Is Valve Working on Apple's AR Headset?

Apple may be working with an unlikely partner to bring an augmented reality headset into existence, according to some new rumors and reports. DigiTimes (via Mac Rumors) published a new report this week that suggested Apple and Valve had partnered up to create an AR headset that's speculated to release in the second half of 2020 at the earliest, though that's assuming that the details about the partnership and the work being done on the headset are even accurate at all.

The paywalled report from DigiTimes credited industry sources with the information that Apple and Valve, the creators of the Steam gaming platform, have reportedly teamed up with one another. Valve is said to be the partner for the AR headset, though there's also some speculation that Apple is working with multiple companies as it pursues AR interests.

Part of the report said Apple CEO Tim Cook believes AR support can make digital content more immersive and can even become as popular as smartphones, though seeing an AR headset of any kind be as popular as a phone would be quite the feat. Regardless of whether or not that'd ever happen, the report claimed that this confidence in AR has caused Apple to ramp up development of its AR software.

For those who are less familiar with AR games, there's a chance you might've played one already even if you're not fully invested in what happens with them. Look to Niantic's games for examples of what an AR title looks like and you'll find games like Pokemon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. These sorts of games augment players' worlds around them to mesh virtual elements with the real world whereas a virtual reality game drops you into an entirely new situation.

Like the other details about the supposed partnership and timeframe for when the headset might be released or revealed, it's unknown what kinds of applications and games this kind of AR headset from Apple might support. The mobile games mentioned previously are possibilities as is the upcoming Minecraft Earth, though Apple's new Apple Arcade would be the perfect platform to host some AR games that'd be compatible with such a headset.