One of the new features that perhaps hasn’t had the attention it deserves in the latest visionOS 16 release (which will be coming out on September 15th) is the inclusion of changeable ‘Prism values’. These essentially tweak the image to appear in focus for visually impaired users who would typically require glasses or contact lenses.
For glasses-wearers, this is particularly great, as it means they don’t need to wear them underneath the Apple Vision Pro headset (which is a bit of a pain – I can attest from personal experience).
If you have your prescription details handy, you can enter these into the settings in order to tweak the focus of the lenses on each eye; otherwise, you can just manually adjust them until the image meets your needs.
Other visionOS 26 improvements
What else is new in visionOS 26?
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Anchorable spatial widgets
Although widgets existed in previous versions of the operating system, they were fairly two-dimensional and could not be anchored to objects within the physical environment, but now they can! What’s more, the position of the widget will now be saved between sessions, rather than resetting each time.
Widgets include tools like clocks, weather updates, photo frames, and music players. These widgets are customizable with options for color, size, and depth, making them feel naturally embedded in your space.
Shared spatial experiences
Different Vision Pro users can now view the same content simultaneously (as long as they’re in the same room). This is ideal if you want to play a game together or watch a film or TV episode.
Greater video/camera support
Speaking of video viewing, the new version now supports 180°, 360°, and wide field-of-view content from brands like GoPro, Insta360, and Canon.
And more!
- ‘Look to Scroll’ feature – You can now scroll web pages by simply moving your eyes.
- Improved iPhone integration – Lets you unlock your phone or take calls without needing to remove your headset.
- Visually improved Personas – The digital avatar used across various apps (including FaceTime) now has improved hair, skin, and facial detail.
- PlayStation VR2 Sense controller support
- New enterprise APIs for developers
