Apple’s long-rumoured virtual reality headset could soon be strapped to your face

Rumours of an Apple headset have made the rounds for years, but new developments suggest that we might finally have something more substantial to sink our teeth into.

A trademark filing spotted and shared by Vox Media’s Parker Ortolani on Twitter shows an application for “realityOS” — the suspected name of Apple’s custom headset operating system. Other notable titbits include references to “wearable computer hardware” and the “design and development of computer hardware, software, peripherals, and computer and video games” — all things that befit a virtual reality and/or augmented reality headset.

While filed by unknown Realityo Systems LLC, it’s common for large companies to use on-off business names for trademark applications as a shell company to remain anonymous. In other words, our hopes are far from dashed.

While initially expected to launch this year (especially following rumours of someone from Apple’s board of directors actually trying on the device earlier this month), the latest news from Bloomberg points to a delayed release sometime in 2023.

Extremely optimistic gadget fans might be crossing their fingers for a headset teaser at Apple’s annual WWDC event which kicks off on 6 June, though we’d be more than a little surprised to see even a hint of a headset ourselves. Though we’d love to be proven wrong.

As for what the mysterious headset actually looks like, the technology it uses, and, well, practically everything else, we have no idea. But with this latest development, it’s fair to say that we’re the closest we’ve ever been to a bona fide Apple headset launch, which is pretty exciting stuff, if you ask us.

That’s all the latest info we have for the time being, but there’ll no doubt be more to share over the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned.

• Read more: Apple’s WWDC22 event: what to expect, from iOS 16 to M2 Macs

Esat Dedezade Contributor

About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.