Google is developing a new AR headset, first reported by The Verge.
Codenamed Iris, it has begun a stage of very active development at google, according to sources at google familiar with the project.
The early prototypes of the headset in development are said to resemble ski goggles, and are tethered to an external power supply. In addition, they utilized outward facing cameras and perform AR functions via passthrough of the outside camera feeds, potentially creating more immersive AR experiences than competitors like Magic Leap who project their images onto a clear lens.
Current development is said to be on Android OS, and leverages googles mobile hardware to power it, although a customized OS and chipset are said to be in the works. Google is also said to have plans to leverage data center processing and internet connectivity to provide better graphical capabilities than what the onboard hardware might indicate.
Based on the Google executives and key staff members who are involved in this project, it's safe to say that this is a high priority area for the company right now. With Google's lineage as an early AR/VR pioneer with Google Glass and Google Cardboard, and recent acquisitions of AR companies like North, this product line could become very disruptive in the burgeoning AR/VR industry.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/20/22892152/google-project-iris-ar-headset-2024