In a move that could propel Apple closer to their goal of releasing an Augmented Reality headset by 2020, the tech giant has acquired Canadian AR startup, Vrvana, for a reported $30 million.

A number of Vrvana employees have already made the move to Apple in California, according to TechCrunch, most likely to develop Apple’s new headset. No information is available as to whether Apple has also acquired previous business deals by Vrvana with Audi, Tesla and Valve.

Apple’s New Reality

Acquiring Vrvana, makers of the unique and unreleased Totem headset – which uses several forward-facing pass-through cameras to replicate reality on its OLED display – accelerates Apple’s development of an AR headset pinned for 2020 by providing the hardware foundation to build from.

Supporting Apple CEO Tim Cook’s statements regarding enterprise being a key focus of the company’s step into AR, Vrvana shared a similar focus on enterprise usage. The ability to utilise AR as a form of ‘extended reality’ opens up opportunities not only from a consumer perspective, but also that of in-house training at Apple.

An Exciting New Direction

Following claims that Apple’s new headset will ‘have its own display and run on a new chip and operating system’, named rOS, this news provides a clearer image of Apple’s interest in the AR market.

With the release of Apple’s ARKit for developers, and a multitude of AR applications readily available on the App Store for iPhone (compatible with 6 models onwards) and iPad, it’s clear that things are progressing towards an exciting new direction for the company.