The future of television is coming thanks to Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and their plans to revolutionize the way we interact with our TV. Through phones and tablets, TV characters or objects can be displayed and integrated into a viewer's surroundings. The features can be as simple as bonus content like director commentary or as visually exciting as a virtual lunar rover display seemingly perched on the living room table. Apple's TV+ streaming service already has its own slew of shows, but now they're branching out, looking to include podcasts related to existing TV shows and of course, VR gear and features.
Apple is preparing to launch a headset for their devices that would blend virtual and augmented reality in 2022 for not only entertainment, but also gaming and even meetings. They also seem to be working on a pair of AR glasses meant to debut in 2023. While they currently rely on third party developers for their AR and VR needs, that may be about to change.
Spaces, a VR startup that hit the ground running in a DreamWorks Animation project, has been acquired by Apple according to Protocol. They developed location-based VR experiences but were forced to shut down VR centers and lay off staff due to the pandemic. Thanks to Apple, it seems they're still up and running. But they're not the only ones. Apples has also acquired Akonia, Holographics, NextVR, and Vrvana, all of which are small companies based around VR tech. This may be good for them if these companies manage to stay afloat, but its bad news for most of the VR industry, which has been struggling to keep going amid the coronavirus. One startup, Sandbox VR, has even filed for bankruptcy.
Meanwhile, Apple is full steam ahead, creating new content, adding perks to draw in subscribers, and using their newly claimed startups to broaden their appeal even more. Even though the tech giant has suffered some delayed releases, they are still able to keep production rolling. TV+ combined with AR gives Apple even more content to flash, and their upcoming Apple One bundle would provide discounts to services like Apple Music and Apple Arcade mobile games. They have already released a TV+ bundle that includes discounted rates for CBS All Access and Showtime. With new bundles, discounts, content and devices, Apple is shaping up to be a potential must-have.