From widgets to wide-angle video: What’s new in Apple visionOS 26

During the recent WWDC conference, Apple announced the launch of visionOS 26, a significant upgrade for its Vision Pro headset. This latest version introduces a variety of features, including innovative spatial widgets and collaborative activities designed to enhance the experience of 360-degree videos and popular VR gaming controllers. One of the standout features is the new spatial widgets, which integrate seamlessly into the user's environment. These customizable widgets can be adjusted in size, color, and depth, and include options like Weather, Music, Photos, and Clock. Users can also incorporate widgets from their iPhone or iPad apps, allowing for a more personalized experience. Another exciting addition is the shared spatial experiences functionality, enabling individuals wearing Vision Pro headsets to engage in activities together, such as watching movies in 3D, gaming, or collaborating on projects. Remote participants can join in via FaceTime, facilitating connections with both nearby and distant individuals. Apple has also enhanced the Personas feature, which digitally represents users during virtual meetings. The updated Personas offer improved realism, with greater detail in hair, skin, and facial features, plus the ability to choose from over 1,000 styles of virtual glasses. The introduction of spatial scenes is another highlight, utilizing AI to transform standard photos into immersive 3D environments. This feature allows users to experience images with depth and varied perspectives, creating a lifelike tour experience for applications like Zillow. For video enthusiasts, visionOS 26 supports a range of immersive content, including 180-degree and 360-degree footage from cameras like Insta360, GoPro, and Canon. This allows users to fully engage with their action videos in a captivating way. Additionally, Safari now supports interactive 3D models on websites, enhancing the online shopping and browsing experience. Gaming just got better with the inclusion of PlayStation VR2 Sense controller support, broadening the range of games available to Vision Pro users. Furthermore, the new Logitech Muse accessory provides an additional method for users to interact with applications, particularly useful for business and remote collaboration. In workplace settings, Apple has made it easier for companies to share Vision Pro headsets with a new team device sharing feature. Employees can save their personalized settings—such as hand tracking, vision prescriptions, and accessibility options—on their iPhones and apply them to any shared headset. Developers can now explore visionOS 26 through Apple’s Developer Program. However, some features may require the latest hardware and might not be accessible in all regions. To take advantage of Apple Intelligence on the Apple Vision Pro, users must have visionOS 26 with the feature enabled, and both Siri and device language settings must match supported languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.