As Apple’s newest and most cutting-edge platform, visionOS is also the hardest to nail down. Vision Pro as a product is still so nascent that people don’t quite know what to make of it. Is it a VR headset for gaming and watching movies? Is it a specialized tool for designers and doctors? Or could it be a computer that everyday people might one day be interested in using for both work and play?
The jury is still out. Although the Vision Pro is very much a product you can buy right now and visionOS is an operating system that users run every day, there’s still an intangible element surrounding the whole ordeal. Most people who aren’t enthusiasts or early adopters have no firsthand experience of what the platform is like. The current form factor limits the potential user base for visionOS to those willing to wear a bulky headset regularly. It’s simply not a platform that just anyone can easily pick up and try for themselves.
But for those who do take the plunge, there’s something about visionOS that’s undeniably compelling on a fundamental level. It just feels cool to see windows and objects within your real space and then be able to move them around freely using your eyes and hands. It’s an interaction model that’s long been dreamed about and speculated on, and it’s available in the here and now.
For some, the form factor tradeoffs and software limitations of the Vision Pro are enough to outweigh the novelty and magic of it all. But there are others who can’t get enough of visionOS as it stands today and can see its potential to be even more in the future. For them – well, I guess I should say for us – the Vision Pro feels like the future.
Based on the ways Apple is moving the platform forward this year, it seems that the company is listening to feedback from both parties. visionOS 26 includes flashy new features for Vision Pro superfans who want to get the most out of the platform’s unique immersive experiences, but it also packs in a bunch of quality-of-life improvements to bring it closer in line with Apple’s other platforms and make the system more approachable to everyday users. And at the same time, the platform is pushing further into areas of interest like gaming and collaboration where it can offer something truly unique from anything else in Apple’s lineup.
When I reviewed visionOS 2 last year, I was amazed at the progress that the platform’s development team had made in such a short time. That pace of growth has not let up over the past year, with enhancements like Apple Intelligence and a remade Guest User mode coming in the middle of the visionOS 2 cycle. And visionOS 26 keeps that rapid development going with a ton of new features, improvements, and capabilities that make Vision Pro even more powerful and enjoyable to use.
Let’s get into it.
Exclusive Extras & Support MacStories
eBooks, Making-Of, Drafts Actions, and Apple Intelligence Shortcuts
As we do every year, we’ve put together some fun extras to make this week extra special for Club MacStories members who want to dive deeper into this year’s OS updates and reviews. And for Club MacStories Plus and Premier members, we’ve got even more in store to help you improve your automations and workflows using techniques from Federico’s review, as well as exclusive ways to experience our other OS reviews.
Today, Club MacStories members can download a complete, interactive eBook edition of iOS and iPadOS 26: The MacStories Review to read on their favorite device or app. And this Saturday, Club Members will receive a special edition of our MacStories Weekly newsletter featuring a behind-the-scenes making-of story with details on how Federico researched, wrote, and compiled his review of iOS and iPadOS 26, including his use of Drafts, Notion, LLMs, and more.
If you’re not already a member, you can join Club MacStories for $5/month or $50/year using the buttons below:
Apple Intelligence shortcuts will be released next week.
Club MacStories Plus and Premier members get even more perks.
Throughout the week, members will receive a set of eBook editions of the macOS 26 Tahoe, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26 reviews from the MacStories team to read however they like. And next week, Federico will publish two special stories exclusively for Club Plus and Premier members: a collection of Drafts actions he used to make his review and a new lesson in the Automation Academy centered on Apple Intelligence shortcuts, showcasing the new ‘Use Model’ action and teaching members how to take advantage of it themselves.
To unlock all of these additional perks, use the buttons below to join Club MacStories Plus:
Or join Club Premier:
The support of our Club members throughout the year means the world to us and helps make it possible for the MacStories team to do what we do. In addition to the exclusive content we publish for Club members year-round, we look forward to offering extra perks like these alongside each fall’s reviews.
If you enjoy reading the reviews and want to support our work, consider signing up for Club MacStories and unlocking all of these perks and more.
For more details on Club MacStories and this year’s extras, you can read our full breakdown here.
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