Discreetly, Apple welcomed more than a hundred visionOS developers to its headquarters for an event that resembles a sort of mini WWDC.
The American company has indeed launched a series of events for developers aimed at encouraging the creation of applications and content for visionOS, the operating system behind its Apple Vision Pro headset. These events, which range from in-person workshops to online consultations, are designed to help developers navigate the new platform and create immersive 3D experiences using tools like SwiftUI, ARKit, RealityKit, and Reality Composer Pro.
The second WWDC of the year
The launch event, “ Envision the Future: Build Great Apps for visionOS ”, took place at Developer Center of Apple in Cupertino on October 2. Described by participants as a “cozy WWDC” (in reference to Developers Week, rather than the familiar opening keynote), this one-day workshop brought together 170 developers who came to learn best practices in AR/VR app design, watch live coding demos, and participate in hands-on workshops.
© Todd Heberlein
Todd Heberleinone of the developers, praised the focused approach of the event, saying it helped create a collaborative environment where developers, all new to visionOS, could exchange ideas and tackle challenges together . Despite some technical issues during the live demonstrations, Todd Heberlein called the experience “fantastic” and hopes more events like this will be held in the future.
Other sessions to come
This event in Cupertino is part of a broader Apple initiative to help developers around the world create content for its Vision Pro. Other workshops have already started in Toronto and will continue throughout October, while a four-week online session is taking place in Tokyo. Developers can also book one-on-one consultations online in different regions, with sessions scheduled for October 14 and 15 and additional slots available later in the month.
© Todd Heberlein
Apple’s focus on visionOS comes at a crucial time, as the company began selling its $3,499 Vision Pro headset in February, first in the United States and then in other regions like China. France this summer, at 3,999 euros. Despite some parallels with Meta’s VR strategies, the combination of live events, interactive workshops, and visionOS updates, such as the recent release of visionOS 2, allows Apple to stand out. But above all, Apple knows that the ecosystem is the key to success. Without applications, the Vision Pro has no future. And for the moment, the sluggish sales confirm this.
