Apple's AR/VR headset could be delayed to 2023 due to heat issues

Apple Vr
Apple Vr (Image credit: The Information)

What you need to know

  • Those hoping to be able to buy Apple's mixed reality headset in 2022 might have to wait until next year.
  • A new report suggests that Apple will delay its headset until next year.
  • Overheating issues as well as problems with cameras and software are to blame according to a report.

Apple's rumored mixed reality headset could be delayed until 2023 due to issues with overheating according to new reports. The AR/VR headset was expected to be announced during WWDC in June.

Now, according to a new Bloomberg report, things are looking decidedly dicey. The headset, which is set to pack multiple displays and an M-series chip inside, is said to be getting too hot which could then result in a delay.

Issues with cameras and software are also being cited as possible delay-causing headaches.

The headset -- a high-end device that blends virtual and augmented reality -- was targeted for an unveiling at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June, followed by a release later in the year. But development challenges related to overheating, cameras and software have made it harder to stay on track, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private.

The news will come as a disappointment to those both inside and outside of Apple. The launch of a huge new product category was set to define Apple's 2022 and developers had already begun to consider what they could build for the product. It's thought that Apple has been working on this product for multiple years and had originally planned to announce it in 2021, something that ultimately didn't happen.

There is still the possibility that Apple could announce the headset at WWDC even if it isn't ready to reach store shelves until 2023, but that seems unlikely at this point.

Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.