Apple could develop its own “Metavers”, complete with sophisticated AR accessories

Perhaps sensing weakness from rival Meta, which has just laid off 11,000 employees after spending on developing the new Metavers reached unsustainable levels, Apple is showing signs that it recognises the potential of the universe imagined by Mark Zuckerberg, or at least, doesn’t want to be left with nothing to show for it when the Facebook alternative is officially unveiled.

According to information obtained from sources close to the American company, Apple’s management has chosen a cautious attitude, to say the least, towards Mark Zuckerberg’s “pharaonic” project, in which he has taken it upon himself to develop a new social media platform based on AR/VR technologies. Called Metaverse, it aims to offer nothing less than an alternative to the real world. In Mark Zuckerberg’s vision, users will have their own avatar in Metaverse, through which they can meet and interact with friends or business partners in the virtual environment. There is already even a “real estate market” with properties you can buy in the Metaverse.

While the rest of the world seems to be scoffing at Zuckerberg’s vision, it would appear that Apple is already working on a Metaverse alternative, with sources close to the company even giving a timeline for the launch. So Apple’s first augmented reality accessories will arrive before mid-2023.

However, physical hardware is only part of the equation, as software will play an equally important role. According to information cited by Bloomberg, Apple has hired people to build the software side of the platform as well, and one of those projects could involve the company’s own interpretation of the metaverse.

Unfortunately, all the rumors so far indicate that Apple’s alternative to Metavers won’t have a very affordable “ticket” of entry, with the AR headset developed for interacting with the virtual world costing around $3,000, this being a device based on next-generation technologies, similar to the one already shown by Meta.