Apple has decided to call the software running on its upcoming AR/VR headset “xrOS,” an update to the company’s originally planned “RealityOS or “rOS” naming, according to Bloomberg. The name change comes as Apple begins preparing to launch the headset, which is expected sometime in 2023.
The headset will feature its own proprietary operating system, and just like Apple TV and Apple Watch, it will have a dedicated app store.
“XR” refers to extended reality, which is related to both augmented reality and virtual reality. There are rumors that the headset Apple is developing will be a “mixed reality” like Microsoft’s Hololens, supporting both augmented and virtual reality capabilities. Augmented reality enhances what the user sees in the real world, while virtual reality is a completely digital experience.
As previously rumored, the headset will have new versions of existing apps, such as Maps and Messages, that have been redesigned for the AR/VR experience. Apple is also creating a software development kit so that third-party apps can be created for the headset.
During development, Apple internally referred to the headset’s operating system as “rOS,” but Bloomberg said xrOS is a less generic name that will make the feature used for the headset more prominent.
In addition to unnamed Apple sources confirming the name change, Bloomberg also found that a shell company called Deep Dive LLC has registered the xrOS name in several countries and that Apple may be behind the applications. Apple often uses shell companies to try to secretly register trademarks for upcoming products.
There are no firm indications yet that the headset may be launched, but it is expected to be unveiled in the first half of this year, perhaps at WWDC, or even earlier, to give developers time to create apps for the device.
