Apple previews visionOS 26: generative AI spatial scenes and PS VR2 support

Apple just previewed visionOS 26 for Vision Pro at WWDC, and the headset is finally learning how to blend into your living room instead of just floating windows in front of your face.

The update introduces spatial widgets that physically anchor to your real-world room. Clocks, weather, music, and photos can now live permanently on your wall or desk, reappearing in the exact same spot every time you slip the headset on.

Local multiplayer and generative depth

Shared experiences now work in the physical world. Two people in the same room wearing a Vision Pro can now watch 3D movies together, play spatial games, or review 3D designs side by side through apps like Dassault Systèmes' 3DLive.

Personas got a massive visual overhaul. Using volumetric rendering and machine learning, they now support full side profiles, more realistic hair and skin tones, and over 1,000 customizable glasses frames.

Apple is also using generative AI to turn regular photos into dynamic spatial scenes. By computing realistic depth from multiple angles, users can lean in and look around static shots, a feature real estate platform Zillow is already integrating into its immersive listings.

Other big additions include native playback for 180-degree and 360-degree footage from GoPro, Insta360, and Canon, plus official support for PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers with full 6DOF tracking and haptics.

Why it matters

visionOS 26 signals a pragmatic, much-needed shift in Apple's spatial computing playbook.

For users and creators, opening up to PS VR2 controllers and third-party action cameras is basically an admission that Apple's pristine hand-tracking and proprietary spatial video format weren't enough to sustain high-end gaming and creator pipelines. Adding hardware controller support gives hardcore VR developers an actual reason to port titles.

On the enterprise side, local co-presence and instant profile sharing via iPhone remove two of the biggest friction points for corporate training and design studios, making shared device pools genuinely viable.

That said, incredible spatial widgets and prettier Personas still can't change the hardware's weight or high price tag. We see visionOS 26 as Apple laying the ideal software groundwork for a future, lighter consumer headset rather than a sudden catalyst for the current high-end hardware.