After just revealing its highly anticipated Vision Pro headset, a page on Apple’s website suggests that applications for Vision Pro development kits could open in July.
The ‘Work with Apple’ subpage under the visionOS section of the Apple Developer website is offering developers three ways to bring their apps to the new spatial computing headset as early as next month.
Apple is providing developers with three options:
Attend a visionOS developer lab: These labs will be held in six locations worldwide and will give developers the opportunity to test and optimise their games and apps on visionOS as well as get direct support from Apple.
Support: The Mac company will offer a variety of resources to help developers bring their apps to visionOS, including documentation, tutorials and sample code. Developers can also request a report from Apple on their, “App or game’s appearance and how it behaves in visionOS.”
Participate in upcoming events: To promote and market its new headset, Apple will host several events throughout the year where developers can learn more about how their apps will run on visionOS and get involved in the community.
“To support great ideas for apps and games for visionOS,” Apple will make Vision Pro developer kits available. “Stay tuned for how to apply,” Apple wrote.
Vision Pro (the next big thing)
The tech giant also recommends using its own tools and frameworks to build spatial apps for visionOS. These tools include Xcode IDE (for macOS), SwiftUI interface building, and its ARKit and RealityKit frameworks for tracking the user’s environment, rendering 3D content and interacting with virtual objects.
These tools aside, the company also provides a variety of documentation, tutorials, and sample code to help developers get started building spatial apps for visionOS. Apple also revealed a Reality Composer Pro, its very own engine editor.
For developers who don’t have access to a visionOS development kit, Apple is adding a visionOS Simulator Xcode 15 to allow them to test and interact with their apps in a simulated environment that closely resembles the real visionOS experience.
Apple’s Vision Pro headset is set to be the next big thing for the tech giant and while its hefty price of $3,499 will steer many away from it, the device does have some interesting features that make extended reality rather amusing.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
