Apple's new Spatial Personas use Gaussian Splatting,
but I have not found any APIs for visionOS to display a Gaussian Splat like a PLY file.
Am I just missing the Apple documentation? If not, are there common practices developers are using for displaying Gaussian Splats in visionOS?
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Copy of Feedback:
FB15969432
Improve window management with immersive spaces.
It is hard to manage windows from code when entering immersive space.
Look for instance at the sample:
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/visionos/displaying-a-3d-environment-through-a-portal
The window displayed before entering the virtual space stays there once the virtual space is entered : this window is too big but can't be resized by the program.
One could say this big window could be closed and a smaller window opened by the program with the "exit" button, but then this small window should be closed and the main window reopened when leaving te immersive space.
In the immersive space closing the "Exit" window with the X does not allow to leave the immersive space.
If the crown button is then used we go back to the Vision Pro main menu. If the app is chosen again we can see that it wasn't closed : the "Exit" window is now displayed but we are not in the immersive space!
Don't say "this is just a sample app", because all developers face those issues.
Please try to find the right solutions with your team to enhance this sample and share the right way to solve those issues. You could find that the specifications need to be enhanced.
You can also see that there is no way to exit a program from a program even if this is something that could be useful for some apps (you end a SharePlay game for instance)
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Topic:
Spatial Computing
SubTopic:
General
For visionOS 2.0+, it has been announced the object tracking feature. Is there any support for PolySpatial in Unity or is it only available in Swift and Xcode?
Hello Community,
I am currently developing an experimental VisionOS app, to investigate the social effects of the new Spatial Persona feature, for my bachelor thesis. My setup includes a simple board game for the participants, in which they can engage with their persona avatars.
I tried to use the TabletopKit for this setup, but ran into issues when starting the SharePlay session. When I testes my app, I couldn't see the other spatial persona anymore, despite the green SharePlay button indicating the session started. The other person can see my actions in their version of the app on the board, but can not interact with anything. Also, we are both seat on the default side of the seat.
I tried to remove the environment I added, because it doesn't seem to synch with the other player. When I tried the FaceTime feature in the simulator without the environment, I could then see the test robot avatar, but at a totally wrong place. It's seems like it isn't just my environment occluding the seats, but a flaw in the seating process as well.
When I tried the FaceTime feature in the simulator on the official test scene (TabletopKit Sample), I got the same incorrect placement and the warning "role(for:inSeatNumber:): The provided role identifier does not match a role in the current template."
So my questions are:
What needs to be changed so the TabletopKit can handle seating correctly?
How can I correctly use immersive scenes in combination with the TabletopKit?
I tried to keep the implementation of the TabletopKit example as close as possible, so I think it will enough to look into this codebase for now.
I debugged the position of seats and they are placed correctly in front of their equipment. The personas are just not placed on them.
Hi Apple Team,
We noticed the following exciting changelog in the latest macOS 26 beta:
A new algorithm significantly improves PhotogrammetrySession reconstruction quality of low-texture objects not captured with the ObjectCaptureSession front end. It will be downloaded and cached once in the background when the PhotogrammetrySession is used at runtime. If network isn’t available at that time, the old low quality model will be used until the new one can be downloaded. There is no code change needed to get this improved model. (145220451)
However after trying this on the latest beta and running some tests we do not see any differences on objects with low textures such as single coloured surfaces. Is there anything we are missing? the machine is definitely connected to the internet but we have no way of knowing from the logs if the new model is being used?
thanks
Platform: visionOS 2.6
Framework: RealityKit, SwiftUIComponent: ImagePresentationComponent
I’m working with the new ImagePresentationComponent from visionOS 26 and hitting a rendering limitation when switching to .spatialStereoImmersive viewing mode within a WindowGroup context.
This is what I’m seeing:
Pure immersive space: ImagePresentationComponent with .spatialStereoImmersive mode works perfectly in a standalone ImmersiveSpace
Mode switching API: All mode transitions work correctly (logs confirm the component updates)
Spatial content: .spatialStereo mode renders correctly in both window and immersive contexts.
