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Apple’s mixed-reality headset is likely coming in January 2023

The VR/AR market is going to significantly change in the year ahead.

Apple logo with apple products blurred in the background
Image: KnowTechie

Apple’s long-awaited mixed reality headset will “likely release in January 2023” according to a research note seen by 9To5Mac. The author of that research note? Reliable forecaster of all things Apple, Ming-Chi Kuo.

The VR/AR market is going to significantly change in the year ahead. Apple’s mixed reality headset is a part of that, but it’s not the only device coming.

Sony’s PS VR2 is also likely to be released around the same time as Apple’s headset. Kuo thinks that will ship 1.5 million units in the months after release.

READ MORE: Apple is planning a huge number of new devices over the next year

Playstation vr2 headset and controllers
Sony’s PS VR2 (Image: Sony)

Microsoft is also gearing up to release a new HoloLens around that time. HTC is estimated to ship a higher volume of headsets in 2023. Pico, the largest VR brand in China, is also on track to ship 1-1.5 million headsets this year.

You’ve probably noticed that we haven’t mentioned Meta yet. That’s because the company is on a cost-cutting spree, with everything from hiring to hardware investment all slashed.

Meta has been selling its headsets at a loss to gain market share. If that changes, there will be room for other companies to catch up.

Mark zuckerberg and vr headset
Image: Meta

READ MORE: Meta’s upcoming VR headset will reportedly be called ‘Quest Pro’

The overall sentiment from Kuo is optimistic, both about the Apple mixed reality headset, and the overall AR/VR market. He believes the headset’s release will spur new growth. Maybe it won’t have the same impact the iPod or iPhone had on the market, but it will be an overall “game-changer for headsets.”

Apple reportedly showed the headset to the board earlier this year. That could mean the hardware is near its final form. What needs to come for the headset to be a success is an ecosystem of apps, games, and other experiences.

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Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere. His hobbies include photography, animation, and hoarding Reddit gold.

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