Technologies

Why Apple’s First VR Headset May Not Be the One You Buy

The next Apple mixed reality device is reportedly already in the works, and it may be much more consumer-friendly.

Apple’s long-expected, quite mysterious mixed reality headset seems ready to emerge any month now: Perhaps it’ll be announced as soon as Apple’s next WWDC developer’s conference, in June. The headset, which will enter an emerging landscape of hardware including Meta’s Quest 2 and Quest Pro, the PlayStation VR 2 and a bunch of other AR and VR devices, has been reported to be expensive, maybe have its own tethered processing device and perhaps be very limited in its launch features.

Reports also suggest that Apple’s own staff could be divided on whether this headset should launch now, in a not-quite-perfected state, or held for later on when it may approach a more functional pair of everyday glasses.

I’m not sure it makes a difference, because in all likelihood you’re not going to buy the first version anyway, which is expected to cost as much as $3,000.

I don’t mean to sound dismissive, but it’s true: Barring some sort of miracle, there doesn’t seem to be any way Apple’s first-gen AR/VR device will be anything more than a sort of foot in the door. And, by the way, that’s exactly what Apple’s previous big product line entries were, too.

The first Apple Watch wasn’t the same device it is now.

The first Apple Watch: Did you own one?

I remember reviewing the very first Apple Watch, in 2015, and finding it a pretty mixed bag. Nice design touches, really cool digital crown and… very slow. Also, expensive. And kind of complicated, with all its specific features and settings.

Odds are you didn’t own one. Apple added more useful features later: a far faster processor, a bigger screen, an onboard app store, better fitness functions, an always-on display. The price came down, too.

The Apple Watch’s biggest advantage now is its consistency. After generations of other smartwatches have come and gone, Apple has largely stayed the course and iterated on a theme.

The original iPhone: More nostalgia trip than good product

The first iPhone was the same story. I loved how it was a very small web-browsing and email-equipped iPod, and it went with me on my honeymoon. The 2G cellular data was terrible, and most of the features we associate with iPhones (video chat, GPS, Apple Pay, Touch ID or Face ID, an App Store) weren’t around. It was a fancy iPod phone.

The multitouch was impressive, and certain apps, like Google Maps, were stunning. People thought it was cool. Few people were ready to buy one.

AirPods: Initially mockable

I test-drove AirPods at Apple’s 2016 iPhone event, and a photo of me wearing them ended up becoming a meme. It was a given that they looked absurd. Yes, these were wireless earbuds, but wireless earbuds already existed. The price wasn’t bad, but plenty of people seemed happy with the cheap, free-with-iPhone wired earbuds that wouldn’t fall out of your ears and get lost, or didn’t look like cigarette butts sticking out of your ears.

But it didn’t take long for opinion on AirPods to shift, and now… well, they’re everywhere.

Meta Quest Pro virtual reality headset — The Meta Quest Pro: Since its first VR headset in 2016, Meta is still trying to find a perfect form.

Scott Stein/CNET

How much patience does Apple have?

The big question is how much time Apple has to give to its headset, and multiple iterations of it, to succeed. That’ll be the difference between success and failure. Meta stuck with the Oculus Rift from 2016 to now, creating many versions before the Quest 2 finally started selling decently. It could take years before the real applications of VR and AR are figured out on a larger scale and wireless networks are able to take on the cloud processing that could allow these headsets to eventually work in smaller, lighter forms.

It could be years before input devices like Meta’s neural input wristbands are advanced enough to allow accurate gesture controls that could really be used to replace controllers and touchscreens. It may take several generations of hardware before enough people are in VR and AR to allow truly large-scale metaverse communities to feel meaningful, even after all these years waiting for the tech to arrive.

Apple’s headset will most likely involve every other product in its lineup, connecting with iPhones, iPads and Macs, enhancing the Apple Watch, and pairing with AirPods. It’ll need to bridge every OS and every service. That’s no small amount of work, and it’s doubtful that most of it will be enabled this year.

Whatever next-gen, more affordable headset Apple is expected to work on next, or the eventual glasses it’s aiming for, will be closer to the end goal. As every other VR and AR hardware manufacturer also continues to flex and evolve its offerings, from HTC’s more glasses-like XR Elite to Qualcomm’s smaller AR glasses to Meta’s gradual pivot from VR to an AI-driven AR platform, we don’t know what the final form of any of these headsets will be.

And every VR and AR headset looks weird. I’ve never worn a headset that didn’t make me look either absurd or terrifyingly dystopian.

In that sense, whatever Apple’s first headset looks like doesn’t really matter, because the future for Apple and every other VR/AR company is bound to continue to change. This year looks like a make-or-break year for the metaverse, but in the long run, it’s also just a foot in the door.

Why Are Switch 2 Games So Expensive? Trump’s Tariffs May Not Be Sole Factor

It still comes down to money.

Wednesday’s reveal of the Switch 2 had a lot of buzz from Nintendo surrounding its successor to the Switch. One shocking bit, though, was the high price of its games. There’s a lot of confusion, especially with news of President Donald Trump’s increased tariffs on many trading partners, including Japan.

After the Switch 2 Direct, Nintendo released the full details of the upcoming console and games on its website. The price of Mario Kart World shocked gamers and led to some disdain, as the $80 MSRP was $10 more than what most new games cost today. This led many to wonder if this would be a new normal for game prices due to Trump’s tariffs or if Nintendo was just being greedy. The answer, however, might be something completely different.

Are Nintendo Switch 2 game prices hiking?

To start, some details need to be cleared up. Some people have posted on social media that the price of Nintendo’s Switch 2 games, at least in the US, will be $90. That is incorrect, as of right now.

