Apple reportedly naming the operating system for its upcoming AR/VR headset ‘xrOS’

Apple will name the operating system running onits coming mixed reality AR/VR headset “xrOS,” a change to the “RealityOS or “rOS” naming that was originally was slated to be used for the platform, according to Bloomberg.

According to Gurman, the XR in xrOS is for extended reality, which is what the headset is expected to offer users when it eventually launches, combining augmented reality and mixed reality to pass video of the real world through the visor and display it to the user.

“Internally, the company recently changed the name of the operating system to “xrOS” from “realityOS,” said the people, who asked not to be identified because the project is still under wraps,” says Gurman.

New story: The Apple AR/VR headset is approaching. The company has internally renamed the device’s software to “xrOS” from “realityOS.” At the same time, a secretive shell company has moved to trademark the new name in several countries. https://t.co/zPoMafVmAE

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) December 1, 2022

It has previously been rumored that the Apple AR/VR headset could be announced as soon as January 2023, with availability beginning in the months after the unveil.

The rumored device will reportedly feature two ultra-high-resolution 8K displays with a “bevy” of other features, including advanced eye-tracking technology, marking Apple’s first major new product launch since the original Apple Watch in October 2014.

Last year we saw The Information publish a sketch of the upcoming headset, claiming to have seen secret internal imagery from an unnamed source “with direct knowledge” of the development, reporting that the device will offer a “sleek, curved visor attached to the face by a mesh material and swappable headbands.”

Concept creator Ian Zelbo has released visuals showing what Apple’s new headset will probably look like based on earlier leaked information, featuring an Apple Watch-style adjustable headband and AirPods Max reminiscent mesh cushion for comfort around the wearer’s eyes.

Image: Ian Zelbo