We are now after WWDC24 where Apple officially announced visionOS 2, a beta is now available to all users. Here is what has been revealed:
WWDC 2024, the event where Apple annually announces new updates for the of its devices for both consumers and developers. This year, the ecosystem Apple has added a new device: Apple Vision Pro, which has been available for more than four months. As the excitement about the device wanes, users begin to notice imperfections in Apple's new visionOS operating system.
VisionOS 2.0 has been announced, introducing new and improved features that are sure to be useful. While this is not a revolutionary update, it does contain improvements that significantly improve the Apple Vision Pro experience and offer exciting new functionalities to try out. Here is the full list of new features you can try out even now, installing the developer beta visionOS 2.
Spatial photos
Viewing 3D content was one of the most recognisable features in Apple Vision Pro, and for the some even one of the main reasons for buying these goggles. Spatial films are an essential part of the experience. If you have an iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max or just the goggles themselves, you can record spatial videos that can later be viewed on the Vision Pro or Quest 3.
Videos are great, but what about photos? Can you view 3D photos on the Apple Vision Pro? Now Yes. With visionOS 2, you can even create a 3D photo from any existing image in the gallery, but not only that, because it also works on these downloaded from the web. All you have to do is select a photo and the artificial intelligence will do all the work; it scans the image and transforms it into a full spatial photograph. This function has been tested by a number of beta users and is said to work great.
Photos app now available on SharePlay
Viewing memories through space films and photographs is fantastic, but can be lonely. No more - at least if you know someone who has an Apple Vision Pro. Now you can share your photo gallery via SharePlay, where the spatial persona of the other person appears in your space, allowing you to enjoy memories together.
New interactions with hands
If you have Meta Quest 3 or 2, you may be familiar with this gesture: you hold your hand in front of you and squeeze the thumb and forefinger. This opens the menu. Apple has embraced the idea, but has significantly improved it.
- Squeezing his thumb and forefinger while holding his hand in front of him opens the main menu.
- Turning the hand upwards and looking at it shows the battery and time. Then squeezing the thumb and index finger opens the control centre.
The Mac's virtual screen can now be wide... Or even ultra-wide
One of the main complaints about the Mac's Virtual Screen was its limitation to a single screen. While visionOS 2 still only supports one screen, users can now resize it to be wide or ultra-wide, providing enough space for multitasking as if you had several screens side by side. Apple says this is equivalent to having two 4K screens side by side.
Support for train travel
You can now use Apple Vision Pro while travelling by train. Previously, this was only available on planes and to some extent functional was in cars and other means of communication, but now this function has been enhanced to work seamlessly on trains.
New API for developers
Apple has introduced new APIs to enhance developer capabilities. They include They:
- Volumetric APIs
- TabletopKit
- Enterprise APIs
With these updates, developers can now resize volumes, use the improved object recognition and spatial understanding and anchor the real-time virtual objects to physical surfaces.
TabletopKit simplifies the development of table-oriented games and applications, such as chess, facilitating growth in this niche.
In addition, the enterprise API promises access to the camera, meaning that enterprise developers can exploit the full potential of the augmented reality capabilities on the Apple Vision Pro.
Live captioning
visionOS 2 now includes live system subtitles that work during live calls using the microphone and sound from any application.
New Immersive Content and the Bora Bora Environment
A new virtual environment called Bora Bora is now available. Apple is also developing A series of 8K and 180-degree immersive content, including a new sports series extremes with Red Bull, experiences from world-renowned artists such as The Weeknd and Apple's first-rate short film called 'Sunken', between the others.
Mouse support
Physical mice are now supported and the Apple Magic Keyboard will appear in fully immersive environments.
Now you can move application icons in the Menu!
You can now rearrange all the apps on the home screen, just like in iOS 18 on the iPhone and other updated Apple devices.
Apple Vision Pro now remembers 'guest users' for longer
Visitor data (their eye and hand settings) will now be stored on the device for maximum of 30 days, compared to just a few minutes.
