Apple unveils visionOS 2 at WWDC 2024

June 10, 2024 – At its WWDC 2024 event in the present day, Apple has introduced a variety of recent capabilities for Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional, simply months after the device’s U.S. release. With the launch of visionOS 2 an integral a part of the announcement, Imaginative and prescient Professional customers can now count on a variety of recent options on the headset, together with a brand new strategy to flip common images into spatial images, new gestures for navigating visionOS, and extra methods for builders to benefit from the machine’s spatial computing capabilities.

What New Options Does visionOS 2 Carry to Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional?

visionOS 2 marks a big replace to Imaginative and prescient Professional and introduces new spatial computing experiences. The primary elements of the replace embody:

• Machine studying that may flip common 2D images into spatial images;
• New hand gestures for navigation and enhanced productiveness instruments;
• New APIs and frameworks to make it simpler for builders to create extra volumetric apps and video games for Imaginative and prescient Professional;
• Extra options for Safari, Apple TV, systemwide reside captions, and extra.

“Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional delivers revolutionary experiences for customers and builders, and we’re excited to advance spatial computing even additional with visionOS 2 simply months after its preliminary launch,” mentioned Mike Rockwell, Apple’s vp of the Imaginative and prescient Merchandise Group. “From navigating visionOS extra seamlessly to pushing the boundaries of how customers join with recollections, and enhancements to key Imaginative and prescient Professional apps, we will’t anticipate customers to expertise the vary of recent capabilities with visionOS 2. And with a sturdy set of instruments that allow builders to create richer spatial apps, visionOS 2 makes Imaginative and prescient Professional much more highly effective.”

How Does visionOS 2 Improve Spatial Photograph Creation?

With visionOS 2, customers can create spatial images from their current picture libraries utilizing superior machine studying, remodeling 2D photos into spatial images on Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. These images might be shared to view on Imaginative and prescient Professional, or shared from the Images app utilizing SharePlay – Apple’s characteristic that permits for the sharing of films, TV, music, and extra with pals over FaceTime calls.

What Platforms Assist Spatial Movies?

At the moment, spatial movies can solely be captured utilizing the Imaginative and prescient Professional itself, or utilizing an iPhone 15 Professional. Nonetheless, based on Apple, later this 12 months Canon will introduce a brand new “spatial lens” for its EOS R7 digital digital camera that can permit for the seize of spatial movies, even in difficult lighting situations. Moreover, an replace to Closing Reduce Professional will permit creators to edit spatial movies on Mac, including immersive titles and results. Plus, with the Vimeo app designed for Imaginative and prescient Professional, customers will be capable to add and share spatial movies for others to find and luxuriate in.

What Are the New Hand Gestures and Productiveness Instruments in visionOS 2?

visionOS 2 enhances navigation on Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional with new hand gestures for accessing House View and Management Heart, in addition to for checking time, battery ranges and adjusting the amount. Apple additionally said that the Mac Digital Show performance will quickly characteristic a better decision and bigger measurement to create an ultra-wide show that’s equal to 2 4K screens aspect by aspect.

visionOS 2 additionally provides mouse assist for added workflow choices, and Imaginative and prescient Professional will now reveal the person’s bodily Magic Keyboard, even when the person is absolutely immersed in an Surroundings or app.

Different productiveness options of visionOS 2 permit customers to personalize their House View by rearranging apps and putting them wherever they need, together with suitable iPhone and iPad apps. Plus, visionOS 2’s Journey Mode provides assist for trains, permitting vacationers to entry apps and environments on the go.

How Are Builders and Creators Benefiting from visionOS 2?

With greater than 2,000 spatial apps designed for Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional, and greater than 1.5 million suitable iOS and iPadOS apps accessible on the machine, visionOS 2 introduces new APIs and frameworks that allow builders to create extra volumetric and shareable app experiences.

HealthKit is now additionally accessible on Imaginative and prescient Professional, offering builders with new methods to create well being and health experiences. Different new instruments like TabletopKit will allow builders to construct shared and collaborative app experiences which can be centered round a desk, resembling board video games.

Along with developer instruments, Apple additionally said that later this 12 months, Blackmagic Design will launch the first-ever commercially accessible digital camera system, and an replace to its post-production software program DaVinci Resolve Studio, to assist Apple Immersive Video.

Apple Immersive Video is the corporate’s storytelling format that leverages 3D 8K video with a 180-degree area of view and Spatial Audio. As we speak’s announcement will imply skilled filmmakers will quickly have entry to a digital camera system particularly tailor-made to Immersive Video. 

Extra options in visionOS 2

• Safari – Whereas in Apple’s Safari browser on Imaginative and prescient Professional, customers can watch movies in an Surroundings, together with on in style websites resembling YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon. Whereas scrolling by way of webpages, customers can faucet on panoramic images and immerse themselves because the picture wraps round them. Siri may also learn and converse the content material of a webpage whereas customers multitask.
• Apple TV – visionOS 2 brings assist for multiview to Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional’s Apple TV app. Later this 12 months, customers will be capable to watch as much as 5 simultaneous streams to allow them to hold observe of all their favourite sports activities and groups.
• Mindfulness app – To assist customers obtain calm and focus, the Mindfulness app on Imaginative and prescient Professional will embody a brand new functionality known as ‘Observe Your Respiration’ that presents dynamic visible animations and sounds that reply to the person’s respiratory patterns.
• Dwell Captions – System-wide reside captions will present assistive options to customers to assist observe together with spoken dialogue in reside conversations and in audio from apps.
• AirPlay Viewing – Customers can view content material on their Imaginative and prescient Professional with AirPlay from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

When Is visionOS 2 Accessible?

The developer preview of visionOS 2 is out there in the present day for Apple Developer Program members. Apple famous that visionOS 2 shall be coming this fall. For extra data, please go to the corporate’s website.

Picture / video credit score: Apple