visionOS 2, the first major update to the Vision platform, will bring Spatial Photos, a rearrangeable Home View, a bigger Mac Virtual Display, new gestures and other nice quality-of-life improvements.
Apple Vision Pro can “unlock completely new possibilities for entertainment, productivity, collaboration, and more” says Mike Rockwell, Apple’s vice president of the Vision Products Group.
Announced right at the top of WWDC24 on Monday, visionOS 2 will be available in developer beta and will release publicly for everyone this fall. This came alongside news that the headset will soon be available in other countries.
visionOS 2 new apps and features
Photo: Apple
Apple Vision Pro with visionOS 1 was released in the United States on February 2. Deemed a “spatial computer,” it runs many familiar apps like Safari, Music, Messages, Mail, and even productivity apps like Keynote and Developer.
“visionOS 2 propels spatial computing forward,” said Rockwell at the Keynote.
Spatial photos are a new way to enjoy pictures in full 3D. Machine learning can convert a two-dimensional photo into a Spatial Photo. You can also use SharePlay to browse through your photos with another person wearing a Vision Pro headset.
Photo: Apple
New hand gestures let you open the Home View and Control Center with just your hands, so you don’t have to reach up to click the Digital Crown or look at the Control Center bubble. Hold your hand facing upwards and you’ll see a floating bubble. Tap to bring up the Home View, or spin your hand down for Control Center.
Photo: Apple
Mac Virtual Display, the feature that lets you use a virtual monitor for your laptop with the headset, is bigger and better — literally. While you still can only connect one display, it can be shown in ultra wide, “equivalent to two 4K monitors side-by-side,” according to Haley Allen, director of visionOS Program Management. Allen clarified that this feature is coming “later this year.”
Travel Mode now functions while you’re wearing the headset on a train, just like an airplane, so you can watch movies and shows while you’re on the go.
New APIs for developers will make it easy to make volumetric apps and table-top experiences.
You can now control a Vision Pro with a connected Bluetooth mouse, like Apple’s own Magic Mouse. This will make precise input with the headset, which primarily uses hand and eye tracking, easier.
