Apple released updates for all of its major operating systems this week, and the Vision Pro was no exception. With visionOS 2, the company has a chance to show the few people who bought its pricey headset and those who might still be buying that it's still committed to the new platform. After several months in beta, visionOS 2 isn't a dramatic change it's just a toned-down version of the software that came with the headset. The addition of new gestures, improved device support, and a few flashy features should iron out a lot of the issues with using the Vision Pro and give owners a reason to dust it off and give it another try.
Improving the basics
Let's start with the updates that really should have been in visionOS from day one. Apple added Bluetooth mouse support and the ability to reorder apps on the home screen that were previously strictly alphabetical. You can also extract iPad and iPhone apps from the default folder and drop them into your own Vision Pro app. I would love to be able to create new files. If you have more than two application pages, it can sometimes be hard to find the one you want, especially if you don't remember the name.
Oh well, maybe next time. New gesture controls make it even easier to use the operating system: look at your palm and a circle will appear, then you can bring up the home screen by touching it with your fingers. Turn your hand over as if to look at the clock and the circle will turn into a pill-shaped status bar that shows the time, battery level and volume level. Tap the status bar to open Control Center, or press and hold to adjust the volume.
Compared to the old method of looking up and tapping the little circle to pull down the control widget, the new gestures feel more natural and, above all, fun. (A few months later, I need to say "magic!" When I resist the dramatic desire to achieve a prosperous and unnecessary hand, and to copy Nintendo's joy.
Work with what you've got
Thanks to the addition of mouse support and the new keyboard recognition function that allows the keyboard to release the virtual environment, it is better to use Vision Pro. No more fumbling around for the home key. Unfortunately, Apple only names its own keyboards when describing this feature. It works with my mechanical keyboard, but it's not as reliable. The big missing piece for those who want to use the Vision Pro for work is the curved ultra-wide virtual display that Apple announced at WWDC. Apple says it will happen this year.
Interesting things
In addition to the productivity features, Apple introduced some exciting new features and improvements, including the ability to turn photos into 3D spatial images. It's a bit like adding a Portracle fashion to the iPhone, and it's impressive to add a new emotional aspect to an old family image. But these generated spatial images also suffer from the same flaws as retrospective portrait mode: the conversion can have strange effects on hair and edges, and if the person in the photo wears glasses, it can produce a funny 3D effect that makes it look like they're wearing gagged glasses with fake eyeballs glued to the front of the lenses. I tried to capture this in a screenshot, but you'd have to see it in 3D to see the phenomenon clearly.
Another benefit: you can save guest user hand and eye data so they don't have to set it up again. I wouldn't say this is an undesirable change, but it's not enough. I wish we could save more than one person at any one time. Let me share my favorite helmet! Can't afford another one! Watching video content in Safari just got a little better in visionOS 2. When you hit the full screen button, the web page and browser disappear, leaving you with a floating video that behaves just like any other video application. In most cases, this can be converted to an exciting mode, converting it into a huge screen of a movie. This floats on the environment where you are by overturn the ground or lower water.
As a result, you can bite from the fact that youtube or Netflix has no application, but I like to use the third part of JUNO and SUPERCUT for these services. In addition, Safari supports WebXR by default in Visionos 2, so you can use web games and VR and AR experiences. So far, the games I have tried to use are very bad, and I would like to hear some recommendations, although the vision gesture is not functioning.