Apple Working On Powerful AR/VR Headset

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rgMekanic

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cNet is reporting that Apple is working on a project, codenamed T288, a powerful augmented reality, and virtual reality headset. Rumour is that the device will have dual 8k displays, and have a dedicated box using short range high-speed wireless technology to cut the cords found on current generation headsets. While still in its early stages, the article states that the headset is slated for release in 2020.

Sounds great, but a little too great in my opinion. Perhaps it will work fine for AR, but having a rig powerful enough to drive two 8k displays... wait is there even a video card that has the outputs for two 8k displays? Not to mention room scale with no sensors or cameras as the quote below indicates, seems a bit hard to believe. I suppose we will see in 2020.

And unlike with the HTC Vive, users wouldn't have to install special cameras in a room to detect their location. Everything would be built into Apple's headset and box, the person said.
 
Microsoft's MR headsets do not use any external sensors or cameras to handle room scale location.

But 8K panels? Yeah,..2020 is probably the earliest possible year to get a video card which can handle that.
 
Well if Apple is planning this...who has already done it? And for VR, I'd imagine (at least until computer power catches up) it will do that only present the image in detail where the eye is focused thing (can't for the life of me remember what that is called...hmm age or lack of sleep?).
 
I run DOSBox on my 4K TV and it looks better than any of my 1080p TVs, so maybe they are just getting rid of screen door and not going to run at native res?
 
WhoMe said:
Well if Apple is planning this...who has already done it? And for VR, I'd imagine (at least until computer power catches up) it will do that only present the image in detail where the eye is focused thing (can't for the life of me remember what that is called...hmm age or lack of sleep?).
Click to expand...
Foveated rendering
 
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This is someone hearing that something is being worked on, and applying their ICult logic of 'Apple will use their magic to do it several times better then anyone else!' and pulling numbers out of their rear.

Even if you could drive two 8k displays on anything apple builds, driving that wireless would be just....astounding.
 
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BSmith said:
Microsoft's MR headsets do not use any external sensors or cameras to handle room scale location.

But 8K panels? Yeah,..2020 is probably the earliest possible year to get a video card which can handle that.
Click to expand...
Unless it's possible to make use of SLI/CFX or 1 video card per eye? Wishful thinking?
 
It always ends up being Apple that invents everything properly.

Apple is the only company that isn't afraid to do something truly new.

There's just something special about Apple and the will to innovate.

Courage.

/s
 
Woah, I thought 4K per eye not 8K per eye.... so 16K and wireless.

bring it.gif
 
Sounds like a Chewbacca defense to deflect attention away from the (minor) uproar caused by Apple refusing to fix Linus Sebastian's iMac Pro. Or maybe this is intended to be worn as entertainment while you're commuting in an equally improbable flying Uber...thing.
 
LordVTP said:
This is someone hearing that something is being worked on, and applying their ICult logic of 'Apple will use their magic to do it several times better then anyone else!' and pulling numbers out of their rear.

Even if you could drive two 8k displays on anything apple builds, driving that wireless would be just....astounding.
Click to expand...
Yeah. I could chalk the 8K part to hyperbole (dual 4K displays would still be impressive in 2020) but the wireless bandwidth required to reliably drive two 8K displays at the pixel level - with reasonably low latency - seems like pure fantasy.

Upon careful reading of the article it seems to me like a "journalist" engaging in VR fantasy masturbation based on vague details attributed [only once] to "a person familiar with Apple's plan." Whatever gets somebody off, I guess...

I'm glad the link went to an archived page. Cnet doesn't deserve the direct page views for this nonsense.
 
Vive is 2 years old already... and was almost 1080p per eye. 8k per eye by xmas season 2020 ? That doesn't sound completely insane honestly. But I doubt it would be doing high end VR at full res. Unless apple has some fantastic deferred style rendering patent no one has seen yet. Or they have build the hardware... and have set some insane goal for their SOC group to hit to drive it. (really though if they put a custom ARM / Apple 3D / 3D ASIC of some form soc into the headset. and drive it external with an iphone 12 with some new high power ARM / Apple 3D chip... who knows could be very good at AR anyway)
 
rgMekanic said:
is there even a video card that has the outputs for two 8k displays?
Click to expand...

Apple was the first with a custom solution for 5K in the iMac. It wasn't great for games, but worked well for everything else.

They are producing their own GPUs in addition to their own CPU designs now so who knows what they have in the labs.

I remember when people doubted they had 64 bit ARM when they did, then dismissed it as frivolous then there was the rush to match. They could be set to do it again with graphics.

It would be a nice change. Apple hasn't ever given two shits for gaming which has led to suck-tastic choices for GPU support for a long time now. If VR and AR causes them to finally pay more than lip service to GPU performance then I say game on!
 
It is always entertaining to read what the kool-aid drinkers have to say.
 
Apple does not have a good track record when it comes to games. Allegedly, Steve Jobs despised video games. Ever watch a WWDC keynote when they let a dev show off their game? The Apple Execs are very odd with their responses and reactions. You can tell they don't have a clue.
I know John Carmack used to bitch about Apple - they'd meet with him, listen to him, then do nothing he requested. (TBF, they do have the Metal API - I am not a game or video developer, so don't know how good it is compared to other platforms.) . My point - we will see (or not).
 
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