This is where it’s breaking for me:
Window context: When the same RealityView + ImagePresentationComponent is placed inside a WindowGroup (even when that window is floating in a mixed immersive space), switching to .spatialStereoImmersive mode shows no visual change
The API calls succeed, state updates correctly, but the immersive content doesn’t render.
Apple’s Spatial Gallery demonstrates exactly what I’m trying to achieve:
Spatial photos displayed in a window with what feels like horizontal scroll view using system window control bar, etc.
Tapping a spatial photo smoothly transitions it to immersive mode in-place.
The immersive content appears to “grow” from the original window position by just changing IPC viewing modes.
This proves the functionality should be possible, but I can’t determine the correct configuration.
So, my question to is:
Is there a specific RealityView or WindowGroup configuration required to enable immersive content rendering from window contexts that you know of?
Are there bounds/clipping settings that need to be configured to allow immersive content to “break out” of window constraints?
Does .spatialStereoImmersive require a specific rendering context that’s not available in windowed RealityView instances?
How do you think Apple’s SG app achieves this functionality?
For a little more context:
All viewing modes are available: [.mono, .spatialStereo, .spatialStereoImmersive]
The spatial photos are valid and work correctly in pure immersive space
Mixed immersive space is active when testing window context
No errors or warnings in console beyond the successful mode switching logs I’m getting
Any insights into the proper configuration for window-hosted immersive content
Game Controller Input Limitations in visionOS Volumetric Windows
Hello Apple Developer Community,
I'm developing a game for visionOS and have encountered significant limitations with game controller input when using volumetric windows (WindowGroup with .volumetric style). I'd appreciate clarification on whether this is expected behavior and any guidance on best practices.
🧩 Issue Summary
When using a DualSense controller with a volumetric window in visionOS, only a subset of controller inputs are available to the app. The remaining inputs appear to be reserved by the system for UI navigation.
✅ Working Inputs (Volumetric Window)
D-Pad (all directions)
L3 (left thumbstick button click)
R3 (right thumbstick button click)
Menu button
Options button
❌ Not Working Inputs (Volumetric Window)
Left thumbstick analog movement (used for UI scrolling instead)
Right thumbstick analog movement (used for UI scrolling instead)
Face buttons (Cross, Circle, Square, Triangle / A, B, X, Y)
Shoulder buttons (L1, R1)
Triggers (L2, R2)
Key observation: When moving the left thumbstick in a volumetric window, the window's UI scrolls vertically instead of sending input to my app's GameController handlers. Similarly, face buttons seem to be reserved for system UI interactions.
⚙️ Implementation Details
I'm using the standard GameController framework:
Connect to controller via GCController.controllers()
Access extendedGamepad profile
Set up valueChangedHandler and pressedChangedHandler for all inputs
Handlers confirmed registered via logging
Working inputs (D-Pad, L3, R3) trigger immediately and consistently
Non-working inputs (thumbsticks, face buttons) never trigger
🧠 Critical Finding: ImmersiveSpace Works Perfectly
When testing the exact same code in an ImmersiveSpace (.mixed immersion style), all controller inputs work perfectly:
✅ Both thumbsticks provide full analog input
✅ All face buttons trigger their handlers
✅ All shoulder buttons and triggers work correctly
✅ 100% success rate with no intermittent issues
This suggests the issue isn't with my code, but rather how visionOS handles controller input differently between Volumetric Windows and ImmersiveSpace.
🧪 Test Environment
I created a minimal test project (Controller-Playground) to isolate the issue:
A simple ControllerTester class that registers all GameController handlers
A visual UI showing real-time input state
No game logic, RealityKit physics, or other complexity
Results
In volumetric window: Only D-Pad, L3, R3, Menu, Options work
In ImmersiveSpace: All inputs work perfectly
This confirms the limitation exists at the visionOS platform level, not in app code.
