This week Apple’s WWDC developer conference for 2022 kicks off, with much expected in terms of existing device ecosystems that the company currently has in its stable.

While developers will likely get an in-depth look at iOS 16 and the latest operating system for Macs, on the new devices front, rumours regarding a virtual or mixed reality headset are beginning to gain momentum.

Apple has been linked to such a device for some time now, but this week could finally see definitive details emerge for the headset, along with the OS that will help power it.

This as the latest Mark Gurman Power On newsletter via Bloomberg has previewed what could be on the way for WWDC this week. To that end Gurman points to what Apple may be calling realityOS, which will be the software layer that its first VR headset is built upon.

Gurman explains that the name is currently held by a shelf company, which first registered in the European nation of Lichtenstein. This is reportedly a tactic that Apple has employed in the past to trademark a product or service in another country well before its announcement.

As for what we could see running on the headset, Apple is said to not only be working on entertainment content for the platform, but also looking to extend app experiences too.

This could take the form of a VR version of FaceTime that utilise memoji, a mixed reality iteration of Maps, as well as interactive variants for specific Apple TV+ series and Fitness+ workouts as examples.

With much of this conjecture at this point and Apple yet to officially comment on the matter, all eyes will be on WWDC this week to see whether Apple does indeed announce its VR headset and realityOS.

If it does, expect a lot more metaverse talk to enter the news cycle.