visionOS SDK and what devs should know

Apple announced that the visionOS SDK is now available to developers, allowing them to get started on creating innovative app experiences on the Vision Pro. Developers can get access to the SDK through the Apple Developer Program which includes the visionOS SDK, Xcode 15 beta 2, Reality Composer Pro, and the Simulator. Apple is offering dev kits to teams that want to get a competitive advantage and start building and testing their apps quicker on the Vision Pro. Additionally, Apple announced that next month they are hosting developer labs that will allow developers to get hands-on experience. Developers can test their apps during these labs and get support from the engineering team at Apple. The labs will be in London, Shanghai, Tokyo, Cupertino, Munich, and Singapore.

What developers need to know to get started with Apple's new visionOS SDK

Where to get the vision OS SDK: https://developer.apple.com/visionos/

Where to get the documentation for creating visionOS apps: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/visionos/

Key topics for visionOS 1.0:

• App construction
• Design
• SwiftUI
• RealityKit
• Reality Composer Pro
• ARKit
• Video playback
• Xcode and Instruments
• Simulator
• iOS migration and compatibility
   

New interactions on SwiftUI and ARKit

• Tap to select
• Pinch to rotate
• Manipulate objects
• Create custom gestures

How to create a visionOS app

• Create your Xcode project
• Modify the existing window
• Handle events in your views
• Build and run your app

Featured sample apps

• Hello World (sample code)
• Destination Video (sample code)
• Happy Beam (sample code)
• Diorama (sample code)
   

visionOS SDK video sessions

• Get Started with visionOS
• Design for visionOS
• Exploring developer tools
• Games and media experiences
• Collaboration and productivity
• Web experiences
• Run your iPad and iPhone apps in visionOS
   

Where to view the visionOS SDK video sessions: https://developer.apple.com/visionos/learn/

The hands-on Vision Pro in-person experience coming to Apple's developer labs next month

Where the labs will take place:

• London
• Tokyo
• Cupertino
• Munich
• Shanghai
• Singapore
   

Where to find out more information about times/dates: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/developer-tools-to-create-spatial-experiences-for-apple-vision-pro-now-available/

"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," according to Apple's recent article.

What is the community saying about Vision Pro and visionOS? Will it fail?

"When the $3,499 mixed-reality headset goes on sale in 2024, no doubt diehard Apple enthusiasts and VR/AR hobbyists will bring their sleeping bags and line up outside the Apple Store doors, hooting and hollering and having a ball. Maybe some gamers will get on board. But the rest of us? No. Absolutely not. Don’t be ridiculous. This is not a "revolutionary" gadget, no matter how confident Tim Cook looks when he says it is. It’s a rare misfire, and a sign that Apple is losing its ability to turn tech-geek novelties into normie must-haves," said Kate Knibbs from Wired.

In a recent interview between The Verge and Mark Zuckerberg, he explained why the Vision Pro has a significantly higher price than the Meta Quest, according to a Cointelegraph article, "Zuckerberg remarked that Apple opted for a higher resolution display, leading to a sevenfold increase in costs and energy consumption, ultimately necessitating a wired connection and battery."

"The new device is a feat of engineering, but it also comes with an eye-popping $3,499 price tag. But there’s another issue as well that could prove to be a problem: getting third party developers on board with making native apps. Apple hopes the Vision Pro will fundamentally change how we interact with our devices, that once freed from the constraints of a smartphone or tablet screen, we’ll embrace “spatial computing,” as the glitzy promo video shows. Gesture and eye tracking identifies where your focus is, allowing you to interact with apps without pressing buttons or a screen. That could be great for consumers. But it’s a headache for Apple’s ecosystem of app developers," said Chris Stokel-Walker from MIT Technology Review.

"This is the reality for Apple's Vision Pro mixed-reality headset: It's another pair of nerd goggles that will make most people look decidedly uncool. Apple is usually a master at turning technical gadgetry into desirable status symbols. For now, the Vision Pro has failed to do pull this off," said Alistair Barr from Business Insider.

A YouTuber that goes by Connor McCaskill shared a video about his opinions on the Vision Pro, why he thinks it will not fail, his concerns that the price is too high, and his prediction that there will be more economical models released in the near future that more users will be able to afford. Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bpHlNFk-vg

Pocketnow posted an article about the 4 main reasons the Vision Pro headset could fail, which included the weight and fatigue it could cause, the battery life, the steep price, and limited use cases, "However, it's not all gloom and doom. While there are some concerns about the Vision Pro, it's important to note that the product does offer a lot of innovative features and the company also has a track record of delivering exceptional products. While the product may not pick up right from the start, Apple could address the issues in future iterations, leaving room for optimism about what the future holds for the AR/VR space."

Additional comments on the visionOS SDK

"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. 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," said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations.

"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 visualize medical issues, such as ventricular fibrillation, and how to apply their knowledge with patients. Learning through Complete HeartX on Apple Vision Pro will transform medical education and prepare future health professionals for practice," said Jan Herzhoff, Elsevier Health’s president.

"The djay app on Apple Vision Pro puts a fully featured DJ system right at a user’s fingertips. With a reimagined spatial interface, anyone can mix their favorite music and apply real-time effects using just their eyes and hands. 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," said Karim Morsy, Algoriddim’s CEO.

"JigSpace and Apple Vision Pro empower people and businesses to easily communicate their ideas or products in all-new ways. 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," said Zac Duff, JigSpace's co-founder and CEO.

"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. 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," said Stephen Prideaux-Ghee, PTC's chief technology officer of AR/VR.