Will Apple make the mixed reality headset mainstream?Apple's high-tech headset, rumored to arrive in 2022, may put Meta's Oculus Quest 2 and other headsets in check.

I think the key to success is not games or passive entertainment, but Apple's mixed reality headset could be a game changer pitched as an integrated fitness device.

Apple should make its first dedicated mixed reality hardware the ultimate destination for Apple Fitness Plus, a $9.99/month on-demand workout service that debuted about a year ago. I tried Apple Fitness Plus for a while and ultimately found it difficult to follow a workout class on the small screen of my iPad or iPhone. Sure, you could cast your workouts to your Smart TV or use the Apple TV 4K, but that would limit the location of your workouts to your living room.

I prefer to work out with a headset that takes me to the Apple Fitness Plus's luxurious SoCal studio in high definition. No matter where I am, the headset makes me feel like I'm in the gym without having to worry about crowds or cleanliness. When paired with an Apple Watch, as is already a feature of Apple Fitness Plus, the heart rate and Apple Watch activity ring will appear on the display in real time. [Mark Gurman and The Information separately reported that Apple's mixed reality headset will include an external camera that can be used for hand tracking and gesture control. It could be used to monitor workout form and suggest corrections based on relative position, for example, in a yoga session. And in strength training classes, the camera would ideally allow people to see their own dumbbells, balancing the digital illusion with reality. [VR workout programs are nothing new. I've been playing BOXVR and Beat Saber (one of the best Oculus Quest 2 games) to work up a sweat when I'm cooped up inside during the winter months. My colleague Kelly Wu also tried Oculus Quest earlier this year for a workout and found the VR exercise app to be fun and effective.

I could launch the "Fitness Gaming" workout type on my Apple Watch and track metrics while using the best VR games for exercising, but with GymKit I prefer to go to my apartment gym because it has the best gym equipment. Watch 7 over the treadmill and the metrics are automatically synced. If turning on the headset and starting a workout triggers the Apple Watch to start activity tracking, I'll be overjoyed.

Of course, I wouldn't be too thrilled if I was getting ready to workout and realized that this so-called Apple mixed reality headset was turned off. I am already looking for a good enough excuse to skip my workout. Excellent battery life is critical to making a headset a viable exercise device, and the Oculus Quest 2 has a battery life of 2-3 hours, depending on what you're doing in VR.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that the headset supports Wi-Fi 6E and can transfer large amounts of data with low latency. In other words, an iPhone or Mac computer could do all the heavy lifting for the headset and contribute to battery life. This would alleviate concerns about whether there is enough power to sustain an entire workout.

There are still things that Apple needs to resolve to make the best VR headset for working out, or the best VR headset overall. For one thing, they can't build anything more expensive than the Peloton Bike. It also needs to be comfortable and durable enough to sweat while wearing it during exercise. If the headset is indeed coming in 2022, we should hear all possible answers to these questions in time.