Apple’s new visionOS operating system is easily one of the most anticipated new solutions announced at WWDC this year.
For years, Apple fans have been left to scour the rumor mill for news about an impending Apple headset. Now we finally have not just one Apple VR/AR announcement, but multiple.
The Apple Vision Pro, the new mixed-reality headset ready to hit the shelves in 2024, is stealing most of the spotlight. However, the success of this ambitious $3.5k device will rely on more than just its use of incredible 4K micro-OLED displays and powerful chipsets.
A state-of-the-art new wearable experience demands a brand-new software strategy too. Described as the world’s first spatial operating system, Apple visionOS will form the backbone of a revolutionary computing experience. Here’s everything you need to know about the new operating system.
What is Apple visionOS? Apple’s Latest OS
Apple visionOS, announced alongside the Apple Vision Pro headset at WDCC 2023, is the spatial operating system intended to fuel the entire Apple AR/VR vision.
Rumors have circulated about this operating system for some time now. Early in May 2023, reporters revealed a trademark filed for a new “xrOS” operating system filed by an Apple shell company. This is the same trademark applied to the visionOS solution.
At WDCC, Apple CEO Tim Cook finally explained the new operating system is part of Apple’s quest to launch a “new era of computing.”
The visionOS technology and the Apple Vision Pro spatial computer build on decades of Apple innovation. While, at an architectural level, the OS shares some core building blocks with MacOS and iOS technologies, it also marks a new era for Apple.
The Vision Pro, which promises an infinite canvas for collaboration, productivity, and entertainment, will use visionOS to bring a new three-dimensional UI to users. The immersive mixed-reality interface minimizes latency and transforms interactions, allowing users to control apps using their hands, eyes, and voice.
Apple says the operating system will free apps from the boundaries of a display, linking digital content to the real world in a genuinely immersive format.
Exploring Apple visionOS Features
Ultimately, Apple visionOS is the foundational layer enabling users to unlock all of the incredible functionality of the Vision Pro. It powers the ultra-high-resolution display system packing 23 million pixels into two sections and leverages a custom Apple silicon dual-chip design.
The operating system, built for spatial computing, uses Vision Pro’s range of cameras to blend the real and virtual worlds seamlessly. With it, users can navigate through and interact with various 3D content assets and experiences.
The operating system combines a stable, consistent picture with floating UI elements and audio raytracing for multi-sense immersion. The robust ecosystem can also respond dynamically to natural lights and shadows, helping users process scale and distance. Plus, it’s powered by a brand-new input system controlled by human hands, eyes, and voice commands.
Users can take advantage of an infinitely scalable digital environment, ready to adapt to various use cases. Just some of the core features announced at the WDCC panel include:
- Native support for popular iOS and iPad apps at launch
- A developer-friendly set of frameworks for app creation
- Real-time facial scanning for avatar creation
- M2 performance and R1 SoCs
- Spatial ray-tracking audio engines for 3D sound
- 3D video recording and playback
- IR EyeSight presence and eye tracking
- Dynamic light and shadow adaption
- Multi-app 3D engine for multi-tasking
- Virtual keyboard interaction and audio dictation
- 100+ Apple Arcade titles at launch
The Use Cases for Apple visionOS
Announced days after Meta revealed the impending arrival of the new Quest 3 headset, Apple’s Vision Pro device, and accompanying OS may target the consumer market initially. At launch, visionOS will support thousands of iPad and iOS apps alongside more intensive applications like Adobe Lightroom. Plus, users can play their favorite Apple Arcade titles on the Vision Pro.
Facetime is included in the collection of launch apps, allowing users to connect with virtual representations of their contacts in a mixed-reality space. Apple will allow users to capture and share photos and videos through the Vision Pro 3D camera.
Additionally, the technology giant revealed it’s working with media companies to bring new content into the new visionOS App store. Disney has announced it will bring immersive features to Disney+ content with Apple support, and ESPN is likely to follow closely behind, based on the WDCC demos.
However, Apple’s visionOS promises opportunities to businesses too. Apple’s Vision Pro demos showed people interacting with Safari windows and sending messages collaboratively. This could indicate the company’s desire to earn a piece of the enterprise XR market, alongside competitors like Meta’s Quest Pro.
One exciting feature likely to appeal to business leaders is “EyeSight.” This innovation in the visionOS ecosystem will help users navigate the hybrid work world. When someone approaches a user wearing a Vision Pro headset, the device projects the user’s eyes on the outside of the visor, allowing for engaging interactions.
Apple visionOS also comes with a host of updated security features. For instance, Optic ID will use Iris scanning for authentication. The biometric solution encrypts data, and works with the subsystem integrated into Apple’s system-on-chips, Secure Enclave.
What’s Next for Apple visionOS? Apple visionOS Release Date
The power of visionOS will need to validate the Apple Vision Pro’s hefty price tag if Apple hopes to compete in the XR industry. Fortunately, the company is already investing in opportunities for rapid growth. The same frameworks used for app development across the Apple ecosystem are also present in visionOS.
This means developers will have the tools to re-imagine existing apps and create new experiences in spatial settings. Developers can use frameworks like xCode, Reality Kit, AR Kit, and SwiftUI to develop apps within visionOS.
There’s a good chance we’ll see an influx of developers rushing to this environment in the months ahead. As AR developers continue seeking the next “iPhone moment,” Apple’s highly-anticipated new ecosystem will surely generate plenty of excitement.
The Apple Vision Pro headset will also be the only wearable device to support visionOS. If innovators want to take advantage of the world’s first spatial computing system, they’ll need to work with Apple.
Though knowing how successful this VR/AR platform will be for Apple is difficult, there’s certainly a lot of potential. Will visionOS and its unique capabilities allow Apple to sidestep the mistakes made by other major platforms in the industry? With the Vision Pro set to appear on shelves in 2024, we don’t have long to wait to find out.
The Apple Vision Pro and visionOS, will retail at $3,499 and will be available from Apple store locations in the US early next year.
