Build With Me · visionOS
Your visionOS app: what to know before you start.
A three-dimensional space, and one question to ask first: do you really need 3D?
visionOS is the operating system of Apple Vision Pro. You develop with SwiftUI, RealityKit and ARKit, in Xcode, on a Mac with Apple silicon. An app lives in windows, volumes or an immersive space; by default it opens in the Shared Space, next to other apps. Before building anything in 3D, know that a compatible iPad or iPhone app already runs on visionOS unmodified — and that the simulator does not replace the device for judging comfort, readability and interaction.
Platform briefPlanning brief — an overview verified on 23 October 2026, not a guided path. Bynilson has no Apple Vision Pro to test on and does not deliver visionOS apps.
Checked on
In brief
- Device
- Apple Vision Pro
- To develop
- Xcode on a Mac with Apple silicon; a visionOS simulator is included
- Existing apps
- A compatible iPad or iPhone app runs on visionOS unmodified
- Interface
- SwiftUI for windows, RealityKit for 3D, ARKit for sensing
Three ways to build
Learn, build it together, or have it built.
Learn and build
This planning brief and Apple’s official documentation: there is no Bynilson path for visionOS.
Build it together
No co-building: without a headset to test on, guidance would not be honest. The brief and the official resources remain available to you.
No guided path yet: the planning notes and the official documentation are on the page.
Have it built
Not offered: Bynilson does not deliver visionOS apps. The project builder can produce a roadmap and a brief to hand to a specialist studio.
Planning notes: Bynilson has no Apple Vision Pro to test on, so it does not deliver visionOS apps.
01 — Space
Windows, volumes and immersive spaces
- Windows
- Two-dimensional interfaces built in SwiftUI, which people open, close and move around them.
- Volumes
- A three-dimensional window (the volumetric window style) presenting an object or scene people can look at from several angles.
- Immersive space
- An unbounded scene (ImmersiveSpace) that surrounds the person, blended with their surroundings or replacing them.
- Shared Space and Full Space
- By default an app opens in the Shared Space, next to other apps. People can move it to a Full Space, where it is the only app running.
- Passthrough
- Video from the external cameras keeps the person in touch with the room; they control how much of it they see.
02 — Technologies
The building blocks, and their roles
SwiftUI
Windows, controls and most of the interface.
When: Always: it is the starting point, even for a 3D app.
RealityKit
Simulate and render 3D content (RealityView).
When: When three-dimensional objects genuinely serve the task.
ARKit
Integrate the device’s sensing features.
When: When the app must understand the physical surroundings.
visionOS documentation
Apple’s entry point for the platform.
When: Before any design decision.
03 — Compatibility
Start with the app you may already have
According to Apple, a compatible iPadOS or iOS app, built against the iOS SDK, runs in visionOS without needing a visionOS destination. That is often the sensible first step: see how your existing app behaves, then decide whether a native version — adapted windows, a volume or an immersive space — adds something measurable.
04 — Testing
The simulator is not enough
- Xcode’s visionOS simulator covers the interface and the logic.
- Comfort, readability at distance, precision of gaze and gestures, and fatigue are judged with the headset on.
- Accessibility is planned from the start: alternatives to gestures and gaze, and Apple’s recommendations on the subject.
- Platform-specific design guidance is in the Human Interface Guidelines for visionOS.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an Apple Vision Pro to develop a visionOS app?
To start, a Mac with Apple silicon, Xcode and the visionOS simulator are enough. To validate comfort, readability and interaction before publishing, you need the device.
Does my iPad app work on Apple Vision Pro?
A compatible iPadOS or iOS app runs in visionOS unmodified. That is often the right first step before investing in a native version.
Do I have to use 3D?
No: many visionOS apps are SwiftUI windows first. 3D is worth it when it serves the task — seeing an object in volume, being immersed in a place — not as decoration.
Sources
- SwiftUI documentationAppleChecked on 23 Oct 2026
- RealityKitAppleChecked on 23 Oct 2026
- ARKitAppleChecked on 23 Oct 2026
- visionOS documentationAppleChecked on 23 Oct 2026