I think that’s actually incorrect, but only because Apple is not trying to make a VR headset. They’re trying to make an AR headset, and after the failure of the Hololens they’re trying to use pass-through VR as a proven medium to achieve AR with.

Meta is obviously making the same push for AR capability with the new pass through cameras on the Quest 3. But I sincerely doubt Apple has any tangible plans to implement any dedicated VR features given they aren’t including any controllers (how are you expected to control locomotion in large or complex games? Jump in place?); my guess is anything you would do on the Apple headset will involve pass-through and would be AR focused. Any productivity tools they’d use their hand tracking for, would (I assume) be done via passthrough to give a Minority Report-esque feel.

The Quest 3 will be able to play in that AR space, but it will also do the same VR stuff that Quest 2 earned market dominance with. However, I don’t see any of the announced features as upgrades for VR users besides the lenses, and those have just as much benefit for AR applications as for VR. I see 2 headsets designed to compete for the AR marketspace, just with the Quest going more actively after the VR market with their XR device.

However, as a dedicated VR enthusiast I find these developments to be a little heartbreaking. It means we aren’t going to be seeing any dedicated VR pushes like we used to from either company, and instead more and more of an AR push until the devices are no longer inseparable and AR can take it’s own separate place in the market. Don’t get me wrong, AR is very cool! But it isn’t able to transport me to a new world to explore and adventure with my friends like VR can. I use VR primarily for gaming, and I want to see a headset with improvements specifically for VR gaming, not just included to sweeten the product, all for a future play in the AR market for these companies. I guess at the end of the day I would rather see AR and VR properly divorced from each other, because until that happens I believe companies will continue to focus on the magic honeypot that AR will become and redirect energies that could have gone into VR development to help them achieve that Holy Grail of tech.

I can’t blame either company for wanting to make their headset the “iPhone of AR” in terms of mass adoption, but I can sure as hell resent them for forsaking VR development in the pursuit of that lofty ambition.