Virtual-reality technology has come a long way from 1980s arcade games, and tech companies, such as Apple, Meta and HTC, are heavily investing in the future of VR. To help you understand what is going on and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly-experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You'll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest...
With Apple’s first virtual-reality headset, called Apple Vision Pro, set to go on sale in early 2024, the VR race is officially on. But it will be a marathon, not a sprint. Apple may sell only a few hundred thousand devices of what it calls "a revolutionary spatial computer" (because it blends digital content with the physical world) in the first sales year, maybe fewer, as the price is too high for mass adoption.
The company’s focus: luring developers to produce apps and content, similar to how it built an ecosystem of iPhone apps. The device has garnered glowing reviews and is packed with high-end tech, much of it built in-house, including two low-power computer chips. Manufacturing is complex and drives up the price to $3,500, much more than other models from Meta (with its $999.99 Meta Quest Pro device) or HTC (and its $1,099 VIVE XR Elite).
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Apple (AAPL) and Meta (META) combined have invested over $100 billion in Virtual Reality research, per one estimate, so both companies are in this promising market for the long haul.
This forecast first appeared in The Kiplinger Letter, which has been running since 1923 and is a collection of concise weekly forecasts on business and economic trends, as well as what to expect from Washington, to help you understand what’s coming up to make the most of your investments and your money. Subscribe to The Kiplinger Letter.
Related Content
- The Lure of Virtual Reality
- Virtual Reality Turns Games Into Treatments
- What is the Metaverse?
- 9 Best Metaverse Stocks for the Future of Technology
- The Metaverse Explained (and Why You Should Care)
- 5 Cool New Technologies Launched via Crowdfunding
-
Are You Owed Money Thanks to the SSFA? You Might Need to Do Something to Get ItThe Social Security Fairness Act removed restrictions on benefits for people with government pensions. If you're one of them, don't leave money on the table. Here's how you can be proactive in claiming what you're due.
-
From Wills to Wishes: An Expert Guide to Your Estate Planning PlaybookConsider supplementing your traditional legal documents with this essential road map to guide your loved ones through the emotional and logistical details that will follow your loss.
-
Are These the Next Stocks to Split?Interactive Brokers' recently split its stock to makes its shares more accessible to investors. Could these high-priced stocks be next?
-
Stock Market Today: S&P 500, Nasdaq Near New HighsThe S&P 500 hasn't hit a new high since February. It's been since December for the Nasdaq.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Struggle to Sustain GainsMixed messages from multiple sources continue to make for a messy market for investors, traders and speculators.
-
America's Surprising Strengths in Manufacturing and ExportsThe Kiplinger Letter Despite common perceptions that the U.S. doesn't build things anymore, American factories are still hard at work. A special report from The Kiplinger Letter.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Stable as Inflation, Tariff Fears EbbConstructive trade war talks and improving consumer expectations are a healthy combination for financial markets.
-
Stock Market Today: Rally Extends on Good-Enough ExpectationsFiscal policy still has markets' attention, but taxes rather than tariffs and deficits rather than inflation are participants' primary focus.
-
Stock Market Today: "Good Trump" Gives Dow 740-Point BoostFriday's headwind was Tuesday's tailwind, as President Trump's social media posts continue to drag and drive financial markets.
-
A Case Study in Mismatched Fund ReturnsStock Market Why do a fund's returns sometimes differ from its underlying index? A longstanding legal principle holds the key.
