According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple acquired the 3D VR streaming company NextVR.
NextVR is a VR startup that specializes in capturing real world events and presenting them in virtual reality. Its content is available through its own NextVR app on a number of headsets, along with occasional appearances on other platforms such as Oculus Venues.
The content produced by NextVR features some of the best quality captures in the industry. The real world events, which range from live music to sports matches, are recorded in stereoscopic 3D in a high resolution that produces a great level of detail and immersion in the end product. One of NextVR’s most high-profile offerings was an ongoing partnership with the NBA that ran for multiple years, allowing users to watch a live match courtside in 3D or watch highlights or previous matches from multiple angles.
The company previously went through significant layoffs in early 2019. NextVR CEO David Cole stated to UploadVR that they had let go of “a number of valuable employees” but the layoffs were a “necessary measure to stay in a position to take advantage of the market at the size where it is now.”
According to Bloomberg, Apple confirmed that it had acquired NextVR but gave no further details or explanations. The NextVR website has also been stripped back to just a single message thanking fans who supported them and stating that the company is “heading in a new direction.”
We’ll be curious to see if any of NextVR’s streaming and capture tech ever shows up in future Apple products.
