TechCapsules

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

At its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple introduced visionOS 26, a significant update for the Apple Vision Pro headset, packed with innovative features like spatial widgets, enhanced Personas, and support for immersive 360-degree video. The update also brings shared experiences, expanded gaming capabilities with PlayStation VR2 controllers, and new tools for workplace collaboration. Currently available for developers, visionOS 26 promises to elevate the Vision Pro experience. Spatial Widgets Transform Interaction visionOS 26 introduces spatial widgets, which integrate seamlessly into the user’s environment and remain fixed in place across sessions. Users can customize these widgets—adjusting size, color, and depth—and choose from options like Weather, Music, Photos, and Clock, or import widgets from iPhone and iPad apps. The update also enables shared spatial experiences, allowing multiple Vision Pro users in the same space to collaborate on projects, watch 3D movies, or play games together. Remote users can join via FaceTime, ensuring seamless connectivity across distances. Enhanced Personas and Spatial Scenes Apple has refined Personas, the digital avatars used in virtual meetings, with improved realism in hair, skin, and facial details. Users can customize their Persona with over 1,000 virtual glasses styles and preview adjustments for a personalized look. A new AI-powered feature, spatial scenes, transforms standard photos into immersive 3D environments, offering depth and dynamic perspectives. Apps like Zillow will leverage this to create lifelike virtual home tours. Immersive Video and Gaming Upgrades visionOS 26 supports 180-degree, 360-degree, and wide-angle video from Insta360, GoPro, and Canon, enabling users to relive action footage in full immersion. Safari now supports interactive 3D models, enhancing online shopping and browsing experiences. Gamers will benefit from compatibility with PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers, expanding the range of playable titles. Additionally, the Logitech Muse accessory offers a new way to interact with apps, particularly for professional and remote team settings. Workplace Collaboration and Device Sharing For businesses, visionOS 26 introduces team device sharing, allowing employees to save personal settings—such as hand tracking, vision prescriptions, and accessibility preferences—on their iPhone and apply them to shared Vision Pro headsets, streamlining workplace use. Vision Pro users will now also be able to share experiences like watching their favourite movie with their loved ones. Availability and Requirements visionOS 26 is now available for developers through Apple’s Developer Program. Some features may require the latest hardware and are not available in all regions. To use Apple Intelligence on Vision Pro, the device must run visionOS 26 with Apple Intelligence enabled, and both Siri and device language must be set to a supported language: English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, US), French (France, Canada), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, or Spanish (Spain, Mexico).