In November last year we reported on Apple’s mixed reality headset, with analysts detailing some of the elements that the long-rumoured device would be featuring.

Said device is reportedly set to be revealed later this year, with new information surfacing over what it will be used for.

Like many others, we posited that the headset could potentially bring an Apple-designed metaverse to the fore or be used in other persistent virtual worlds. According to a report from Bloomberg, that is not going to be the case.

Citing unnamed sources close to the project, the publication notes that Apple has no intention of using its headset to power a metaverse-esque experience for wearers, even going so far as to call such talks “off limits”.

Instead, much like the current virtual, augmented and mixed reality headsets on the market, Apple’s offering will focus on entertainment, communication and gaming.

Whether there will be a single device brought to market at launch remains to be seen though, with the prospects of different versions designed for the enterprise space, education market and gaming industry unclear at this stage.

With the Apple headset rumoured to cost as much as $4 000, it will be interesting to see what dent the company can make in a market where Oculus and Vive currently dominate.

Regardless, it’s entry will likely spark another wave of interest in virtual worlds, as well as the metaverse, even if Apple has outlined no intention of joining it.

[Image – Photo by Hussam Abd on Unsplash]