Here’s a handy list of both native and non-native apps and games that run on the Vision Pro headset, whether they come from Apple or third-party developers.
visionOS runs both immersive native apps and existing iPhone and iPad apps in a window in your space. Apple preinstalls its own apps on Vision Pro, including an App Store storefront to install apps and games from third-party developers.
Watching video is among the Vision Pro use cases Apple has been pushing hard, so it is no surprise that many popular streaming services will have native apps at launch.
Third-party apps that run natively on Vision Pro
The native streaming apps include Disney+, ESPN, NBA, MLB, PGA Tour, Max, Discovery+, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, Pluto TV, Tubi, Fubo, Crunchyroll, Red Bull TV, IMAX, TikTok and MUBI. If your favorite streaming service lacks a Vision Pro app, you’ll use its web app in the Safari browser.
Many well-known developers will have native Vision Pro apps ready at launch, such as Airmail, Box, Carrot Weather, Fantastical, Facades, JigSpace, Night Sky, OmniPlan 4, Parcel, PCalc, Sky Guide, Tides and more.
Video chatting apps like Cisco Webex and Zoom are coming, too, as are productivity apps like Slack and Microsoft’s Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Teams.
Other notable third-party native apps coming to Apple’s face computer include J.Crew Virtual Closet, LEGO Builder’s Journey, Lowe’s Style Studio, Art Universe, the Numerics dashboards, the face-scanning app Alone, the AI mediation app mentalOS, the Clic Sonos controller, and more. There’s even a Spatial Bible app for Vision Pro!
A quick look at Numerics dashboards for Apple Vision Pro. #visionOS #SwiftUI pic.twitter.com/ebIJv86rCF
— Cynapse (@cynapse) January 22, 2024
Spatial games are coming, too
As for gaming, Apple has mentioned three exclusive spatial games available at launch: Game Room, of which we know nothing at all, and Apple Arcade standouts What the Golf? and Super Fruit Ninja. The latter should be lots of fun, as developer Halfbrick Studios revealed you’ll be slicing and dicing fruit with hand gestures.
“We can tailor the arc of the fruit to make sure it’s a comfortable fruit-slicing experience,” Samantha Turner, lead gameplay programmer for Halfbrick, said in a profile published on the Apple Developer website.
“We’re actually using the vertical position of the device itself to make sure that we’re not throwing fruit over your head or too low.”
Apple says the aforementioned spatial games “transform the space around players, offering unique and engaging gameplay experiences.”
Other game developers are working to bring featured titles to Vision Pro. For example, the full visionOS version of Rec Room is in the works with support for hand gestures. Also, development studio Resolution has confirmed that Demeo, its popular VR role-playing title, will be released for Vision Pro with controller-free play.
Follow developer Steve Troughton-Smith on Mastodon and @M1Astra on Twitter as they’ve shared a bunch of beautiful Vision Pro screenshots and videos of some of the aforementioned native apps and games in action.
Native visionOS apps vs. existing iOS and iPadOS apps
visionOS supports two types of Vision Pro apps, including native ones that embrace core OS technologies to fully immerse the user in AR/VR experiences.
It also runs good ol’ iPhone and iPad apps, with a caveat that their developers have the freedom to opt-out and hide them in the visionOS App Store.
Some developers like Netflix, Spotify and YouTube did just that, preventing you from running their iPad streaming apps on the headset.
Native apps have circular icons, run at full speed, conserve power and can tap into the spatial features of visionOS to deliver immersive experiences.
Existing iPhone and iPad apps display square icons and appear in a dedicated Compatible Apps folder. They look the same as on iOS and iPadOS and run in a window in your surroundings alongside native Vision Pro apps.
Preinstalled Apple apps on Vision Pro
All Apple devices ship with preinstalled apps, and Vision Pro is no different. The following native apps from Apple are installed as part of visionOS:
- App Store
- Capture
- Encounter Dinosaurs
- FaceTime
- Files
- Freeform
- Keynote
- Messages
- Mindfulness
- Music
- Notes
- Photos
- Safari
- Settings
- Tips
- TV
The above apps are optimized for visionOS. While Keynote ships as part of visionOS, other iWork apps like Pages and Numbers don’t have native Vision Pro versions yet.
iPad apps from Apple preinstalled on Vision Pro:
- Books
- Calendar
- Home
- Maps
- News
- Podcasts
- Reminders
- Shortcuts
- Stocks
- Voice Memos
Other first-party apps such as Calculator, Contacts, Find My, Health and Weather are not on the list, but Apple may bring them via future updates to visionOS.