Keeping up with the rising popularity of VR fitness apps, Facebook and Apple might join hands soon. Rumors are swirling about a possible collaboration between the two tech giants as they work for bringing Apple Health to Oculus Quest and Oculus Quest 2 VR headsets later this year.
According to a recent report published in Blomberg, Facebook is possibly exploring the ambitious idea of allowing users to synchronize their workout data from Oculus VR headsets with the Apple Health app available on iPhones. According to the latest updates, this feature will let users exchange data between Oculus Move and the Apple Health app. The functionality will potentially allow iPhone users to synchronize their health data from Oculus Move workout system to the iPhone’s Health App. On the other hand, one can also be able to view their Apple Health data directly through their Oculus Quest/ Quest 2 VR headset. The data will cover information such as heart rate, amount of calories burned, and so on.
Leadins social networking platform
In today’s time, both Facebook and Apple are arguably the most dominant tech companies in the world. To this end, the collaboration between Oculus Quest and Apple Health would significantly transform the long-standing rivals into technology partners. The tie between the two tech giants, however, is not imminent yet. But it does point toward a possibility that is being explored by the leading social networking platform.
Oculus Move
Facebook launched Oculus Move in November 2020 as an exclusive fitness-focused VR platform. It allows the Oculus VR headset users to track fitness-related data and personal performance in virtual reality. It helps to monitor estimated calories burnt and set a personal fitness goal. The fitness-tracker integrated into the VR headset is compatible with all the Oculus apps and games, available on the classic Oculus headset, as well as Quest and Quest 2.
Fairly recent vs. Well-known
While Oculus Move is a fairly recent development, Apple Health has been a well-known, popular health app for almost half a decade. The dedicated fitness app on iPhone was introduced back in 2014 and immediately gained immense popularity. Since its launch, the app has been developed into a robust and versatile fitness platform compatible with various Apple devices. Combined with Apple Watch, the platform can be used to track a host of fitness-related data and health metrics, such as sleep pattern, heart rate, step count, etc.
Rumor
The rumor was further fueled by a remark from Facebook’s CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg himself, who expressed his excitement over a hypothetical fitness subscription for virtual reality environments. During a tech conference recently held in Paris, Zuckerberg discreetly discussed the idea of expanding the VR functionality of Oculus Quest headsets beyond gaming and exploring the possibilities in the domain of fitness and health. Although he refrained from mentioning anything specific, he did remark that this is going to be a major step towards an evolved computing platform, following the advancements of PCs and smartphones.
Global VR fitness market
The global VR fitness market is expected to reach the $60 billion mark by 2027. Given the potential, it is only a matter of time the social networking giant dabbles with the emerging platform and leverages its advantages. However, the question of whether they team up with their biggest contenders remains unresolved as of yet.
