Rivalry Between Apple and Microsoft Heating Up Again Over Augmented Reality, Gaming, and More

The iconic and industry-classic rivalry between Apple and Microsoft, which has arguably seen a slowdown in recent years, is poised to begin heating up as both companies target the future of augmented reality and renewed competition in the PC industry, according to an analysis from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Both Apple and Microsoft have strong ambitions for the future of augmented reality. Apple so far has committed to the AR space by offering developers tools and frameworks, such as ARKit, that enable AR experiences through the iPhone and iPad. The company has yet to offer a hardware device solely focused on augmented reality; however, that is set to change in the coming months, and more so later on next year.

Microsoft, on the other hand, has invested heavily in its Hololens product line, pursuing a more hardware-based strategy for augmented reality while Apple focuses, at least for now, on the underlying technologies that will eventually drive future experiences. The two companies are also facing competition in AI, cloud computing, and of course, control over the PC industry.

Microsoft has also thrown its hat behind Epic Games, which's pursuing a significant legal battle against Apple for its App Store. Last year, Apple and Microsoft were in a clear public dispute over the Redmond-based company's xCloud game streaming service which allowed users to stream games with a single service.

Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules originally forbid all-in-one game streaming services on the platform. However, it later tweaked the rules. Despite the change in stance from Cupertino, Microsoft has ultimately abandoned its plans to launch xCloud via the ‌App Store‌ and will instead offer it via the web and Safari.

For those interested, the Bloomberg piece offers a more detailed analysis of the future of the rivalry between the two companies.