It's a very interesting direction. I know it sounds like an ad, but it's true; VR opens up a whole new way to view and interact with the world you basically have to experience to believe. And this headset would be much higher quality and offer a lot more immersion than the existing offerings. So I'm sorry, but saying this would be like strapping an iPad to your face is just dumb. But it's still an ugly dystopian beast, and people really haven't figured out compelling experiences beyond first person shooters, and that's probably what's detracting.

In five - ten years these things will be more powerful, with full body signals tracking, but the size of a pair of minimalist ski goggles, and priced like an iPhone. It's easy to see uses for that, including incredibly immersive exercise and entertainment with Apple's warehouses full of entertainment industry resources. Inside will be pretty much indistinguishable from reality. I'm saying this as a non-Apple guy, who absolutely despises their walled garden "elite" approach.

This $3500 set is for early explorers and developers.  So I wouldn't expect iPhone levels of attention. But the category is worth attention.

I'm glad everyone is seeing the bullshit

This thing is no more than a glorified iPad pasted to your eyes. I cant see problem is solving or what value does it add to anyone using it.

Even carrying around will be more difficult than just moving an iPad + Macbook combo

Wait.. you mean even Apple devs aren't rushing out to develop apps for a US$3500 headset with a two hour battery life that only works with other Apple devices and will require customisation and a personal visit to set up?

Wow... I'm SHOCKED.. SHOCKED I TELL'S YA...

Well, ok, maybe not that shocked.

But definitely a little. :)

Actually no big surprise here.

Consumers were given the option to watch 3D movies and when/if they were produced with enough 3D effect to actually look interesting/compelling they came away ether complaining of 'head aches' or about having to wear special glasses. :(

While the S3D gamers LOVED the experience however very few could afford the hardware to run it (even at 1080Px2 @120Hz) and both AMD & Nvidia dropped the features from their cards & drivers.

VR with the right hardware and software was billed to be the 'next big thing' and while some very compelling experiences have been made for it, Meta has lost Billions on it as it requires purchase of a uncomfortable headset (which induces even MORE than a simple 'headache') with software and optional very high end hardware (and very few titles) to drive it.

Apple thinking they have the 'Midas touch' of taking a consumer 'turd' or otherwise failure and making something of it is silly at best.

Those thinking that consumers are going to come in droves to spend killobucks on a Apple product in this space better think again.

I told everyone from day one and got mocked back then because it was Apple. "The Beyonce of Tech". Sorry, Apple has flopped before in the 90s like PinPin & this follows suit under Cook's leadership. People, forget that this is not the glory years of Jobs era. That died in '11. The company is out of new ideas.  Narcissistic Cook leadership that don't want to take accountability for wasting resources and money over some pet project for the sake of "tech" to woo investors on the late Metaverse trend that died. I don't care if it was development back in 2016. When they tried to pitch this as a virtual TV with all these content based apps, I laughed, "a TV for one!". Is that killer feature that would sell with a "killer app" or "killer apps". It's a joke smh. They need to focus on fixing iOS bugs and better products. We need to get real about Apple today, Jobs is gone, and the designer Jony Ive is gone.