Apple and Valve are working together on an AR headset that's set to drop in the second half of 2020, reports DigiTimes. According to the article, supply chain reports suggest Apple is also working with suppliers Pegatron and Quanta Computer for the assembly of the headset, which is described as a "head-mounted display device".
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in October that there would be an Apple AR headset collaboration with third-party brands that would drop in 2020, and so far it seems like he was correct. Kuo also suggested that the AR headsets would be released as iPhone accessories, which is also likely true considering 9to5Mac reported back in September on the existence of iOS 13 code suggesting a plugin system that would let an iPhone communicate with an AR headset through an app extension. Perhaps Apple is working on more than one third-party headset that would work with their products via a specific app, perhaps for AR games.
It seems like Valve will not be creating games specifically for this AR headset, but could be using Steam to distribute content created specifically for the accessory. This wouldn't be the first time Valve and Apple worked together on such projects. Two years ago, Valve used Apple's virtual reality support to offer a SteamVR beta for the Mac, and Apple worked directly with both Valve and HTC on supporting the HTC Vive Pro VR headset. Could this be taking us a step closer to Apple's AR glasses? It certainly seems like it.
According to DigiTimes, "Apple will cooperate with Valve on AR headsets rather than VR devices, as its CEO Tim Cook believes that AR can make digital content become part of the user's world and will be as popular as smartphones with consumers. This has also promoted Apple to step up the development of AR software by recruiting more engineers for graphic design, system interface and system architecture segments."
Take this news from DigiTimes with a grain of salt, however, as they previously reported in July that Apple was abandoning the AR Glasses project, an assertion that's basically negated by this latest report.
Interested in AR and VR but don't want to wait until next year? Don't fret, we've got the best Black Friday Playstation VR deals for you to enjoy.