Apple's long-serving VR/AR headset may not launch until 2023

Rumors about Apple releasing some sort of virtual reality/augmented reality headset have swirled for years. According to Bloomberg, reports anticipated a possible release in 2022 for the company's first mixed reality headset, but the device is stalling some development and may not release until 2023.

As Bloomberg reports, Apple plans to reveal the headset at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, but "development challenges related to overheating, camera, and software make it harder to stay on track." The issues mean the reveal could happen at the end of the year — or even later — with the headset going on sale in 2023. And Apple apparently, at one point, planned to reveal the device even earlier; Bloomberg reports that the company wanted to announce it in 2021 and ship it in 2022.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This is expected to be the first headset high-end, with Apple considering prices above $2,000. Bloomberg says it will have two processors, and at least one will be "on par" with the new M1 Pro chip that's available with the company's refreshed MacBook Pros. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also revealed that the device will have two chips with one being M1-adjacent. Previous reports have also said that the headset will feature two 4K OLED microdisplays, 3D sensors for hand tracking as well as other advanced components, all of which may contribute to the rumored higher price tag.

Apple is still working on a set of AR glasses, though they may be far away. The company plans to introduce them "at the end of this decade," Bloomberg reports.