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Businesses Apple Hardware Technology

Apple Buys Virtual Reality Company NextVR (cnbc.com) 14

Posted by BeauHD from the something-is-brewing dept.
Apple has purchased virtual reality company NextVR, Apple confirmed to CNBC. From the report: The purchase is further evidence of Apple's plans to enter virtual reality and related augmented reality technologies as a new product category, although the company has not announced firm plans or a new hardware product, aside from AR software for iPhones. An Apple spokesperson provided the the company's boilerplate statement when it makes an acquisition: "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans," the spokesperson said.

The Newport Beach, California startup previously focused on broadcasting and producing live and recorded events in virtual reality, like sporting events and concerts. The company had a deal with the NBA to broadcast virtual reality highlights of the 2019 NBA Finals, for example. Apple did not specify a price or terms for the transaction, but 9to5Mac, an Apple-focused website that first broke the news, estimates the transaction to be worth $100 million.
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Apple Buys Virtual Reality Company NextVR More

Apple Buys Virtual Reality Company NextVR

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  • Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Thursday May 14, 2020 @07:10PM (#60061390)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • Lame. (Score:1, Insightful)

    by mattfosser ( 6851036 )
    Lame.
  • With the Covid-19 pandemic forcing people worldwide into various degrees of separation, from tape measure distancing to more extreme forms of forced or voluntary quarantine, getting into virtual reality right now is no-brainer for a company that intends to ride out the current economic slump. If there's a time that future tech historians could point to as the Event that finally brought VR or augmented reality (or their supercategory of XR or extended reality) to the mainstream, the 2020 pandemic is going to

    • If the pandemic doesn't bring about the flowering of VR, then I highly doubt VR is ever going to be a thing

      I'm not optimistic about VR and, considered Apple's (seemingly) late entry, I suspect aren't either. If I had to guess, they need tech/patents/engineers for AR or they just want to make sure they have developed this VR thing and have the patents in hand in case it, by some miracle, takes off.

      I think VR will take off when it works without strapping something on your face. Eventually it will get to the point where it directly connects to our neural networks and can simulate sensations (as it does in pretty mu

      • It's glaringly obvious that you haven't ever used an HMD.
        You really should go check one out before judging.
        Also, as for VR taking off- I'm not sure it will ever meet whatever arbitrary bar you're setting, but at millions of units shipped a year, I'd argue it's already taken off.

        Put another way- there are almost as many VR headsets shipped each year as AMD graphics cards.

        • Every time VR comes up on slashdot the fans get their panties in a twist if anything bad is said about it.

          Yes, I have used VR.

          https://www.statista.com/stati... [slashdot.org]â>VR sales numbers do not look impressive. While in my quick search I could not find AMD GPU sales figures, I did quickly learn that the discrete GPU market has become increasingly niche and Intel provides graphics for two thirds of all PCs. Comparing one niche product to another niche product just further confirms my original assertion that i

          • Every time VR comes up on slashdot the fans get their panties in a twist if anything bad is said about it.

            Correcting misconceptions is not "getting panties in a twist". You can do whatever the hell you want. I don't care. But people reading the comment section should realise that what you're saying is completely devoid of the current reality.

            VR sales numbers do not look impressive.

            Really? Based on your numbers 1/3rd of people who bought GPUs last year also bought VR headsets, and next year more people will buy VR headsets than GPUs. So I guess PC gaming must be dead and the GPU thing is just a fad right?

            The reality is VR sales numbers are bad, becaus

          • Every time VR comes up on slashdot the fans get their panties in a twist if anything bad is said about it.

            You're dismissing a clarification as a rant. That tells me what comes next is probably a lie.

            Yes, I have used VR.

            Na, you haven't. It's ok- keep up the hard work and you'll be afford one soon enough.

            While in my quick search I could not find AMD GPU sales figures, I did quickly learn that the discrete GPU market has become increasingly niche and Intel provides graphics for two thirds of all PCs

            I didn't learn that, because I already knew that.
            You're right- compared to all PCs, gaming oriented use is not huge. It is however a *very* competitive and healthy market.
            And since more and more embedded GPUs now have enough horsepower to run VR (thanks largely to AMD) VR is going to overtake even discrete GPU sales.

            Comparing one niche product to another niche product just further confirms my original assertion that it is a niche product.

            It was actuall

      • I'm not optimistic about VR

        I'm not optimistic about VR either considering the headsets from all major manufacturers have been sold out since November, and Covid hasn't made that situation any better. I mean Valve with their 1000EUR headset managed to move all units they were able to manufacture in January in a solid hour like VR is some kind of Taylor Swift concert or they were offering free blowjobs or something.

        When it can improve pornography, then it will take off.

        Holy shit are you behind the times. But what are you into? There are some great VR games powered by UE4 that will let you

    • VR already is a thing.
      Annual sales numbers are in the millions.

    • If the pandemic doesn't bring about the flowering of VR

      Well you could see how it is flowering: https://www.oculus.com/compare... [oculus.com]
      Which of the "Out of Stock" Oculus headsets is right for you?
      If you don't want an Out of Stock Oculus headset, maybe you want a Backordered Valve Index headset https://store.steampowered.com... [steampowered.com]

      I mean if you're really desperate you can buy a Vive Pro, but there's a reason that is in stock while at the same time Scalpers are managing to move RiftS and Quest units at a 100% markup.

      And it's not Coronavirus. This has been the situation sinc

  • Just after Valve announced they will no longer support VR on MacOS, Apple buys a VR firm.

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