Apple releases visionOS 27 with Siri AI, new immersive environments and curved windows

On AI, Apple Intelligence and Siri AI have arrived on the new system. Siri can use personal context to find photos, perform actions directly in apps, or summarize articles being read. In Apple Vision Pro, Siri can appear anywhere in space, and users can start a conversation by looking at it. The upgraded Visual Intelligence allows users to ask about physical objects or window content. On China mainland Apple Vision Pro units, however, Apple Intelligence and Siri AI remain unavailable, as is the case with other China mainland devices.

For environments, visionOS 27 adds an immersive environment called Thórsmörk, a mountain landscape shot in Iceland and named after Thor in Norse mythology. Like other immersive environments, it was filmed on location and shows a quiet daytime river view and an aurora night scene, with day-night switching, snow and ice landscapes around a lake, winter ambient sounds and flowing water. The system also allows users for the first time to turn their own panoramic photos into environments. Uploaded photos are stored in a My Environments folder in the lower right of the Environments interface. Because of limits in photo resolution and field-of-view coverage, and because the photos lack dynamic effects and background audio, custom immersive environments are less immersive than built-in ones.

The Control Center has been redesigned around three cards. The first shows time, battery, music controls and a collapsed notification entry, similar to the iPhone lock screen. The second contains control buttons for functions such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Mac Virtual Display and Focus. The third shows the current immersive environment and allows its effect to be adjusted on the card.

In apps, visionOS 27 adds curved windows to several apps, giving app windows a curved visual effect similar to Mac Virtual Display windows. Apple's visionOS 27 introduction page says Safari, Freeform and Apple TV support the feature. After updating to the official version and testing, however, the Apple TV app still could not trigger curved windows, 少数派 reported. Safari also supports a Side-By-Side tab view that tiles all open tabs in space for simultaneous browsing, avoiding switching back and forth between tabs.

When using Mac Virtual Display, visionOS 27 can now preview and edit 3D models from a Mac directly in space. With an enhanced Quick Look, users can override model materials, view wireframe and UV maps, check modeling quality and annotate 3D models so team members stay in sync with the latest changes.

For video recording, the high-quality recording feature supports 4K resolution for up to three minutes of non-foveated rendered field of view, keeping the entire view clear. Content being recorded can also be viewed through a high-resolution mirror at 4K.

Other updates include folders for organizing boards in Freeform and viewing objects as spatial groups. Messages unread counts and missed message notifications sync faster to other Apple devices. Apple says Apple Vision Pro can now start up and connect to Wi-Fi up to three times faster. Widgets add an extra-small size option and a Mac Virtual Display widget that can be placed anywhere in the home and tapped to connect immediately to a Mac, even when the Mac is off.

For developers, Safari can present 360-degree immersive web environments created by developers. Reality Composer Pro 3 adds simulation, character animation and dynamic lighting for game asset creation, and can build game logic through Script Graph.

Editor's Summary

Apple released visionOS 27 on Sept. 15 with Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, Visual Intelligence, a new Icelandic immersive environment and support for custom panoramic environments. The update also adds a three-card Control Center, curved app windows, Mac 3D model preview and editing, 4K recording and developer tools. Apple Intelligence and Siri AI remain unavailable on China mainland Apple Vision Pro units, while several app and performance updates are included.