Apple Acquired a California-Based VR Company NextVR

by Kay Lee

Last month, it was reported that Apple was going to acquire NextVR. Now, this information is officially confirmed by Apple, although it’s quite atypical for apple to comment on such rumors and issues much fewer press releases. NextVR is a California-based company specializing in broadcasts in virtual reality.

The NextVR website is no longer available, and now it displays a message saying, "NextVR is Heading in a New Direction."

The transaction price was not announced, but previous rumors pointed to $100 million. It is still unclear how exactly Apple will use NextVR's development. The deal may be part of the iPhone manufacturer's strategy to expand the business with full access to the virtual reality market.

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NextVR was founded in 2009 by David Cole and DJ Roller. The company is developing a platform that allows you to watch concerts, sporting events, and other virtual reality events. NextVR works on PlayStation, Oculus, HTC, Microsoft, and other virtual reality headsets. Among the partners of the company there are the NBA, the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament, and Fox Sports.

Over the past few years, we have heard about the stereoscopic augmented reality Apple headset many times. It is reportedly capable of making a new revolution in the industry and can produce an effect comparable to the appearance of the iPhone on the market. It is known that Apple delayed the first AR headset release until 2022, and the release of more compact augmented reality glasses was delayed until 2023.

In addition to this, it should be mentioned that NextVR is Apple’s third purchase this year. The company previously acquired the Irish company Voysis that specializes in the development of artificial intelligence software, and Dark Sky, a popular application for weather forecasting.