With visionOS 26 the Apple Vision Pro will gain support for the PlayStation’s VR2 Sense spatial controllers. | Image: Apple
Apple announced the latest major update for its Vision Pro headset during the company’s WWDC 2025 keynote presentation on Monday. It’s now called visionOS 26 to match Apple’s new naming convention for its mobile and desktop operating systems.
One of the biggest additions is widgets that appear blended into physical environments, , “integrating seamlessly into a user’s space and reappearing every time they put on Apple Vision Pro.” Users can customize a widget’s frame width, color, and depth, and visionOS 26 is introducing several new widgets including a Clock, Weather, Music that provides quick access to playlists, and Photos that displays “stunning panoramas and spatial photos of their favorite memories.”
The Vision Pro was already compatible with Bluetooth accessories like keyboards, mice, and game controllers, but visionOS 26 now supports an actual VR-first accessory: the PlayStation’s VR2 Sense controllers. First mentioned last year, VR controller support opens up options beyond standard console gamepads, making it possible to play more sophisticated VR or AR games and offering, in general, a more foolproof control system than Apple’s eye- and finger-based tracking.
A key feature that promises to improve the day-to-day use of the Apple Vision Pro is a new hands-free scrolling option. Previous versions of visionOS required users to pinch their thumb and index finger together to grab content and then drag it in either direction to scroll, or perform a pinch and flick gesture to scroll faster. visionOS 26 is introducing a new Look to Scroll feature allowing “users to explore apps and websites using just their eyes” with the option to adjust the speed of the scroll. Eye scrolling will be available in Apple’s own apps while an API will allow developers to add the functionality to third-party apps.
New iPhone interoperability includes the ability to unlock the phone while wearing the Apple Vision Pro, even during a fully immersive experience, and will be available for iPhone models running iOS 26.3. visionOS 26 will also support relaying calls from an iPhone, so users can answer phone calls directly from the Vision Pro, or start a call from the headset’s People View.
Apple is also improving Personas in visionOS 26 making the hyperrealistic avatars “feel more natural and familiar.” By leveraging “industry-leading volumetric rendering and machine learning technology,” the new Personas will feature a full side profile view with “remarkably accurate hair, lashes, and complexion.” When creating a Persona users will be able to preview how their avatar looks spatially and make adjustments as needed.
Last year’s visionOS 2 update introduced several features that improved the day-to-day usability of the Apple Vision Pro, including the ability to rearrange app icons on the homescreen, Bluetooth mouse support, and a simple wrist roll gesture for checking the time or the headset’s battery life. visionOS 2 also expanded the Vision Pro’s capabilities as a productivity tool with the ability to create a dual 4K-equivalent curved ultrawide display with the headset connected to a Mac.
All of the new visionOS 26 features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program.
Developing… you can follow our WWDC 2025 live blog for all the latest news.
