Apple’s Vision Pro headset has the potential to open up an entirely new way of using your favorite apps thanks to its incredibly high-quality tech and gesture-based interactions. As the number of compatible apps slowly rises, you might be wondering which visionOS apps might show off the hardware in the most impressive way. We’ve rounded up the most promising-looking Vision Pro apps into one location to give you plenty of ideas to get started.
This list will change over time as we get more hands-on time with the Vision Pro and as more apps are released for the platform. But for now, these are the best Vision Pro apps that you’ll want to try first.
Disney+
Right from the start, it was clear that watching immersive movies would be a key selling point of the Vision Pro, and undoubtedly one of its best features. The good news here is that Disney is getting fully on board with Apple’s headset and has made its Disney+ app fully native and compatible with visionOS.
Disney has explained that you’ll be able to immerse yourself in one of four themed environments in which to enjoy the company’s content — something we experienced when we tested the Vision Pro. You can also watch the entire Disney+ catalog on the Vision Pro, including 3D movies that make the most of the headset’s capabilities.
Sky Guide
Here's Sky Guide for Apple Vision Pro! pic.twitter.com/u6oF5bs8YJ
— M1 (@M1Astra) January 20, 2024
Sky Guide is already one of the best ways to enjoy the night sky, with the app overlaying constellations, planets, satellites, and more onto your iPhone or iPad screen to help you identify celestial objects. But with the Vision Pro, that experience will be taken to another level entirely.
Imagine turning your entire living room ceiling into an interactive map of the heavens, with beautiful illustrations and fascinating facts everywhere you look. Instead of relying on a boxy phone screen, you’ll have stars and galaxies literally everywhere you look. It’s hard to think of a better use for Apple’s Vision Pro than this.
JigSpace
JigSpace was one of the apps that Apple showcased when it first introduced the Vision Pro, and it’s easy to see why. This 3D modeling app allows you to transplant objects in front of you, where you can then take them apart and interact with them in various ways.
For example, here’s how our writer put it when they got to try on the Vision Pro: “I’d drop a life-sized Alfa Romeo F1 car in the room using the JigSpace app and pluck off its parts with a pinch to examine them closely.” They went on to explain how experiences like that “showed the unique power of mixed reality, making great use of the headset’s shockingly clear passthrough video.”
Apps like JigSpace show that the Vision Pro might not just excel with movies and games — it could also be brilliant for education and business, with users being able to practice their skills and examine models in ways they never could in any other environment.
Zoom
First look at Zoom for Apple Vision Pro! pic.twitter.com/IbODCFsFcN
— M1 (@M1Astra) January 20, 2024
Video calls are a daily occurrence for millions of workers these days, but the experience is often suboptimal. It’s a struggle to fit everyone’s headshot onto your screen during large group calls. And even at the best of times, video calls are second-best to in-person meetings, as you’re always very aware you’re talking to a computer screen rather than someone in the flesh.
That could all change with Zoom on the Vision Pro. Because visionOS apps can take up large amounts of space in front of your eyes, that means more room to fit in everyone’s video feed, ensuring nothing ever gets missed. And that larger format results in a more immersive experience, hopefully overcoming some of the shortcomings of computer-based video calls.
Throw in Apple’s Persona feature — which will visually remove the Vision Pro from your face for other call participants, making it seem like you’re not even wearing the headset — and video calls could get better for everyone involved.
djay
With the Vision Pro, djay is transforming from a music-making app to a full-on DJ experience simulator. Run the app on Apple’s headset and you’ll be able to stand in front of the turntables in any number of incredible environments, from a vast nighttime desert to a space station complete with dancing robots. The idea is to immerse you in the experience of creating and performing, even if you’ve never worked the decks in your life.
The app is designed to be as intuitive as possible, and its developer explained to Apple that the Vision Pro enabled them to take out anything that increased friction in order to make the experience as natural as performing in real life. It’s the age-old dream of virtual reality made as real as can be.
Complete HeartX
Like JigSpace, Complete HeartX could become a vital tool for education. It puts realistic renderings of the human body — like a depiction of the human heart, complete with blood-pumping animations — right in front of you, allowing you to examine them closely and learn how they work.
That’s accompanied by text descriptions that explain the ins and outs of the body and its component elements. You can also walk around in 3D space to get a better view. It’s a far more practical way to learn than simply watching a video or reading a textbook. According to the app’s developer, “learning through Complete HeartX on Apple Vision Pro will transform medical education and prepare future health professionals for practice.”
Encounter Dinosaurs
It can be hard to visualize what life would have been like when dinosaurs roamed the planet when all you have to go on are fossils and crude models. That changes with the Vision Pro, which can put lifelike renderings of the creatures right in front of your eyes.
When we tried on the headset, this was one of the more memorable apps we got to experience. Standing in a virtual museum, a wall opened up to reveal a realistic dinosaur that proceeded to scamper around the room, putting an ancient wonder within touching distance. It’s a great way to breathe new life into a fascinating subject, whether for children, students, or casual observers.
Bonus: Environments
Not all of the best Vision Pro apps are made by third-party developers. Some are created by Apple and integrated into visionOS. For example, while the headset’s Environments feature is not truly an app itself, it is a killer feature that enhances the experience for anyone using it.
Environments work as virtual reality backdrops for whatever you’re doing with the Vision Pro. For instance, let’s say you’re watching a video in the Photos app — you can change your surroundings to a balmy beach or a snowy mountain to help immerse yourself in the content. That makes Environments a great app-like feature that’s built into the Vision Pro, and it’s something that you can enjoy it in a whole range of situations.