🧰 Attempted Workarounds
I tried the following without success:
Setting GCSupportsControllerUserInteraction = false in Info.plist
Setting UIRequiresFullScreen = true
Changing window styles (.plain, .volumetric)
Polling vs. handler-based input approaches
Various threading models (MainActor, separate thread)
Result: The only way to enable full controller support is to switch to ImmersiveSpace.
❓ Questions for Apple
Is this input reservation behavior in volumetric windows intended and documented?
Are game controllers expected to have limited functionality in volumetric windows while full functionality is reserved for ImmersiveSpace?
Is there a way to request full controller input access in a volumetric window, or is ImmersiveSpace the only option for complete controller support?
Where can I find official documentation about controller input differences between window types?
Are there any APIs or configuration options to disable system controller shortcuts in volumetric windows?
🎯 Impact
This limitation has a significant effect on game design and architecture:
Volumetric windows offer a multitasking-friendly, less immersive experience
ImmersiveSpace provides full controller support but may be more immersive than some games require
Games that only need basic D-Pad and button input can work fine in volumetric windows
Games requiring analog sticks or face buttons must currently use ImmersiveSpace
It would be very helpful if Apple could clarify or reference existing documentation regarding controller input handling in different visionOS window types. If such documentation doesn't exist yet, it might be valuable to include this information in future developer guides or best-practice documents.
🕹 Current Workaround
For now, I'm using:
D-Pad for character movement (digital 8-direction)
R3 (right stick click) as a substitute for the "X" button
This setup allows the game to function within a volumetric window, though full controller support still requires ImmersiveSpace.
📄 Request
If this is expected behavior, I may have simply missed the relevant documentation — could you please point me to any existing resources that explain this design?
If there isn't one yet, it would be great if future visionOS documentation could:
Clearly outline controller input behavior across window types
Provide guidance on when to use Volumetric Windows vs. ImmersiveSpace for games
Consider adding an API option to request full controller access when appropriate
If this is not expected behavior, I'm happy to file a detailed bug report with sample code.
💻 System Information
visionOS: Latest Simulator
Xcode: Latest version
Controller: Sony DualSense
Framework: GameController (standard extendedGamepad profile)
Test project: Minimal reproducible example available
Thank you for any clarification or guidance you can provide. This information would be valuable for many developers working on visionOS games.
In visionOS, I'm trying to create an immersive environment which would feature several spheres in which immersive movies are visible. I'm starting from a sample code which creates a sphere, sets an immersive movie as its material, and opens it as an immersive environment. This works fine.
But if I create a sphere in an open immersive environment using Reality Composer Pro and sets its material to an immersive movie, I can see the movie on the sphere while I move outside of it but if I try to get inside the sphere, it disappears. What would be the right way of doing this ?
Hi,
we've been through the Explore Object Tracking for visionOS and worked through the sample code ExploringObjectTrackingWithARKit.
What we'd really like to see is Object Tracking for iOS using devices with either LiDAR or the TrueDepth/RGB cameras.
Hello,
Let me ask you a question about Apple Immersive Video.
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/07/new-apple-immersive-video-series-and-films-premiere-on-vision-pro/
I am currently considering implementing a feature to play Apple Immersive Video as a background scene in the app I developed, using 3DCG-created content converted into Apple Immersive Video format.
First, I would like to know if it is possible to integrate Apple Immersive Video into an app.
Could you provide information about the required software and the integration process for incorporating Apple Immersive Video into an app?
It would be great if you could also share any helpful website resources.
I am considering creating Apple Immersive Video content and would like to know about the necessary equipment and software for producing both live-action footage and 3DCG animation videos.
As I mentioned earlier, I’m planning to play Apple Immersive Video as a background in the app. In doing so, I would also like to place some 3D models as RealityKit entities and spatial audio elements.
I’m also planning to develop the visionOS app as a Full Space Mixed experience. Is it possible to have an immersive viewing experience with Apple Immersive Video in Full Space Mixed mode? Does Apple Immersive Video support Full Space Mixed?
