gedeon, holding a Master's degree in International Journalism, launched her career as a journalist for MadameNoire's business beat in 2013. She loved translating stuffy stories about the economy, personal finance and investing into digestible, easy-to-understand, entertaining stories for young women of color. During her time on the business beat, she discovered her passion for tech as she dove into articles about tech entrepreneurship, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and the latest tablets. After eight years of freelancing, dabbling in a myriad of beats, she's finally found a home at Laptop Mag that accepts her as the crypto-addicted, virtual reality-loving, investing-focused, tech-fascinated nerd she is. Woot!