If you've been paying any attention to virtual reality-centric news in recent months, you've probably heard the term "Metaverse" thrown around While it sounds like a buzzword, it is one that has involved some of the largest tech companies, most notably Facebook, which has rebranded itself to Meta as a result

But if you believe this latest rumor, Apple may not be one of them; according to Bloomberg's Mark Garman, the company is rumored to be launching its first mixed reality headset later this year, but it will not be jumping on the Metaverse bandwagon

Garman addressed the topic in the latest issue of his newsletter, Power On, claiming that the metaverse is "off limits" within Apple The metaverse is intended for long-term use by transforming real-world experiences into virtual reality, much like all pop culture representations of VR over the past few decades

However, this ambition may be hampered by the headset's battery life, and Ming Chi-Kuo predicts that the headset will have a 96W MacBook charger He suggests that the headset's CPU and GPUI will require a lot of power to operate [Apple's entry would be a huge boon for the metaversedespite being around for nearly a decade, modern VR has struggled to appeal to mainstream audiences devices like the Oculus Quest 2 have done a lot to get VR into people's hands, but but those headsets are far from ubiquitous now

It is not certain whether Apple's headset will raise the profile of VR among the general public For starters, it is not even certain whether the headset is designed as a consumer-centric product

Early reports claimed that the headset was a precursor to the augmented reality Apple Glasses, which would give app developers time to get used to working with AR By doing so, Apple Glasses would have a better assortment of apps at launch and would not be dead on arrival

Rumors of pricing are all over the place, with a figure of $3,000 being suggested Of course, we haven't heard anything for some time, but that would be firmly out of the price range of most average people

Still, when Apple is involved in something, people generally pay attention Apple products are usually of high quality, and the brand recognition helps to get people's initial interest

However, while Apple's involvement may be favorable for VR in general, the metaverse is apparently not so lucky