Managing director of VRdirect: Apple’s ‘RealityPro’ will mean a major leap forward for VR/AR tech

Apple’s VR/AR device (rumored to be dubbed “RealityPro”) might come in June at its Worldwide Developers Conference, or it could come in September at its iPhone 15 event as a “One More Thing” moment.

For Apple CEO Tim Cook, who has successfully launched the Apple Watch and AirPods, a successful VR/AR device launch and rollout could be the capper on his legacy at the company — one that will take him through until whenever he decides to retire. It also could mark a stark contract to the heat Mark Zuckerberg is feeling amid a series of layoffs at Meta, despite having current market share in the device market via the Oculus.

Rolf Illenberger, managing director of VRdirect, a company that provides enterprise software solutions for the metaverse and virtual reality, believes an Apple announcement will bring a new milestone of maturity to the marketplace and reinvigorate some of the excitement as “metaverse” hype has fallen off.

“Because it is Apple, you can expect sleek design and cutting-edge features, as these devices will probably represent a major leap forward in the world of augmented and virtual reality than what’s on the market currently,” he says. “And by bringing together the worlds of virtual and augmented reality, Apple is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and creating an entirely new way to interact with technology. From immersive gaming experiences to virtual meetings and beyond, the possibilities are endless.”

He adds that, with Cook at the helm, Apple is well-positioned to lead the way in this exciting new field. 

“With a focus on innovation, user experience, and accessibility, Cook has already made a lasting impact on the company,” Illenberger says. “But with these new VR/AR devices, he could cement his legacy as one of the great tech visionaries of our time. There has been a fair deal of negative energy out of the tech world of late, but this has the potential to change that. Apple has taken phones, headphones and watches and reimagined the user experience. I fully expect it to do the same for VR and VR devices.”

About the RealityPro

When it comes to the RealityPro, the rumors are abundant. Such a device will arrive this year. Or 2025, Or 2026. It will be a head-mounted display. Or may have a design like “normal” glasses. Or it may be eventually be available in both. The Reality Pro may or may not have to be tethered to an iPhone to work. Other rumors say that it could have a custom-build Apple chip and a dedicated operating system dubbed “rOS” for “reality operating system.” Or perhaps “xrOS” for extended reality operating system