I’ve asked several questions, and that’s all for now. Thank you in advance!
Hi, I am trying to load files from the Apple Vision Pro's storage into a Unity App (using Apple visionOS XR Plugin and not PolySpatial package). So far, I've tried using UnitySimpleFileBrowser and UnityStandaloneFileBrowser (both aren't made for the Vision Pro and don't work there), and then implemented my own naive file browser that at least allows me to view directories (that I can see from the App Sandbox). This is of course very limited:
Gray folders can't be accessed, the only 3 available ones don't contain anything where a user would put files through the "Files" app.
I know that an app can request access to these "Files & Folders":
So my question is: Is there a way to request this access for a Unity-built app at the moment? If yes, what do I need to do? I've looked into the generated Xcode project's "Capabilities", but did not find anything related to file access. Any help is appreciated!
I have an open Feedback conversation with Apple on this topic, but I am curious if others have run into this, or want to try out my sample code in their set up.
there are two API’s for reading controller buttons, axis, and D pads: GCPhysicalInputProfile and GCControllerLiveInput. There are inconsistencies in behaviour between the two of them. Apple recommends we use GCControllerLiveInput, however, there are some capabilities on these controllers that are only accessible through GCPhysicalInputProfile, as I’ll discuss below.
PSVR2 R2/L2 buttons, a.k.a. triggers, have force input analogue values. These can only be accessed on GCPhysicalInputProfile
PSVR2 thumbstick direction values are read through “axes” on GCPhysicalInputProfile, but only “dpads” on GCControllerLiveInput
on both GCPhysicalInputProfile and GCControllerLiveInput, All pressed events of all buttons are fired properly using generic aliases ( Trigger, Grip ,Menu, Right Thumbstick, Left Thumbstick, Right Button A & B (Circle & Cross), Left Button A&B (Triangle and Square) ). Apple reserves the system button as the equivalent of a home button for the OS.
on GCPhysicalInputProfile, touch events are fired when the button is also pressed, but not for only touches.
on GCControllerLiveInput , Touch events only works for the following buttons: Left Thumbstick, Right Thumbstick, Right Button A (Circle), and Right Button B (Cross). But Right Button B touch event isn’t labelled correctly, it fires as the Right Button A event.
I observed this inside ALVR which uses a polling based approach to event processing:
https://github.com/alvr-org/alvr-visionos/blob/17b5968f9d894944b53e97134b39dfce0993302a/ALVRClient/WorldTracker.swift#L301
To simplify to see this on a very simple app, I used the Apple example TrackingAccessories application:
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/ARKit/tracking-accessories-in-volumetric-windows
I’ve attached the code that replaces the AccessoryTrackingModel class. I added code that prints out what is touched/pressed, see the trackAllConnectedSpatialControllers method:
https://github.com/svrc/TrackingAccessories
Hi I have a monitoring app, that will take input video from uvc and process it using Metal, and eventually get a MTLTexture.
The problem I'm facing is I have to convert MTLTexture to CGImage then call TextureResource.replace, which is super slow. Metal processing speed is same as input frame rate(50pfs), but MTLTexture -> CGImage -> TextureResource only got 7fps...
Is there any way I can make it faster?
Topic:
Spatial Computing
SubTopic:
General
Tags:
Media Player
Frameworks
Media Accessibility
Core Media
Hi everyone,
I’m building a visualization app for VisionPro that uses SharePlay and GroupActivities to explore datasets collaboratively.
I’ve successfully implemented the new SharedWorldAnchor feature, and everything works well with nearby, local participants.
However, I’m stuck on one point:
How can I share a world anchor with remote participants who join via FaceTime as spatial personas?
Apple’s demo app (where multiple users move a plane model around) seems to suggest that this is possible.
For context, I’m building an immersive app with Metal rendering.
