Coding New Worlds at WWDC: My Apple VR Predictions

We may earn compensation from reviewed products. Learn about our editorial policies.

This week, developers received an email from Apple reminding them that WWDC is less than a week away. The email also seemed to suggest that they’d be able to ‘code new worlds’ following the event.

That same sentence can be found on Apple’s website. It is, possibly, the clearest indication thus far that we will witness some form of VR/AR/mixed reality (delete as appropriate) operating system next week – allegedly dubbed ‘xrOS’.

Equally, it could be Apple’s PR team having a bit of a laugh. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time an event invite from Tim and co. has conjured up expectations that don’t align with reality. If you’ll excuse the pun.

I still need a lot of convincing that this is the right move in an era where AI has fast-outpaced AR both functionally and in terms of headline-worthiness. Regardless, I thought it’d be fun to make some predictions about what Apple might actually do with VR.

Apple VR for gaming

Gaming is the obvious application for anything involving a dual-screened headset strapped to your face.

As I’ve noted on multiple occasions previously, I’ve never tried VR gaming. I’m told by those who have that it is a wonderfully immersive thing. Which, I guess, it has to be; you have something strapped to your face.

If Apple really is going to show us some iGoggles next week – or, at the very least, the operating system powering them – gaming will surely have to take centre stage.

Why it might be cool

Apple is a big player in mobile gaming. The dominance of the iPhone and iPad in that arena helped Apple grab 58% of total mobile gaming revenue in 2021, and generated over $52 billion in revenue for its coffers.

Developers still flock to the platform – despite the 30% commission grabbed by Apple for every sale of a game, or in-app purchase. It’s a huge market and one which revels in pick-up-and-play, toilet friendly (come on, we’ve all done it) gaming.

With that in mind, the premise of an entirely new, immersive form of casual gaming is rather exciting – if it’s accessible to a wide market.

Although I’d probably give it a miss on the toilet.

Why it might suck

Gaming and virtual reality have always endured something of a tempestuous relationship. Only adopted by those with relatively deep pockets and the patience required to continually ‘dress up’ for the occasion, VR gaming still has a cultish air about it.

It has been around for decades in various guises, but VR gaming still hasn’t caught the slipstream of the mainstream. Complaints of sickness caused by early hardware didn’t help, and it’s still a pretty expensive, cumbersome thing to get into. Suggestions that Apple’s first headset could cost as much as $3,000 prove my point that we’re a long way from accessible VR gaming heading into every living room.

Apple VR for fitness

Apple has made huge strides in fitness. The Apple Watch has been gently and smartly moulded into one of the best fitness-focused wearables on the market, and the introduction of Fitness+ in 2020 provided a polished at-home gym experience.

It’s therefore sensible to assume that any form of VR product from Apple will be integrated into Fitness. And it could be one of the most exciting applications (although it isn’t without its challenges).

Why it might be cool

Imagine climbing the infamous Box Hill from the relative safety of your spin bike, or jogging through the Australian outback without the searing sun burning the back of your neck.

Equally, the thought of losing yourself in a virtual world to help centre your thoughts with guided meditation is very interesting indeed.

Fitness+ is already capable of replacing a gym membership, but there’s only so far you can take pre-recorded classes – no matter how polished they might be.

Imagine being able to jump into those classes, instead.

Why it might suck

I don’t know about you, but I sweat when I work out. Quite a lot. It’s for that reason that I avoid wearing over-ear headphones and instead opt for the light, airy, and entirely non-sweat-inducing AirPods Pro.

The thought of strapping something to my face while working out is vastly unpalatable. The weight and heat generated by such a device would surely make it an utterly horrible experience – a dangerous one, too.

Will we be able to chuck this VR headset into the wash along with our sweaty gym top and socks? Of course not. I’ll therefore leave it to your imagination when it comes to what your iGoggles are going to look and smell like after a week of workouts.

Gross.

Equally, for anything beyond a gentle pilates session, obscuring one’s vision during physical exercise feels like a recipe for disaster (or some very amusing gym security camera TikToks, at the very least).

Apple VR for Business

This is the section where I lump in everything from corporate usage to working with and consuming content within a VR world.

Given the likely high price tag of Apple’s first VR wearable, it’ll probably be more widely adopted by businesses initially. In fact, I’m pretty sure we’ll see plenty of corporate use cases during the unveiling; Apple will be keen to highlight the platform’s transformative capabilities for a wide range of industries.

What those capabilities will be is anyone’s guess, but the focus will presumably be on the combination of VR and AR and how it can improve product visualisation and testing. The ability to hand over the application and testing of products into a customer’s virtual world will also be a big draw (we’ve already seen glimpses of this with the existing AR capabilities on the iPhone and iPad).

Then, we have communication, which will cross the boundary between corporate and personal use. FaceTime calls held within a virtual world and the ability to collaborate on apps like Freeform is probably the most significant point of reference for Apple’s “new worlds” quote.

Why it might be cool

Virtual and augmented reality are already being put to significant use in business. Apple’s entrance will, therefore, satisfy businesses that are already deeply invested in its ecosystem.

I’ve also seen a number of examples of VR-based workspaces, and they’re fascinating. The ability to place oneself in a virtual world in which you can work, communicate, collaborate, and even access an imaginary version of your computer is enticing.

Why it might suck

Three-thousand dollars. That number has been bandied around enough for it to hold some weight.

This is going to be a very expensive piece of kit.

Big brands, YouTubers, and early adopters with deep pockets will jump on it. But smaller businesses and anyone who has a passing interest in virtual working will have no choice but to watch from the sidelines. Unfortunately for Apple, it’s hard to imagine a world where that audience doesn’t spend most of its time complaining about how expensive and inaccessible it is.

That isn’t good PR.

Wrapping up: the alternative thought

There’s still a chance that we’re not going to see anything related to VR, AR, or mixed reality next week at WWDC. “Code new worlds” may simply refer to the ability developers have to create new experiences within the realm of Apple’s existing hardware and software.

Despite the numerous renders, rumours, and mentions of ‘xrOS’ buried within Apple’s codebase, we still haven’t seen anything concrete that suggests we’ll be treated to a brand-new ‘world’ at WWDC next week.

I therefore remain safely sceptical.

Bring on WWDC!

Before you go

Join my Substack newsletter for tips on becoming a profitable, happy online creator!