Virtual reality headset rumor

May be decades away, but Meta has a roadmap that has AR classes coming out in 2024.

This is a worrying area for blind people - it's worrying this blind person anyway. I'm hoping the USB C port in the back of the head comes along sooner rather than later. Because the glasses age looks like being very difficult right now.

Maybe Apple will merge VoiceOver and Siri into an Assistive Intelligence that goes around with you describing what's going on and helping you interact with virtual worlds. They could call it a D.O.G - Digital Online Guide.

Or something new will solve all the problems in a new way, fingers crossed!

I'm not worried. Think of it as a couple of small iPhones close up. When phones were moving to a sheet of glass I was worried about accessibility but, look where we are now. Apple, for all its puritanical bullshit does have a certain image of inclusivity to sustain. I imagine something like seeing AI or, as another poster said, a running commentary of the world about us. If just meta were leading the charge this would be worrying but apple have had our backs with every device they've released, barring the apple pencil, for the last decade. I don't see that changing.

I'm excited for the glasses as it might actually open up possibilities, face-time assistance from our friends and family looking from our perspective. New apps to identify objects, surroundings, people. Reading menus in restaurants, apps such as the vOICe by seeing with sound, allowing us to see with a greyscale audible sweep... Check that out, it's really interesting but the actualisation of it, hardware, learning curve etc is pretty steep. Bringing it onto mainstream and well supported devices might make all the difference.

Hi Tree, to be honest, I've been hearing about these leaks regarding Apples AR and VR headset and glasses, and I have to say, there was no mention of VoiceOver and accessibility. its worrying, as I use my iPhone for everything, and I wouldn't want to use a headset or glasses for everything. there's also roomers that you'll be able to control the device using gestures too. for me, I wouldn't want to do that, as to me, it seems stupid. I really hope they don't stop making the iPhone. if you have any concerns, feel free to email Apple accessibility regarding this. what's more worrying about this is the first iPhone didn't have VoiceOver on it, and I'm worried that the same things gonna happen on the headset and glasses. the iPhones changed my life for the better. before the iPhone, I couldn't talk to friends and family independently. thanks to the iPhone, I'm now able to do this. I also use my iPhone to do my YouTube videos as well. I don't think they'd get rid of the iPhone, but its hard to say, and with these leaks going around, it does make you think and worry. but if your worried, email Apple accessibility regarding this.

From the little I've heard about the Apple glasses, they are not accessible. As for the VR, i would love it if it was accessible, but I'm notsure how that would work. Asfor it replacing IPhone, I think you'll always have people who stick with IPhone. Also, I can't see Apple discontinuing IPhone even if the VR headset replaces phones because even though Apple will make money from the headsets, they will Lose money from not selling phones.

I don't know where everyone is getting information on this unreleased product but even the rumour mill is still pretty sketchy on what the VR headset will be like, let alone the glasses which are still way off. We don't know the use cases of such devices, it they are a means to watch movies, then it's simply not a device for those without sight. If they are going to tap into an avatar based face-time, then there will be accessibility built in.

In short, if it is a device for purely visual consumption, then we won't want it and, and we won't be alone in this. Apple will continue to have a range of devices to meet customer preferences. The intractability of an iPhone/iPad won't be challenged by VR or AR glasses for a long time and by then, there will be a solid accessibility solution. Gesture based control is already what we use on the iPhone with flicks through items, could be exactly the same idea with items in a visual field.

As I say, they've not been announced, there are no solid facts on what they will do for general consumers so there is no wonder that there is no info about accessibility.

Not an apple fan boy here by the way, but they want everyone buying and using their products, this is one of the reasons IOS has one of the most complete accessibility suites out of the box. I'd not worry.

