PRESS RELEASE
22 June 2023
Developer tools to create spatial experiences for Apple Vision Pro now available
The visionOS software development kit (SDK) enables Apple’s developer community to bring their apps to life in ways never before possible
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced the availability of new software tools and technologies that enable developers to create groundbreaking app experiences for Apple Vision Pro — Apple’s first spatial computer. Featuring visionOS, the world’s first spatial operating system, Vision Pro lets users interact with digital content in their physical space using the most natural and intuitive inputs possible — their eyes, hands and voice. Starting today, Apple’s global community of developers will be able to create an entirely new class of spatial computing apps that take full advantage of the infinite canvas in Vision Pro and seamlessly blend digital content with the physical world to enable extraordinary new experiences. With the visionOS SDK, developers can utilise the powerful and unique capabilities of Vision Pro and visionOS to design brand-new app experiences across a variety of categories including productivity, design, gaming and more.
Next month, Apple will open developer labs in Cupertino, London, Munich, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo to provide developers with hands-on experience to test their apps on Apple Vision Pro hardware and get support from Apple engineers. Development teams will also be able to apply for developer kits to help them quickly build, iterate and test right on Apple Vision Pro.
“Apple Vision Pro redefines what’s possible on a computing platform. Developers can get started building visionOS apps using the powerful frameworks they already know, and take their development even further with new innovative tools and technologies like Reality Composer Pro, to design all-new experiences for their users,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “By taking advantage of the space around the user, spatial computing unlocks new opportunities for our developers, and enables them to imagine new ways to help their users connect, be productive and enjoy new types of entertainment. We can’t wait to see what our developer community dreams up.”
Developers can build new experiences that take advantage of the groundbreaking features of Apple Vision Pro by using the same foundational frameworks they already know from other Apple platforms, including powerful technologies like Xcode, SwiftUI, RealityKit, ARKit and TestFlight. These tools enable developers to create new types of apps that span a spectrum of immersion, including windows, which have depth and can showcase 3D content; volumes, which create experiences that are viewable from any angle; and spaces, which can fully immerse a user in an environment with unbounded 3D content. To help developers optimise 3D content for their visionOS apps and games, an all-new tool available with Xcode called Reality Composer Pro lets them preview and prepare 3D models, animations, images and sounds, so they look amazing on Vision Pro. Developers can also interact with their apps in the new visionOS simulator to explore and test various room layouts and lighting conditions. And every developer framework comes with built-in support for Apple’s innovative accessibility features to ensure spatial computing and visionOS apps are accessible to everyone.
Starting next month, developers who have been building 3D apps and games with Unity’s robust authoring tools can port their Unity apps to Apple Vision Pro and take full advantage of its powerful capabilities.
Developers who have previewed the visionOS SDK and APIs are excited for the potential of the platform and how it will enable them to create all-new app experiences for their users:
“With Apple Vision Pro, Complete HeartX will help prepare medical students for clinical practice by using hyper-realistic 3D models and animations that help them understand and visualise medical issues, such as ventricular fibrillation, and how to apply their knowledge with patients,” said Jan Herzhoff, Elsevier Health’s president. “Learning through Complete HeartX on Apple Vision Pro will transform medical education and prepare future health professionals for practice.”
“The djay app on Apple Vision Pro puts a fully featured DJ system right at a user’s fingertips. With a re-imagined spatial interface, anyone can mix their favourite music and apply real-time effects using just their eyes and hands,” said Karim Morsy, Algoriddim’s CEO. “Whether for a beginner or a seasoned professional, djay on Vision Pro transforms the user’s surroundings with stunning environments that automatically react to their mix, enabling them to experience and interact with music in ways never before possible.”
“JigSpace and Apple Vision Pro empower people and businesses to easily communicate their ideas or products in all-new ways,” said Zac Duff, JigSpace’s co-founder and CEO. “It uses the high-resolution CAD files companies already have, so their marketing, sales, product or support teams can securely collaborate with colleagues or customers from anywhere in the world and get people to that ‘Aha!’ moment in a fraction of the time it usually takes. This level of fast, effective communication simply wasn’t possible before.”
“Manufacturers can use AR solutions from PTC to collaborate on critical business problems by bringing interactive 3D content into the real world — from a single product, to an entire production line,” said Stephen Prideaux-Ghee, PTC’s chief technology officer of AR/VR. “With Apple Vision Pro, stakeholders across departments and in different locations can review content simultaneously to make design and operation decisions. This capability will unlock a level of collaboration previously not possible.”
The visionOS SDK, updated Xcode, Simulator and Reality Composer Pro are available for Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. Registered Apple developers have access to a variety of resources to help them design, develop and test apps for Apple Vision Pro, including extensive technical documentation, new design kits and updated human interface guidelines for visionOS.
To learn more about designing new app experiences for Apple Vision Pro, or to apply for a developer kit starting next month, developers can visit developer.apple.com/visionos.
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