What’s Next?

That’s what’s new in visionOS 2 this year. But before we go, I’d like to consider what’s next for the platform. Really, I’d like to share my personal wishes for the future of visionOS. I have several, and many of them are big asks, but given how much has changed in visionOS over its short lifespan so far, I expect that at least some of these requests will be checked off the list when visionOS 3 ships, presumably next fall.

Here’s what I’d like to see come next:

Improved multitasking: Putting together multi-window setups in visionOS by adding windows one at a time from the Home View, Spotlight, or Siri is too cumbersome and time-consuming. Even once a setup is perfect, you have to tear it all down when moving on to the next task. I want a spatial computing version of Stage Manager that allows me to create a series of multi-window views and easily switch between them. A quick launcher or dock hidden behind a hand gesture would be a great way for launching often-used apps, too.

A more robust notification system: visionOS doesn’t handle notifications well. They appear as tiny icons at the top of the user’s view that indicate nothing more than the app sending the notification. You have to tap on a notification in order to get any useful information from it, and then there’s no way to act on the notification other than to open its associated app. I’d like more information available within the notification itself, possibly by expanding the tiny icon into a larger element when the user looks at it, as well as the ability to quickly act on notifications, such as by replying to messages inline. Notification Center needs some attention, too, as the horizontally scrolling list can become a jumbled mess in no time.

Native system apps: I was surprised that no system apps were migrated from their iPad versions to native visionOS apps with the release of visionOS 2. The ability to run iPad apps on Vision Pro is a necessary feature, but Apple shouldn’t rely on it to avoid creating native versions of each of its apps. No one thinks the iPad version of Podcasts offers as good of an experience on Vision Pro as the native Music app. The company should show its commitment to the platform by getting every first-party app out of the Compatible Apps folder as soon as possible.

Core experiences reimagined for spatial computing: Once all of Apple’s apps are running natively on visionOS, it’ll be time to start rethinking many of them in light of what Vision Pro can do. Spatial computing is a new way of interacting with software, so every system app shouldn’t be limited to the flat rectangles that came before. How about a 3D virtual desk calendar showing your events for the day? Or a virtual recreation of the book you’re reading that you can hold in your hands? An envelope to fold your email into before sending it?¹¹ The possibilities are endless in visionOS, and I’d like to see Apple think outside the literal box.

Feature parity with other Apple platforms: As far as visionOS has come, it’s still missing some features that we take for granted on other platforms: things like widgets, Find My support, Focus filters, and personal automations in Shortcuts, to name a few. That’s not to mention the fact that Apple Intelligence hasn’t been announced for visionOS at all, even as it’s poised to be released on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS later this year. Based on its prominent placement in the WWDC keynote and the fact that it’s being brought into the regular software development cycle, visionOS seems to be a high-priority platform for Apple, and it deserves the full platform treatment.

Incentives for third-party developers: The visionOS App Store continues to grow, but it’s nowhere near the size of the App Store on iOS or even iPadOS. Too many developers are opting out of developing for the platform or even allowing their iPad apps to run on it, and it’s up to Apple to convince them. I can’t say for certain what that looks like, and I imagine it won’t be a one-size-fits-all approach, but I want to see more third-party software available for Vision Pro, including some of my favorite apps that I currently have to use via AirPlay Receiver or Mac Virtual Display.

More devices running visionOS: This is actually a hardware request, and it’s almost definitely one that won’t be addressed within the next year. But the reality is that Vision Pro – as incredible and groundbreaking as it is – is not a product that appeals to the masses in terms of form factor or pricing. For spatial computing to grow, visionOS will need to be offered on a range of products with a much broader market in mind. Vision Pro is a feat to be sure, but at the same time, it’s likely the biggest, heaviest, and least comfortable device that will ever run visionOS. That presents a huge but exciting challenge for the hardware engineers working on the next Vision product, and I hope they meet that challenge with an offering that will be appealing and attainable to a wider swath of people.

Conclusion

Fifteen months after the Vision Pro was first announced, the product has already been on a wild ride full of twists and turns, the latest of which is visionOS 2, a major upgrade to the device’s operating system that’s barely half a year old. In that short time, the visionOS team has put together a substantial update with a compelling batch of features: quality-of-life improvements that users will benefit from constantly, integration with iOS and iPadOS to make more apps accessible on the platform, developer tools that firm up the foundation of spatial computing, and a jaw-dropping photo-viewing experience that only Vision Pro can offer. This is an update worthy of the 2.0 label, and I continue to be surprised at how much the platform has developed in such a short time.

The thing that excites me most about visionOS 2 is the way it represents how early we are in the era of spatial computing. Foundational principles still aren’t completely set in stone, and Apple is working with users and third-party developers to understand how this new paradigm for computing is going to work. Free of the baggage of legacy form factors and with so many uses cases unexplored, the possibilities are endless, and we get a front row seat to the discovery process.

What we’re seeing is a new way of computing being shaped before our very eyes. It’s going to take some time for spatial computing to reach its full potential, and the first attempt at some aspects won’t always be the right one. Things might even get a little weird. But until the system matures into yet another fully baked platform that prioritizes stability over innovation, we get the privilege of seeing it try new things, figure out what works and what doesn’t, and grow into what it will become.

visionOS 2 is a step forward in the journey of spatial computing. There’s a long way to go, but where we’re at is pretty great, and I, for one, am happy to be along for the ride.