Apple is building a Macbook Pro with “more powerful and efficient graphics processors for expert users such as video gamers,” according to a report by Bloomberg. We don’t know if that means the system would be VR ready, but Apple is long past due to build a machine powerful enough to drive VR headsets.
There is a substantial portion of the development community in need of a sleek laptop that can drive VR experiences at the recommended specification. Developers often travel for work and it’s extremely difficult to haul your tower PC around along with a Rift or Vive. Likewise, there’d be a significant portion of VR consumers who would love the portability of a thin and powerful laptop that can transition to rendering a VR experience when needed. There are certainly some options available now, but nobody would argue that they’re as small or thin as a Macbook Pro. Apple’s heaviest laptop at the moment weighs in at around 4.5 pounds while the “VR Ready” laptop from MSI, depicted below, is more than 8 pounds.
So far, though, Apple has completely ignored this segment of the market. Oculus stopped building its software development kit for Mac because not a single computer in Apple’s lineup — portable or desktop — fit the recommended requirements needed to drive the Rift. Powered by one of AMD’s latest “Polaris” chips, it’s possible Apple’s laptops could finally meet those needs, though the Bloomberg story suggests it’s the decreased size of the newest AMD graphics cards Apple is interest in applying to a slimmer Macbook Pro.
The laptop is also said to include a touch sensitive display strip, USB-C for connectivity as well as a fingerprint scanner for security. It is unlikely to debut at a Sept. 7 event where the newest iPhone is expected to be unveiled, according to the report.
