Report: Apple Acquires AR Headset Maker Mira
Apple has reportedly acquired augmented reality (AR) headset maker Mira.
The tech company retained at least 11 employees from the acquired firm, The Verge reported Tuesday (June 6), citing unnamed sources.
Mira makes headsets used by Nintendo World for its Mario Kart rides and by the U.S. Air Force to display heads-up equipment instructions, according to the report.
It is unlikely the military work will continue under Apple’s ownership, the report said.
Apple and Mira did not immediately reply to PYMNTS’ request for comment.
In a statement provided to The Verge, Apple said, “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”
Mira’s website shows case studies for the use of its headsets in manufacturing, mining services and defense.
This report comes a day after Apple made its foray into the mixed-reality world official by unveiling Vision Pro, an AR headset that has been long awaited by industry observers and became the talk of the tech giant’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).
Apple’s $3,500 device, which is to come to market next year, was described by CEO Tim Cook as “the first device you look through and not at.”
When it launches, there will be 100 games available for it as well as Disney+.
On the day before the unveiling of Apple’s Vision Pro, the Financial Times (FT) reported that startups in the virtual reality (VR) space are hopeful that the new headset will lead to a funding renaissance in the sector.
One venture capital (VC) firm co-founder told the FT that startups for years had been showing potential backers “hockey-stick” charts to forecast rapid revenue growth once Apple enters the VR space.
For that to happen, Apple will have to change people’s perceptions.
As PYMNTS reported in March, AR and VR headsets are not seen as a viable consumer product, even after years of hype and billions of dollars in research and development (R&D).
Another firm in the space, Meta, has sold about 20 million of its $400 Quest 2 headsets since 2020 and cut the price of its premium headset from $1,500 to $1,000.
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