Apple's 4.2 Million Won Headset... Will It Spark the Virtual Reality Market?

New Hardware 'MR Headset' After 7 Years
Market Reactions Mixed... "No Differentiation"

Apple's mixed reality (MR) headset, which has been in development for over seven years, is expected to be unveiled at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on the 5th (local time). However, opinions are divided on whether the product will be a commercial success.

Earlier, U.S. financial media Bloomberg reported on the 31st of last month that Wall Street investors' reactions to the MR headset were "modest" and "lackluster." Apple is expected to reveal the MR headset at WWDC on the 5th.

The media noted that "this reaction is in stark contrast to when Apple entered the market with the launch of the Apple Watch in 2015," analyzing that "Apple's launch of the Apple Watch occurred in a well-defined smartwatch market with little confusion and effectively captured opportunities in the healthcare sector."

Apple logo [Image source=Yonhap News]

However, the prevailing opinion is that the MR headset market is not yet mature. Ken Mahoney, CEO of Mahoney Asset Management, told the media, "The headset won't disappear immediately after release, but it won't be very interesting unless you are a gamer."

On the other hand, there is also anticipation that Apple's headset could be a catalyst for ushering in a full-fledged virtual reality (VR) era.

On the 4th, U.S. CNN stated, "If there is a company that can prove the market skepticism wrong, it is Apple," adding, "Apple's entry, with its massive customer base, has the potential to breathe new life into the headset industry."

It continued, "The MR headset could be Apple's largest hardware unveiling since the Apple Watch launched in 2014," and added, "It could signal the start of a new era for Apple and revolutionize the way interactions occur between the real and virtual worlds."

Meanwhile, several foreign media outlets expect the retail price of Apple's headset to reach $3,000 (approximately 4.2 million KRW). This is more than six times the price of Meta's next-generation 'Meta Quest 3' headset, which was announced ahead of Apple's launch and priced at $499 (approximately 660,000 KRW).

The reason for the high price of Apple's headset appears to be the challenging manufacturing process. Recently, IT media outlet The Information reported that Apple's headset has a very unique design and that unprecedented manufacturing techniques were introduced to perfectly apply this design to mass-produced products.

Additionally, to maintain the headset's aesthetics, more than 12 cameras and various sensors were hidden inside the product, and expensive carbon fiber materials were adopted to reduce weight while increasing durability.