One X user posted Switch 2 EU prices for Mario Kart World, which start at 80 euros for a digital version and 90 euros for the physical copy. Typically, US and EU games match in price, which caused some to assume that this pricing would be the case for the US.

Nintendo Switch 2 games will be more expensive physically than digitally.
Mario Kart World will be 90 freaking euros phisically. pic.twitter.com/iXuRwzlFqH

— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) April 2, 2025

US retailers, however, already posted their Switch 2 game prices, and Nintendo-published games are listed at $80.

Will Trump’s tariffs cause the Switch 2 to cost more?

As for Trump’s tariffs, that is unlikely to be a driver of this price bump. Tariffs are not applied to digital goods, and when the prices were published, there were no tariffs on Japan. Plus, games are similarly expensive in other countries like Canada and the UK.

With that cleared up, why are Nintendo games on the Switch 2 so expensive? One likely reason is game storage.

Read More: All the Nintendo Games You Can Update to Switch 2 for Free

The Switch 2 uses what Nintendo calls game-key cards, which are Switch 2 cartridges that don’t have all the game data on the cartridge itself. This helps save on production costs as storage is expensive. The original Switch cartridges went up to 32GB of storage, which doesn’t seem like a lot these days, with some games taking up 100GB or more of storage, but this is for the original Switch. Only a few games, like The Witcher 3, went above 32GB because the graphics for the Switch weren’t on the high end like with a PC, PS5 or Xbox Series console, where a Witcher 3 install size starts at 50GB.

Switch 2 games are going to be bigger in size — there is little doubt about it. CD Projekt Red confirmed it would put its Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on one 64GB cartridge, and there will likely be other games to surpass that 64GB. With the max size of the cartridge doubling in size, it adds to the price of the physical card, as not only does storage have to be bigger, but they will need to transfer data faster. That can get more expensive for physical copies, unlike optical discs, which are still the same price whether it has 20GB or 100GB on the disc.

What does all this mean for gamers?

This leads to a dilemma for publishers: Put the entire game on the physical card and sell it at a loss, increase the price of the physical copy with the full game on it or use the game-key card to have a card with minimal storage, requiring gamers to download the entire game.

Read More: The 17 Best Nintendo Switch Games Right Now

It appears that Nintendo went with door No. 2. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, knowing the company. Anyone who wants to save money on games knows that Nintendo will seldom bring the price down of its own games. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, for example, is 8 years old and is still full price on Nintendo’s website.

According to an industry analysis from Niko Partners, this new pricing could become the new normal in a couple of years when it comes to physical cartridges.

«While there has been some sticker shock regarding the price of games increasing from $60 to $70 or $80, these price points are set to become industry standard over the next two years, especially so for Nintendo first-party games,» Niko Partners said in a statement Wednesday. «One reason for the higher price is the increased cost of the new and faster Game Cards themselves, with higher capacities being more expensive to manufacture than a PS5 Blu-ray disc.»

Nintendo didn’t respond to a request for comment about the higher price of its games.

That said, this doesn’t explain the lower price of Donkey Kong Bananza, which comes out in July; that’s listed on Nintendo’s site for $70. This could mean the game isn’t using a larger storage card, but that can’t be said for sure until the game comes out. It’s unclear how things will change in the future.

Technologies

Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-orders in US Delayed Due to Trump’s Tariffs

The Switch 2 launch is still happening on June 5, and preorders outside the US seem unchanged.

Nintendo Switch 2 preorders in the US were to start April 9, but it appears those plans have changed due to the new tariffs imposed this week by President Donald Trump. It’s unclear if this means Nintendo will also have to increase the price of the Switch successor, which currently starts at $450.

Nintendo said Friday that it’s delaying Switch 2 preorders in the US, but its June release date is unaffected.

«Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions,» the company said in a statement. «Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged.»

Nintendo didn’t indicate if preorder dates outside the US would change, but Eurogamer reports that preorders are live at various retailers in the UK.

A tariff of 24% has been applied by the US to goods from Japan. Were that rate to be applied directly to the Switch 2’s announced price, it would rise to $558, but it would be up to Nintendo how much of the tariff it will pass on to consumers.

This is a developing story.

Technologies

Twelve South’s Foldable Wireless Charger for iPhone and Apple Watch Is Up to 27% Off at Amazon

This handy accessory makes it easier to travel with your Apple gear and stay charged wherever you go.

Whether you’re traveling for business or off on a wonderful family vacation, charging your stuff shouldn’t be something you have to worry about. Taking extra chargers and cables can be a pain, and they all take up space in your bag. But the handy Twelve South Butterfly SE charger is a compact alternative that can wirelessly charge an iPhone and an Apple Watch at the same time. And it’s available with up to 27% off right now at Amazon.

That top line discount applies to the pink version, though the white model is only $7 more and other colors are seeing 15% off the usual $100 price tag if you have a strong preference. It’s not clear how long the discounts will last, though.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

The charger itself offers a way to wirelessly charge a iPhone and Apple Watch from a single AC outlet, and you can even charge your AirPods when your phone is done, too. And because this is a Qi2 charger you’ll get a full 15 watts of wireless charging for compatible devices — including the best iPhones.

When you’re not using the Butterfly SE, it folds up so it can be slid into a pocket, bag or luggage without taking up too much space. It really is the perfect partner for people who like to travel light.

Unfortunately, this charger doesn’t come with an AC adapter in the box, so you’ll need to provide your own. Make sure it’s rated for 20 watts or more. If you need to buy one, Apple’s 20-watt USB-C charger is just $15 right now.

Why this deal matters

We all carry multiple devices around with us these days. Anything that can make charging them more convenient is a win in our books, especially when you’re traveling. This charger takes up little space when it isn’t being used and charges quickly when it is.