Any guidance or examples would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Jens
let component = GestureComponent(DragGesture())
iOS: ☑️
visionOS: ❌
This bug from beta to public, please fix it.
hi guys,
I'm working in VFX industry and I've got the question that, is it possible to create immersive video directly from virtual scene created in DCC software like maya, rendered into footage, then coded into immersive video, and finally play in in vision pro?
thanks.
Topic:
Spatial Computing
SubTopic:
General
I’m developing an app using RealityKit and RealityView. On newer iPhones, such as the iPhone 15 Pro, Object Occlusion appears to be enabled by default, which causes 3D entities to be hidden behind real-world objects in the scene. However, I need to disable this behavior to ensure proper rendering of my 3D content.
This issue does not occur on older devices like the iPhone 13, where the app works as intended. I haven’t been able to find a solution to explicitly disable object occlusion on the newer devices for RealityView.
Any guidance or suggestions to resolve this issue would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
We've recently discovered that our app crashes on startup on the latest visionOS 2.0 beta 5 (22N5297g) build. In fact, the entire field of view would dim down and visionOS would then restart, showing the Apple logo. Interestingly, no app crash is reported by Xcode during debug.
After investigation, we have isolated the issue to a specific USDZ asset in our app. Loading it in a sample, blank project also causes visionOS to reliably crash, or become extremely unresponsive with rendering artifacts everywhere.
This looks like a potentially serious issue. Even if the asset is problematic, loading it should not crash the entire OS. We have filed feedback FB14756285, along with a demo project. Hopefully someone can take a look. Thanks!
Dear all,
I´m using Unity 6.2 beta and Xcode 16.2. I´m creating a simple framework to use the text to speech functionality in VisionOS from unity. The framework is created in Swift. I create an objective-c wrapper with the following declarations:
...
void _initTTS(int);
...
I create the framework, import it in Unity and call the functions in a c# wrapper class. The code is as follows:
public static class TTSPluginManager
{
[DllImport("TTS_Vision"]
private static extern void _initTTS(int val);
...
public static void Initialize()
{
#if UNITY_VISIONOS
_initTTS(0);
#else
Debug.LogWarning("NativeTTS.Initialize called on a non-iOS platform. Ignoring.");
#endif
}
}
I have managed to compile and run the program in the Apple Vision Pro, but I keep on getting the following error:
DllNotFoundException: TTS_Vision assembly: type: member:(null)
TTSPluginManager.Initialize () (at Assets/Plugins/TTSPluginManager.cs:33)
LecturePortalManager.OnCreateStory (Ink.Runtime.Story story) (at Assets/AVRLecture/LecturePortalManager.cs:17)
InkLoader.StartStory () (at Assets/AVRLecture/InkLoader.cs:24)
InkLoader.Start () (at Assets/AVRLecture/InkLoader.cs:18)
If I run the generated code from Xcode, I can see the app in the AVP, but I keep getting a loading error:
DllNotFoundException: Unable to load DLL 'TTS_Vision'. Tried the load the following dynamic libraries: Unable to load dynamic library '/TTS_Vision' because of 'Failed to open the requested dynamic library (0x06000000) dlerror() = dlopen(/TTS_Vision, 0x0005): tried: '/TTS_Vision' (no such file)
at TTSPluginManager.Initialize () [0x00000] in <00000000000000000000000000000000>:0
at LecturePortalManager.OnCreateStory (Ink.Runtime.Story story) [0x00000] in <00000000000000000000000000000000>:0
I can see in the generated code that the framework (TTS_Vision) is there, but the path seems wrong. I've tried to add more options to the searched paths, with no success...
Any hints or suggestions are much more appreciated.
Hi guys,
I noticed that Apple created a really engaging visual effect for browsing spatial videos in the app. The video appears embedded in glass panel with glowing edges and even shows a parallax effect as you move around. When I tried to display the stereo video using RealityView, however, the video entity always floats above the panel.
May I ask how does VisionOS implement this effect? Is there any approach to achieve this effect or example code I can use in my own code.
Thanks!