It’s hard not to disagree with CNET’s Ian Sheer who wrote that “Apple’s purchase [of NextVR] marks the latest sign the iPhone maker is closer to revealing its augmented reality and virtual reality headset.”
Apple has acquired the sport VR streaming company which has streamed live sports from the NBA, Wimbledon and other organizations to people wearing VR headsets.
Apple doesn’t yet have its own VR headset but there have been rumors for years that the company is working on a headset that could do both VR and augmented reality.
If Apple does enter the market, it will compete with Facebook-owned Oculus, which will have some impact on Oculus’ market share but might grow the market considerably. Despite dabbling by Google and a serious effort by Facebook, VR has still not caught on as a mainstream product. Sometimes, but not always, Apple’s entry into a market can help encourage an ecosystem for more content and more devices.