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To many, the question of an Apple AR or VR headset has become a “when” rather than an “if”. The President of Sony’s Worldwide Studios thinks 2017 is the year that Apple introduces its first immersive device.

Apple does R&D on a wide range of technologies and has been actively researching the fields of VR and AR for years, including submitting and receiving several relevant patents. And while much of Apple’s R&D doesn’t see the light of day, the company certainly excels at taking novel tech and marketing it as something that everyone can use. VR and AR are on the rise, and Apple is widely expected to jump into the immersive device space when the time is right. But exactly when that time is has been up for debate.

As for Shuhei Yoshida, President of Sony’s Worldwide Studios, 2017 is likely the year that Apple makes its first move. That’s according to Virtual Reality Pop, who queried a number of VR and AR industry insiders in a brief Q&A about their biggest predictions for the landscape in 2017.

Yoshia is a major believer in VR and has been closely involved with the creation of Sony’s PlayStation VR headset; he was the one to introduce the device (formerly called Project Morpheus) to the public for the first time at GDC 2014 (see leading photo). Since then he’s appeared numerous times to herald the headset and has carefully followed the evolution of the VR and AR landscape by attending and participating the industry’s top conferences.

It’s doubtful that Yoshida has any specific knowledge of an Apple AR or VR device announcement, but his prediction certainly contains the wisdom of a long time Sony veteran who is carefully considering PlayStation’s forward-looking VR strategy with regards to Apple’s possible entry into the marketplace.

Do you think Apple will come to the market with an AR/VR product this year? Let us know in the comments.