Google is the latest tech giant to dip its toes into VR and AR hardware. Google is now working on building an AR headset, according to reports. Internally codenamed Project Iris, the company hopes to ship the headset by 2024, sources told the Verge. The device will add computer generated videos and images to the video feed of the real world.

The company will be taking on the likes of Facebook, Microsoft and Apple, who all have their own AR/VR projects at various stages.

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The headset is still in early development but is reportedly going to be running on a custom Google processor, much like the next iteration of the Google flagship smartphone, the Pixel. The core team for the project currently has 300 members, though Google is expected to hire hundreds more as Iris comes further along in development.

The team responsible for the project is thought to be the same one that Google acquired when it purchased North, a company which specialises in human computer interfaces and smart glasses, reported New York Times.

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This is not the first time that Google is trying to delve into the world of AR. The ill-fated Google Glass project was the company’s first foray into AR, a decade ago in 2012. But the companies efforts came to naught as the project was shut and the company announced its Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2.

But while Google has had a chronic problem with projects being shut due to lack of support and proper oversight, Iris is not likely to suffer the same fate. The project is being directly handled by Clay Bavor, who reports to CEO Sundar Pichai. Bavor is also the man responsible for another Google project related to VR/AR, a ultra-high-resolution video chat booth.

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Currently, Meta is far ahead in terms of VR/AR capabilities. The company had first acquired Oculus in 2014 to diversify into VR/AR hardware and over the years, has made more investments to focus on the sphere.

Microsoft’s HoloLens is a pair of mixed reality smartglasses though it is also currently under development. Apple is forever developing its own headset, though reports suggest that the company may finally unveil the headset in 2022.

Also read: Predictions for Apple’s 2022 line-up: iPhone 14, new MacBooks, iPad Pro and VR/AR Glasses

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)