visionOS 27 Beta Rolls Out: Visual Siri, Spatial Panoramas, and M5-Exclusive Features for Apple Vision Pro

Apple released the visionOS 27 developer beta on June 19, delivering the most significant software update the Vision Pro has received since launch. Here's what changes and who should care.

What's New in visionOS 27

• Visual Siri: Siri now appears as a luminous 3D sphere you can move freely in your space. More importantly, Visual Intelligence lets you ask Siri about anything just by looking at it — point at an object, ask "what is this?", and get AI-powered answers
• Spatial Panoramas: Your panoramic photos become immersive environments — a beach shot, mountain view, or cityscape can surround you as a spatial backdrop instead of sitting flat on a wall
• Curved Windows: App windows can now curve to follow your gaze, reducing the need to turn your head for wide content
• Faster startup: Vision Pro connects to Wi-Fi up to 3x faster and boots into content immediately when you put it on
• Spatial Accessories API: Third parties can build tracked physical accessories with 6-DOF tracking at up to 90Hz — opening the door to custom controllers, styluses, and tools

M5-Exclusive Features

Two features require the M5 Vision Pro hardware: enhanced spatial persona rendering and higher-fidelity hand tracking. M2 Vision Pro owners get everything else but miss these two additions — a subtle nudge toward upgrading.

What This Means for Buyers

visionOS 27 makes the Vision Pro meaningfully more useful, especially Visual Siri and spatial panoramas. However, Apple has effectively halted new Vision Pro hardware development, so this software update is the main reason to consider buying now. At $3,499 new or $2,000 refurbished on eBay, the Vision Pro remains a premium purchase. The Samsung Galaxy XR at $1,799 is the leading alternative. Compare all headsets in our AR/VR guide.