Apple unveils visionOS 26 with spatial widgets, lifelike Personas
What's the story
Apple has officially announced visionOS 26, a major update for its Vision Pro headset.
The new software brings a host of features, including spatial widgets and lifelike Personas.
It also introduces shared spatial experiences, immersive content support, and new developer tools.
The update will be available to users later this year after a developer beta release today.
Widget innovation
visionOS 26 introduces spatial widgets
The most notable addition in visionOS 26 is spatial widgets.
These interactive elements can be placed anywhere in a user's real-world space and remain fixed every time they use Vision Pro.
Users can customize the size, color, depth, and framing of each widget. Supported widgets include Clock, Weather, Photos, and Music.
A new Widgets app lets users browse and manage their widgets seamlessly.
Avatar upgrade
More realistic and lifelike personas
The update also revamps Apple's digital Personas, which are used for video calls and shared virtual experiences.
In visionOS 26, these avatars use advanced volumetric rendering and machine learning (ML) to deliver improved realism and expressiveness.
The new system allows for more natural face movements, better skin rendering, and overall familiarity, making communication more lifelike in mixed reality.
User interaction
Expanded shared spatial experiences
The visionOS 26 update also expands shared spatial experiences, allowing users to interact with other Vision Pro users in the same room.
They can co-watch content in 3D, play spatial games, or collaborate on projects. Remote users can join sessions via FaceTime.
The update also adds support for immersive content formats such as 180-degree, 360-degree, and wide field-of-view video from Insta360, GoPro, and Canon.
Developer tools
For developers and enterprises
For developers and enterprises, Apple has introduced new APIs for custom spatial app development tailored to specific workflows and business use cases.
The update also adds support for PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers, opening up new gaming experiences with precise motion control.
visionOS 26 will be available as a free software update for existing Apple Vision Pro users later this year.