In the recent WWDC Apple announced great news regarding Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). The first, is the launch of new computers prepared for these technologies, the second is that they have improve the 3D graphics with Metal 2, but the most interesting is what has not been announced, Apple does not launch its own VR platform, nor its own HMD (Virtual reality glasses).
Many articles can be read with the news announced by the firm of cupertino, so we will leave all those news that surely excite the followers of the mark aside to focus on what seems most relevant. Apple confirms its interest in the VR and AR industry, and does not launch a new platform that further shreds the market.
The absence of interest shown by Apple in VR has so far supported the idea of many skeptics who have taken these industries as passing fashions. Yesterday a year late than the PC, Apple announces VR-ready devices and enhancements on its software to deliver better graphics in this category. It is the definitive confirmation that these tools have come to change our world, leisure, social interaction and the way we will work.
But if that seemed clear from the rumors, what is surprising is the strategy taken, contrary to that they have developed in many other products where they have redefined the concept independently of others. This time the announcement has not included any platform of its own, nor its own HMD. They have limited themselves to support other already existing and consolidated platforms starting with SteamVR, which means access for VIVE and OpenVR on Mac.
Although this may disappoint some fans who may have expected an exclusive minimalist device of Apple's own, and this is great news. That an actor of this importance bet on one of the most consolidated platforms means much less fragmentation for the industry, therefore better access to content for users.
This puts Apple for the first time an item like this in the majority consortium, rather than playing solo. Role that in this scenario has taken Facebook with Oculus.
Still possible that the Apple will be preparing its own HMD, although they reserve to launch when the equipment this days announced announced are in the hands of early adopters. Probably if that, we will not see anything until 2018.
On our side at Moøkan, we are excited about what we have seen. Apple makes its show with HTC and Unreal Engine, which are also our commitment to the future, with which we develop our virtual reality applications.