Most of what I come across relating to virtual reality is regarding a visual experience and a tiny bit of haptic. I don't recall anything about audio being included. None of this is actual virtual reality as far as I'm concerned, like calling mono audio a surround sound experience because the audio can be heard from all points in a room.
I don't know how a sighted person is going to interact with these glasses. Perhaps the device has some sort of proprioception with a pointer or the finger of the wearer. In that case, It could be made accessible like the screen of an iPhone. People walking around waving and pointing at nothing will become common place, like seemingly talking to oneself while ignoring those around you has.
Now if they could tap into my visual cortex, maybe I would get excited about this pseudo-virtual reality. Or even if those retainer-like things that electrically project images on the roof of a blind persons mouth became available/affordable and were adapted to this.

I'm seeing all these roomers on 9to5 Mac and websites like that. although some of you might like apple to bring out a headset, I wouldn't. AR and VR isn't accessible to the blind from what I can see. reading these leaks and roomers ar quite worrying if I'm honest. yeah it might not happen, but then again, it might. if apples gonna release this product, it needs to have VoiceOver on it. the first iPhone didn't have VoiceOver on it, no one wants to be faced with that again. yeah some of these Leakes sound cool, if it was accessible, but I don't want them replacing the iPhone with a headset. I know facebooks bringing a headset out, witch to me is stupid.

Ok so there are rumors. You're making mount everest about sketchy rumors. Of course they are rumors, how else are the marketing and media outlets making money? They generate enough interest, so Joe Public will purchase the headset the moment it comes out. That means there might be bugs, that might mean a high price until the demand slows. that might mean the first generation isn't accessible, so what? You don't hear about accessibility at all in apple's keynotes or WWDC because they don't put a big spin on it. It makes me wonder what the internal team really do except close their eyes, screw around for ten minutes, ship it off to Quality control, done! Remember the first Apple watch? Someone obviously never tested it when using a wheelchair or they wouldn't have been so stupid as to not release an accessible workout that they can use. Apple's bottom line will always be, money. Why do you think we pay over a thousand dollars for two pieces of glass, hoping apple will make us buy the upgrade program, because i gotta have that new phone next year, even though this one is working just fine? I'm not an apple hater, I dislike rumors and people worrying that until we have solid information know absolutely nothing, just chill out. Now if apple makes a wireless charging mat and stops screwing around with other bigger better, faster stuff? then I'll be a little happier.

A couple of things regarding rumour sites:

1. They are rumours.
2. Their track record, aside for pretty obvious guesses such as a better camera on the iphone, a better chip, a redesigned refresh of existing hardware, has really gone off the boil.
3. These sites, annoying as it is, are aimed at sighted users of apple products. When did you last read a rumour about accessibility improvements or changes on such sites?

Even if the first iteration isn't accessible, the ones after will be, for absolute certain.

The fact that the first version of this is likely to be £££, purchased and used by a very specific user base, should also give comfort. In years to come maybe we will all be wandering around with headsets on that does sound, monitors movement and gestures, connects us to the world, but that is a way off. Foldable iphones and a variety of other devices will be coming along too. Apple would not put all its eggs in one basket. For one thing, they want us to have an iphone, ipad, apple watch, macbook, apple tv and not one device to rule them all.

It'll be golden.

people are aloud to worry. to be honest, I love my iPhone, I use it for everything, even for my YouTube channel. so to hear that Apple are looking to replace the iPhone with the AR or VR headset at some point is quite worrying if I'm honest. I do agree though, I hate roomers too, and they should be stoped. if I'm being honest, I didn't know that the wheelchair workout wasn't built in the first apple watch. that's what I'm talking about, accessibility needs to be built in straight out of the box. it goes back to my point, VoiceOver needs to be built in from the start. if its not, that's a problem. we shouldn't have to wait for the next generation of the product to be able to use it.

that's true, its just roomers. but still, I feel that accessibility should be mentioned too. the thought of wearing headsets for everything sounds crazy haha.

Which is why people are worried. Even if this isn't going to be next year, people want it so it will happen if they can make it happen.

It probs won't be like we think it is going to be though - not like a Niel Stevenson novel perhaps.

You're all worrying over something that is mostlikely decades away.

When the iPhone first came out it wasn't accessible, but when it was, it was done right.

I say let the early adopters have their fun.

I for one, am in no hurry to jump into the metaverse.

