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Apple Seeds Fourth visionOS 27 Beta to Developers

Apple today provided developers with the fourth beta of an upcoming visionOS 27 update for testing purposes, with the beta coming two weeks after Apple released the third beta.

curved windows visionos 27
visionOS 27 can be installed by opening the Settings app, going to Software Updates, and opting into Beta Updates.

visionOS 27 introduces Siri AI, the smarter and more capable version of ‌Siri‌ that's similar in capability to chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude. On the Vision Pro, ‌Siri‌ can answer questions about anything the wearer is looking at, and there's a new ‌Siri‌ orb that can be placed anywhere in wearer's virtual space.

Panorama photos can be turned into spatial environments, and there's a new Icelandic Thórsmörk environment that features dramatic mountains, valleys, and glaciers, along with the northern lights. Web Environment support allows developers to create 360-degree environments in Safari for a more native Vision Pro browsing experience.

App windows are now curved to provide a more immersive workspace, and Control Center has been reorganized to make system controls easier to find. Apple added a smaller widget size, and notifications automatically expand when the wearer looks at them.

More on what's new in visionOS 27 is listed in our Vision Pro roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

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Top Rated Comments

inventor7777 Avatar
8 weeks ago

AVP will be retired soon enough. Why Apple is spending time on a DOA product is beyond comprehension.
One thing I never understood is how people complain about every new product that isn't globally useful, while also complaining that no one innovates anymore.

While I agree that they should be innovating on things like, say, flat camera bump and more stable software, at least they tried something new (extra premium AR/VR headset)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rychiar Avatar
8 weeks ago

AVP will be retired soon enough. Why Apple is spending time on a DOA product is beyond comprehension.
yeah okay buddy. they're not gonna can their one interesting future product.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
8 weeks ago

I love my M2 AVP. Since Apple seems to no longer be developing this device, but is certainly needing to keep up with a different operating systems to keep them all and lined with security and AI capabilities, I wonder how to invest future-proof myself. Would getting rid of my M@ AVP and getting the M5 be a good idea? I REALY love my device; I can't imaging how anyone survives airplane flight without it....
I won't speculate on the long-term future of the AVP.

The virtual display is the killer app for me. It has become an indispensable part of my productivity set. I don't think I could ever go back to sitting close to LED screens and squinting.

I have both the M2 and M5 versions. I use both. I mainly use the M5. I switch to the M2 when I forget to plug the M5 into power and deplete the battery.

The M5 will not buy you additional function. If you never put one on, you'll love your M2 until the day you or it dies. The M5 will give you a slightly better image. The motion smearing when you move your head from side to side is improved. When I switch between the two, I notice the M2 smearing. But for most of my use (using the Mac Virtual Display), the M2 is absolutely fine.

I've only been using beta 4 for a few minutes, so I can't comment on whether it is better/faster/more stable than previous beta versions. The previous ones have been mostly fine. The only problem I've had has been occasional pauses in the updates to the Mac Virtual Display and one display semi-freeze problem that was easily worked around by disconnecting and reconnecting to the Mac. That problem seems to get a little bit better with each beta.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hajj.david Avatar
8 weeks ago

I love my M2 AVP. Since Apple seems to no longer be developing this device, but is certainly needing to keep up with a different operating systems to keep them all and lined with security and AI capabilities, I wonder how to invest future-proof myself. Would getting rid of my M@ AVP and getting the M5 be a good idea? I REALY love my device; I can't imaging how anyone survives airplane flight without it....
I can't speak on hardware development but they have been very regularly adding significant software upgrades to AVP even in point releases like 26.4.

I used the M2 for a month or so but returned it and waited for the M5. The m5 is definitely snappier, the passthrough is more better at details, the resolution looks sharper, and it runs WAY cooler. The battery still sucks but is allegedly better than the M2. Oh and the new band is leaps and bounds better.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Le_Chiffre Avatar
8 weeks ago

AVP has no future, sorry to inform you.
Well if they are releasing vision os 27, then there is definitely a future. 😂
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
8 weeks ago
I love my M2 AVP. Since Apple seems to no longer be developing this device, but is certainly needing to keep up with a different operating systems to keep them all and lined with security and AI capabilities, I wonder how to invest future-proof myself. Would getting rid of my M@ AVP and getting the M5 be a good idea? I REALY love my device; I can't imaging how anyone survives airplane flight without it....
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)