One year ago at the World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC), Apple officially made the announcement that it was releasing an AR/VR headset and introduced the Apple Vision Pro to the world.
The internet was abuzz with the potential of Apple’s take on such a product. However, $3,499 price tag cooled the conversation around it a bit. The Apple Vision Pro went on sale in February with renewed excitement around the headset but it’s sort of been all downhill since then as the company has struggled to sell the pricey device.
At WWDC 2024, the first event where the Vision Pro is actually in consumers’ hands, Apple had a chance to once again renew interest in the headset just four months after it was released.
Here’s what Apple announced:
visionOS 2
The next Apple Vision Pro operating system was announced, as expected, at WWDC 2024.
visionOS 2 brings some big visual updates to Apple’s AR/VR headset. One big focus in this version of the Vision Pro operating System? Spatial computing.
Photos
The biggest update to a specific Apple Vision Pro app appears to be Photos. According to Apple, visionOS 2 brings spatial photo capabilities to 2D photos or as Apple called it at the event “new ways to connect with your most important memories.”
Credit: Apple
With the tap of a button, users can turn any 2D photo into a spatial photo with depth using AI.
Another new feature coming to Photos is Spatial personas with Shareplay. Users will be able to share photos with other Apple Vision Pro users and their 3D avatar will be visible alongside the media, so users can share each other’s reactions to those shared memories.
Ultra-wide Mac Display
This one elicited a huge response from those at WWDC at Apple headquarters in Cupertino.
Credit: Apple
visionOS 2 brings a new update to the Mac virtual display on the Apple Vision Pro. Users can now view their Mac via the Apple Vision Pro with an ultra-wide Mac display. According to Apple, this display is the equivalent of two side-by-side 4K monitors.
Other new updates in visionOS 2
Apple also announced other new features coming to the Apple Vision Pro in the latest OS update.
New hand gesture features will be available in order for users to have easier access to the home and settings options. Apple Vision Pro’s Travel mode will have a new feature for trains, although Apple didn’t quite explain what the difference between that mode and the existing one for airplane travel is.
Apple also shared that it will now be easier for developers to create spatial apps and for content creators to create spatial video. Some examples are that Canon is coming out with a spatial video lens and spatial video can be edited in Final Cut Pro and uploaded to Vimeo’s new Apple Vision Pro app.
And lastly, when it comes to features, the company gave a sneak peek into Apple immersive video that seems to engulf the user in the video content they are viewing.
Apple’s final Apple Vision Pro announcement at WWDC 2024? The Apple Vision Pro will be launched in China, Japan, and Singapore on June 28 and then in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom on July 12.
