Apple’s VR/AR headset could be delayed to 2023

Ever since the rumor mill started spinning back in 2019 with stories of Apple’s ventures into VR territory, virtual reality fans and Mac aficionados alike have been waiting with bated breath for further announcements from the company. Apple was due to make an announcement regarding its forthcoming combination virtual/augmented reality device — its first “next big thing” since the 2015 release of the Apple Watch — at its Worldwide Developers Conference this summer, with a release slated for later in the year.

But according to a report from Bloomberg, the proverbial can appears to have been kicked further down the road, with an announcement coming at “the end of 2022 or later” and the release delayed to 2023 at the earliest. The news resulted in Apple stock taking a bit of a hit, reportedly dropping to $171.68 at one point from a high of $173.76 earlier in the day.

The reasons behind the delay, at least, don’t seem to be directly related to the pandemic or the ongoing supply chain issues rampant in the tech industry at present. Rather, the sources cite “development challenges related to overheating, cameras and software” as the issue. On the one hand, this could bode well, since in-house problems tend to be easier to solve than global resource shortages. On the other hand, though, if solutions to those problems can’t be found, it could jeopardize the device before it even gets officially announced.