Apple is planning to enter VR technology with its own headset, powered by an Apple chip and featuring an ultra-high-resolution display; Bloomberg reports that the new headset, codenamed "N301," is currently in the late prototype stage

The headset will be available in the U.S. and Europe.

Apple's attempt at VR hardware is said to be much more expensive than existing products from Oculus, Valve, and HTC, including the HTC Vive Cosmos Elite and Valve Index, partly because it is not dependent on external computing power One reason is that it is designed as a stand-alone device that does not rely on external computing power.

Instead, the device will be powered by Apple's own integrated silicon and is said to have performance capabilities beyond the new M1 chip found in the latest Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, and Mac Mini computers. The scale of computing power offered is said to be so great that the headset is said to be actively cooled by a fan.

The report says that Apple's VR headset will integrate a much higher resolution display than what has been seen so far in existing VR headsets, but does not mention specifics. As an example, HTC's high-end Vive Cosmos Elite has a total resolution of 2,880 x 1,700 pixels, while the Valve Index has 2,880 x 1,600 pixels.

The broad consensus is that Apple's in-house chips offer more performance per watt than any existing PC processor. Therefore, the idea of a VR headset powered by Apple's silicon makes a lot of sense from a hardware perspective. The problem, as ever, would be software support. For example, it is unlikely that existing PC games would work on an Apple headset.

In any case, the headset does not appear to support users who wear glasses. In a move to reduce the size of the device, no space for glasses is provided within the headset. Instead, those who need vision correction will have to use custom prescription lenses attached to the headset itself. To further reduce weight, the device's exterior is reportedly made of fabric.

Bloomberg believes that Apple's ultimate end goal for this product line will be advanced augmented reality (AR) glasses rather than VR technology. However, this is technically challenging and is believed to lead to a two-stage strategy, with VR headsets being introduced to the market first.

On the other hand, Apple's entry into the VR field is certainly interesting. If you are a fan of VR, the participation of a giant beast like Apple can only be a good thing in terms of rekindling interest and investment in this technology.