Apple’s Vision Pro is just a couple of days from landing on people’s heads, with many speculating as to how much of a success — or not — the tech giant can make of its most important product launch in years.
A key factor is expected to be the level of interest that developers show in creating custom-made apps for the mixed-reality headset, with some major platforms such as Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube deciding to hold back from offering bespoke apps.
A big boost, however, came on Wednesday when Microsoft announced that its productivity-focused 365 apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Loop, along with its AI companion Copilot, will be available on Friday in the Vision Pro App Store.
It’s important to note that these are not simple ports of existing apps, rather, they’ve been designed from the ground up to take advantage of some of the features offered by Apple’s Vision Pro headset.
For example, PowerPoint’s custom Immersive Environment lets you practice presentation as if you’re in front of an audience.
Excel, on the other hand, can be used with the Vision Pro’s so-called “infinite canvas,” which moves digital content away from a traditional 2D setting and lets you handle it as if it was part of your physical space.
When it comes to Word, the Vision Pro’s Immersive Environments and Word’s focus mode let you block out distractions to properly immerse yourself in the document you’re working on.
Similar to Zoom for the Vision Pro, you can make video calls in Teams while wearing the Vision Pro headset. Others in the call will see a digital avatar of your whole face based on a scan, a feature made possible by the Vision Pro’s “persona” tool.
You can also access AI-powered Copilot services via Apple’s headset, using natural voice commands to create drafts of documents, perform edits and summaries, and more.
“At Microsoft, we are committed to providing our customers with great Microsoft 365 experiences across their favorite platforms and devices,” Microsoft’s Gabriel Valdez Malpartida wrote in a post announcing the news. “We have worked closely with Apple for many years to bring these experiences to iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Now, with Apple Vision Pro, these apps make use of the infinite canvas of spatial computing and can appear side by side at any scale for incredible multitasking.”
To learn more about the Vision Pro’s app situation at launch, check out this informative Tech Reader article.
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