Alongside iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, Apple also announced the next update for Vision Pro (that I loved and hated at the time of its release). However, while we were all talking about new iOS 18 Featuresand all the Things from Apple Intelligence which are now starting to appear, visionOS 2 seems to have been largely ignored. But there’s one really cool change in visionOS 2 that I can’t help but gush about, and it’s definitely an underrated feature of visionOS 2.

It starts with…

One thing. I know everyone sang this phrase with me. The truth is, I only discovered this new feature while I was dusting off Vision Pro to check out the new Mac Mirroring improvements.

And credit where credit is due, Apple really made Mac Mirroring very useful on the Vision Pro with support for Wide and Ultrawide displays. I love it, and have been using it incessantly since the feature rolled out in developer betas on Vision Pro and Mac, much to the dismay of a few people. I’m not giving names, but the screenshot is there for you to see.

The new hand gestures of visionOS 2

One of the things in the original Vision Pro software that really detracted from the experience of being, say, on the Moon while working on your Mac, was the fact that if you wanted to go to the home screen you would have to press the Digital Crown. Likewise, if you wanted to open the Control Center, you had to look up really high and then pinch your fingers when the Control Center dot appeared. Do you want to adjust the volume? Scroll down the Digital Crown, then look at the volume icon, then continue scrolling to adjust the volume – it’s a long process that can be very irritating.

Overall, it’s not very Apple way of doing things.

However, with visionOS 2, Apple added better hand gestures to perform these tasks.

So, you can now look at your hand (palm facing up) and the Home button appears right there. Just pinch your fingers and you are on the home screen.

Turn your hand over and The Home button smoothly flips and transforms into the Control Center panel. You can already check your battery level here, as well as your Vision Pro’s time, Wi-Fi, and volume levels. Pinch your fingers and the Control Center opens.

And, if you just want to adjust the volume, pinch and hold when the Control Center panel appears, then start sliding your hand left or right to change the volume seamlessly.

I know what you’re thinking

It’s a small thing, right? Nothing major, especially in the grand scheme of software updates and new features. However, it’s quality of life updates like this that make first generation devices like the Vision Pro progressively better in their device quality.

Plus, that little change of being able to just look at your hands and go to the home screen or control center rather than pressing buttons on your headset adds up very quickly to a considerable time saving. And more importantly, it allows you to experience being in a virtual world where everything reacts to where your eyes are looking and is controlled solely by your hands in the air.

visionOS 2 is a good update

There’s a lot more to visionOS 2 worth talking about. You can turn your normal photos into space photosand even SharePlay photos and space photos during FaceTime calls. The home screen is customizable, the new Bora Bora environment is absolutely stunning, and if you watch a video in Safari while virtually in Bora Bora, the video looks extremely cinematic and life-size.

That’s not all, the the new guest user is a nice addition as well, and it allowed me to make it very easy for other people to use and experience the Vision Pro. No doubt, Apple hopes this will make more people want the headset. Plus, there’s so much more. Hell, even mindfulness is updated and can actually track your breathing.

So yeah, I’m really excited about visionOS 2 and, more importantly, everything Apple is planning with its next Vision product. Because it seems like Apple is working to fix the kinks and make things significantly better.