Apple is finally getting into the world of Virtual Reality. A reliable source believes that the focus of the VR glasses is on (professional) communication with the integration of Memojis. Shared entertainment via the SharePlay option also plays a central role.
FaceTime with Apple Reality Glasses
The long-standing rumors of a ‘mixed reality’ headset from Apple are still in full swing. Now that we are getting more and more information about the VR glasses, speculation about the possible applications of the headset is also pouring in. Tech journalist Mark Gurman, who often publishes good predictions about Apple, believes that we find a personal Memoji and SharePlay in the FaceTime app of the VR glasses. With this virtual headset, Apple’s focus is on communication, entertainment and games.
Meet online with Memojis on the VR glasses with FaceTime
The Memoji is a 3D animation, which is based on you. You can already create this yourself for FaceTime. It is the personalized variant of the Animoji and works via Apple’s Face ID. The emojis already respond to your facial expression via this technique and copy this on your iPhone. With the arrival of Apple’s VR glasses, the Memojis seem to be a good solution for anonymously wandering the VR internet. You can hide behind a lifelike Memoji, or create a character that doesn’t look like you at all.
Mark Gurman cites as an example that a hybrid meeting, between the office and home workers, is more streamlined with the VR glasses and Memojis. However, the Apple Reality headset seems a bit too pricey (about 2500 euros) to purchase for every employee.
Am remotely and together with SharePlay on Apple’s VR glasses
Since iOS 15.1 we already find the so-called SharePlay in FaceTime on the iPhone. This allows us to enjoy media such as films and music from a distance, but still together. Not entirely coincidental; by the time of the release of this software update, we had already been in the coronavirus crisis for a year. It looks like this feature is also coming to Apple’s Reality headset. One VR glasses user then puts on the song or video, and the other enjoys it. Playback is synchronized, so that you all see and/or hear the same moments at the same time.
A cooler application of this feature might be shared gameplay via SharePlay. For example, someone watches from their own home with your shooting game and gives you virtual backing. Maybe it’s even possible to use your personal guy in the chair are.
What else do we expect from Apple Reality VR glasses?
We call the AR/VR headset the Apple Reality, because recently the source code shows that the glasses run on ‘realityOS’. The VR glasses probably have eye tracking and hand tracking. The interface can therefore be controlled by viewing something or by ‘grabbing’ something. The eye tracking function also measures where your eyes are pointing, in order to turn off or temporarily lower the resolution of the unused peripheral parts of the two 8K screens. This is better for the processor and therefore Apple’s VR glasses will probably function even better.
Apple has been playing with Augmented Reality (AR) for some time, but has yet to launch and even officially announce its own VR glasses. The interesting thing about these glasses is that it shows both Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. In other words, you see both 3D elements implemented in the real world (AR) and a complete virtual world (VR) through this Apple Reality headset.
Apple has been building the ecosystem around this technique for some time now with the launch of their ARKit and the integration of the LiDAR scanner into the iPhone Pros. The additions of SharePlay and Memoji to FaceTime are another small step towards a virtual Apple ecosystem. Especially if the Memoji and SharePlay can be seen in FaceTime on the VR glasses.