Vision Pro, Apple"s pocket-burning spatial computing headset, is getting its annual software upgrade. As promised last week, Apple has started rolling out the freshly baked visionOS 26 update for the headset.
You might have expected Apple to call it visionOS 3. However, the iPhone-maker did a major shakeup in its naming scheme and jumped version numbers. That"s why visionOS 26 is rolling out alongside other Apple-made operating systems: iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and macOS 26 Tahoe.
visionOS 26 is the one that inspired Apple"s Liquid Glass design language, which spans across other operating systems to add a glass-like effect in the UI elements. The new Vision Pro update comes with several new features and changes. Widgets now have spatial features and integrate with your space instead of just getting anchored to a point.
It"s like hanging a clock on the wall or adding a panoramic window in your digital space. You can find them in the Widgets app, including Clock, Weather, Music, and Photos, which you can customize with a variety of options for color, depth, and frame width.
The cherry on top is that your Vision Pro headset remembers where you place your widgets in your space, so they can reappear when you put on the headset again.
If you hang out with other people who bought the $3,499 headset, visionOS 26 now lets you share spatial experiences with them. You can watch 3D movies together, play spatial games, connect with co-workers, and add remote participants from other places via FaceTime.
Speaking of which, Apple has given a visual upgrade to Personas on visionOS 26, which now "feel more natural and familiar." These digital avatars offer a full side profile view with accurate hair, lashes, and complexion, and have become more expressive.
A feature called Spatial Scenes converts regular images into their 3D self by adding depth and multiple perspectives. It works for almost all of the photos in your library and creates a parallax effect, giving you a feel that you can lean and look around the objects in the image. You can view spatial scenes in the Photos app, the Spatial Gallery app, and the Safari browser.
visionOS 26 now supports more devices, including the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller for gaming, native playback of 180-degree, 360-degree, and wide field-of-view content from Insta360, GoPro, and Canon. Apart from that, you can also make phone calls from your Vision Pro headset and operate websites and apps using your eyes through a feature called Look to Scroll.
You can download and install visionOS 26 on your Vision Pro by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Depending on your preference, you can choose to update it automatically or take matters into your own hands. Make sure to back up your device before starting the job.