If I really wanted to, I'd have another crack at Second Life, not that my first attempt was all that exciting.

Sure, hearing your surroundings is great an all, but it doesn't help the experience if you can't see.

I understand concerns. The prospect of, having been given access to this wonderful world of technology only to have it crumble away, is scary, but change is.

Apple have said nothing about, well, anything around this. Maybe in a couple of weeks we'll get a better idea of what is on the horizon, but until then, who knows. It could be a flop. it could be the best experience we've ever had. Apple has made it clear over and over again that accessibility is core to its strategy. There is no reason to expect that it will suddenly change on, if you are correct, such a key device.

Yeah, they 'should' include accessibility out of the box but, 'should' statements are slippery things. If you want to be an early adopter and a lack of accessibility is stopping you well, tough. There are billions around the world that have financial barriers to such technology. Entitlement is a real thing, even in margin communities such as those of the blind and partially sighted.

... But, I'd also take heart in this. Not everyone is going to want to wear a teapot on their head, not everyone is going to be able to afford such things. There will be formats of interaction where such a device is significantly inferior to a physical input. An example of technology that was touted as being something that we would all be using, Siri/any voice assistant. I use it, you probably use it too, but I know a hell of a lot of sighted people who do not use it for various reasons.

There is this worry that big tech is squeezing us down these tubes and, if we opt out, we opt out of life. I get that, but there is a huge diversity of needs and wants in the market they supply. They only have a certain amount of control and many vote with their wallets.

Let's face it, we're all nerds, at least I am. I do want the latest tech, I want that thrill of being on the bleeding edge of what is possible and, well, I'm a sucker for the 'what might be' kind of advertising that apple is so great at but, outside a select number of people I know, users don't want the latest tech. They don't like change for their own reasons. Diversity is the key word here, I know our particular wants and needs are not necessarily by choice, but its not just those of you who dread the idea of such an unproven, untested and seemingly dystopian piece of technology.

Personally, I'm excited for such a device, remember, nerd... Not because of what it won't be able to do, but what it might be able to do for us in the future. It's a new format, a paradigm shift as was the iPhone. That did not change over night, nor did it kill off other forms of mobile computing such as laptops.

Yes, we might not have access to a virtual visual world but, well, we don't really have access to a visual world at all. It might even be that, in a world constructed with the user at the centre of the experience, we gain something here, rather than lose out.

Sorry, I'll stop chipping in here. I'm sure you're getting fatigued by my argument.

We don't know how much to worry, that's true. But it is probably going to be sooner than decades whatever it is.

You would think if they can come up with a VR headset that's so powerful and perfect that they could just cancel producing all other Apple devices, they would be able to come up with AI good enough to manage accessibility. AI that can actually recognize the icons and either describe them or figure out what they do in real time without depending on a network connection, along with more detailed picture descriptions, etc, AI that liberates accessibility from its dependency on cooperative developers and website designers, who often don't know, don't care and, in some cases, are hostile and malicious toward accessibility.

yeah, them days where we wasn't able to use our phones independently, and things like that. I didn't like that. bear in mind though, technology has gotten better since them days. but still, this is still worrying. if its accessible, great, but if its not, that's an issue. like you said, the iPod got discontinued, witch is a shame. so that could happen for the iPhone, and that would be a shame. like I said, email Apple accessibility regarding your concerns. even know Apple haven't even said anything about this at all, just hearing about this on websites is still worrying, and annoying. I say this, if its not on the Apple newsroom site, its not true. but some of the Leakes in the past have been correct. so its hard to tell what's true, and what's not. all I'm saying is, I don't want to be faced with VoiceOver not being built in from the start until the second generation of the product. the first iPhone was like that, and yeah it didn't bother me then, as I didn't own an Apple product back then. but it does bother me now, as I use Apple products and I love VoiceOver. the iPhones changed my life too, and there awesome. so as long as voiceovers built in from the start, its all good.

