The Apple Vision Pro augmented and virtual reality headset, or "spatial computing device" as Apple refers to it, has a new operating system called visionOS. Because visionOS has not yet been released and won't be until the headset comes in 2024, we currently know very little about it, but this roundup compiles what we do know.

Apple offers a comprehensive three-dimensional user interface with visionOS that begins with a Home View that resembles the iPhone's Home Screen. It shows every installed program on the Apple Vision Pro, and the visionOS interface may react dynamically to ambient light and shadows to assist users understand scale and distance.

A Mac with Apple silicon is necessary for visionOS development. Create new apps with SwiftUI to fully utilize the range of immersion offered by visionOS. If you already have an iPad or iPhone app, you may access the default system appearance and add platform-specific features to create an engaging experience by adding the visionOS destination to your app's target. Deliver a visionOS-compatible version of your app in the meantime to maintain continued access to your content.

To get visitors interested in your information, start with a well-known window-based experience. Add visionOS-specific SwiftUI scene types, including volumes and spaces, after that. You may provide depth, 3D objects, and immersive experiences using these scene types.

Create the 3D content for your app using RealityKit and Reality Composer Pro, then show it using a RealityView. Use ARKit to combine your content with the user's surroundings for an immersive experience.

You have the ability to radically reinvent your 3D experience thanks to Apple Vision Pro's unlimited spatial canvas, which is available for exploration, experimentation, and play. People can use your app while still being aware of their surroundings, or they can entirely lose themselves in a world you've created. Your experiences can also be fluid; you can begin in a window, add 3D material, change to an entirely immersive setting, and then return.

You have a choice, and it all begins with visionOS's spatial computing building blocks.

Windows:

Your visionOS software has the ability to generate one or more windows. Traditional views and controls are included, and you can deepen your experience by incorporating 3D material. They were created using SwiftUI.

Volumes:

With a 3D volume, your app will get depth. Volumes are SwiftUI scenes that use RealityKit or Unity to display 3D content, resulting in experiences that can be viewed from any angle in the Shared Space or the Full Space of an app.

Spaces:

The Shared Space is where apps open by default, and there they coexist side by side, much like numerous apps on a Mac desktop. Windows and volumes are two display elements that can be moved around by the user in apps. An app can launch a special Full Space where just that app's content would be visible for a more immersive experience. An app can use windows and volumes, produce unrestricted 3D content, provide a portal to another universe, or even completely immerse users in a setting inside a Full Space.