The Apple AR headset might need two Apple Watches to control it

Apple may not have officially announced its plans for the much-rumored Apple AR/VR headset hardware yet, but its recent patents have seemingly been giving away some its plans – with the latest teasing a novel way of using the Apple Watch to control a headset.

How users control AR experiences is an area that a lot of companies have tried their hand at, with some having more success than others. Google’s original Google Glass headsets introduced awkward head-twitches and the Nreal Air glasses forced you to use your smartphone – a difficult task when you can’t really see it with the glasses on. The only company to crack it so far is Meta with its Oculus Quest 2 (opens in new tab) AR features relying on either the regular controllers or hand-tracking, making for a much smother experience. 

Apple has decided to go a different route though. Based on a recent patent filing (discovered by Patently Apple (opens in new tab)) Apple will seemingly reinvent the wheel with a setup that relies on a headset wearer strapping on two Apple Watch-like devices – one on either wrist. While not explicitly called Apple Watches, the diagrams look very similar to the California tech giant’s smartwatch, complete with touchscreen and Digital Crowns.

Once one watch is on each hand, the wearables would be able to use their electrodes to track gestures and various contact points on people’s palms so that they can control what they see on an Apple AR/VR headset.