Don't get too twisted up in worry there. The world of accessibility doesn't usually regress in that way for the long term... unless it's due to a catastrophe. You can use an old NASA approach of no single point of failure to manage anxiety over changes, and sometimes catastrophes, the reason I've learned multiple operating systems.
So a future Apple CEO of the "profit is the only purpose" ilk decides that accessibility is cutting into the till, and makes all apple products required to be inaccessible. Apple phones are not the only accessible phone. You might not like the other phones as much as an Apple phone, as far as accessibility, but you still have an option until Apple share holders are upset because US government contracts and device usage are being canceled over this new anti-accessibility policy, and stocks are taking a hit, or not. So why not look into the other phone systems and get a feel for their accessibility usage, gestures etc.

I agree, I get what you mean. all you can do at this point is email Apple accessibility and explain to them your concerns. even know there just roomers, and Apple haven't said anything regarding this, its still a good idea to make the accessibility team aware of your concerns. I don't like this either if I'm honest.

exactly. don't get me wrong, some leaks about apple products are cool, and some are not. but I do agree with you, the leaks regarding VR and AR need to stop.

I get what your saying. to be honest, I did google the accessibility features of android, and I have to say, reading them, I didn't understand them. I prefer using voiceover if I'm honest. VoiceOver seems so much easier to use. in my opinion, iOS is better.

We're worrying about a dystopian-anxiety-nightmare where Apple discontinues all devices except a teapot you wear on your head and is intentionally inaccessible to blind people. You have to use one of the other phones if you want to use the phone. Or... you could worry about if all technology is made intentionally inaccessible to blind people--I mean, we've already put one foot into the deep end, why not leap in...

Latest rumour... The apple panic button... Completely inaccessible.

to be honest, I wouldn't wanna use another phone, as VoiceOvers great, and it works well for me.

lol, not sure what you meant there

Lol, this happens when tech illiterate people find a rumor and go absolutly bonkers about it.
People, let's step back for a second and look at this hole thing.
Do you really think that Apple would just go and scrap all their devices for a metaverse with only a peace of hardware and a metaverse that is not even in it's alpha stages? Come on, be real for a second.
The fact that they, as someone said discontinued the iPod or the switch from Lightning to USBC can't even compared remotely to a VR headset or even a complete metaverse, given that, as an example, the EU put forward the regulation for a standard charging cable, apples switch to USBC was to be expected, also looking at the transfer rates of Lightning and USBC standards.

The problem on here is that many people know their little iOS bubble and walled off garden and instantly panic over some rumor that might not even become reality, just because advancements are made in that direction, doesn't mean that it will come into reality.
The VR headset, yeah, that will come out eventually and yes, the majority of things will be inaccessible if companys don't use the API or port their apps to the device, if that will be possible, noone knows these things yet.
But, untill these devices will reach a wider audience, there will be some accessibility in it. Think back to the appel watch, did you think that this would instantly become accessible? And see how quickly that came.

Get your pitchforks out, but I stand by this, to many people on here don't know enough about tech or how accessibility works to make a clear statement on the matter.

I was enjoying pondering how Apple could go horribly wrong for people who need accessibility on their devices, and the implications of everyone wearing VR helmets. I remember that love scene from the 1993 movie "Demolition Man," and people are still trying to figure out what was going on there...
That being said, there is also a rumor Apple will have an adapter for lightning devices to use with their USBC ports if and when they switch, just as they had the headphone adapter. I'm glad to have a suitcase full of superfluous adapters, I'm not joking, some thirty-five or more years old. Anyone ever hear of or use a null-modem serial cable, or an RS232 smart cable? So Apple will have some sort of teapot adapter for accessibility when they switch over, but maybe not for that panic button...

to be honest, when I hear about these leaks, I can't help but worry. I get what your saying, but the iPhone has changed my life. and the thing is, if they did replace it with the VR/AR headset, if its not accessible, that would be an issue. yeah its just roomers and everything, and it might not happen. but if it does, we need to make sure that its accessible. I new that the applewach would be accessible, as I've heard of talking watches before, so I figured the watch would be accessible. I love iOs.

your comments a bit out of order. this has nothing to do with the topic at all. your a bit judgemental. honestly, this websites about giving advice about apple products, not putting comments like you did.

Not decades away, maybe only months away.

This might not be accessible in the same way cars aren't accessible.

Computer vision might make cars accessible in the future.

Apple for all, you use IOS because you say it "changed my life", also something about how you've never used another operating system and to quote you again, "IOS is better." I say neither system is better because we don't want to learn anything but what's extremely comfortable and we don't want to adapt. I bring this subject up, when the apple watch came out the wheelchair users were left out for a time, as for 99.9 percent of them are unable to stand up. Apple did fix this, I blame their internal whoever the hell tests their software because even Sighted Joe Idiot should've realized that. we learn to figure out new ways of doing this to get the job done. I didn't grow up with a cell phone, and my first few I needed help contacting people. then the iphone was released and until it gained accessibility I had Mobile speak. I'm simply saying, you have to expect accessibility or lack their of in a first generation product. It's just how things are done. Flipping out over how someone looks because of what you wear on your head, they already look at us amazingly because holy crap, we can text?! We can take photos?! we can cross the street?! see where i'm going here? We are speculating over absolutely nothing that's true. as for feeling attacked, I'd honestly rather see well thought posts then, I'm scared, where's my teddybear? In all honesty, if you aren't willing to even go outside of your comfort zone, in any area, you have the cross to bare. I'm simply asking for a valid argument as to why it freaks so many of you guys out. I'd try it, provided I could buy it, give valuable feedback, increase the likely hood of adoption. Ok, you are worried what you would look like, I'm not. data wolf where've you been on so many topics like this? Congrats on a great post.

I agree with you on one thing, and thats, someone at apple should of built accessibility into the first applewach from the start, thats my point. and yeah, I said iOS is better than android, because in my opinion, it is. it has nothing to do with not willing to try different systems. I mean, I tried googling the gestures regarding talk back, and it went over my head. but iOS gestures? there easy to use and they are easy to understand. so yeah, I love iOS for how easy it is to use, and besides, its more secure than android. I'm not an apple fan boy by any means, this is just my opinion, and you don't have to agree with me on this. what I'm saying is, we don't want to be faced with the same problem we had with the first iPhone not being accessible to us, I don't want the headset having the same problem. no one should have to be faced with that in a first generation product. if sighted people can use it straight away, we can too.

oh wow, this is the funniest thing I've read on hear today. lol. this is just so funny. hahahahahahahahahaha

I read about that. these roomers are getting real by the second. people have the rite to worry about this.

I'd have to disagree regarding VO and the first apple watch. It absolutely should not have had VO built in from the start. When it finally did come it was worse than awful though, as I under sand it, sighted peers weren't too blown away by it either.

Accessibility, as in any interaction with these devices needs to be worth while. I really don't care if the VR headset is accessible. If it's built for sight, then why would we want it? It's like complaining that colours of pain in a hardware store are inaccessible.

But, the title of this rather gloomy and bizarre thread is wrong. it is not a VR headset, at least according to reports. It is a combination of VR and AR, suggesting there are sensors that catalogue and parse information about the surrounding environment. If that's not a useful methodology, then I don't know what is.

To be honest, I'm totally pissed off that there is no accessibility built into the Apple Pro Display XDR. It's an outrage... I should be able to see what's on the screen...

For the less observant, I'm being facetious here. Even if I could see, I'd not drop £5000 on a computer monitor.

By the time this emerging arm of apple finds a reasonable cost to benefit ratio and it has become a consumer product, rather than a professional/nerd product, if it ever does of course, then accessibility will be included. It won't cover everything, to be honest I'd just like the cameras/accelerometers, compass and lidar rig matched with apps on my phone, but we buy TVs don't we? Why? The screen is redundant most of the time.

No point getting anxious or, as my mum would say, your nickers in a twist, over something that hasn't been announced, is years off general adoption and, something that, we may consider a pile of shit anyway.

I dread to think what the threads will be like on here should the apple car ever see the light of day... Spoiler alert, self driving cars won't be accessible/usable by the sightless. Not for a long time.