Apple Seeds Third Beta of visionOS 2.2 to Developers With Ultrawide Mac Virtual Display

[MacRumors]

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming visionOS 2.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming a week after the second visionOS 2.2 beta.

visionOS 2.2 can be installed by going to the Software Update section of the Settings app on the Vision Pro and opting into Beta Updates.

The visionOS 2.2 update adds a new feature for the Mac Virtual Display option, allowing it to be set to Wide and Ultrawide. The Ultrawide setting is equivalent to two 4K displays side-by-side, and it is a notable improvement over the current Mac Virtual Display that's available in visionOS 2.1.

The Mac Virtual Display allows the Vision Pro to be connected to a Mac with the Vision Pro serving as the display for the machine. The virtual Mac desktop works just like a standard desktop with an external display, but Vision Pro does not support multiple displays. As a solution, Apple has added the option for a wider display to maximize space.

Article Link: Apple Seeds Third Beta of visionOS 2.2 to Developers With Ultrawide Mac Virtual Display

 

[jb310]

That Ultrawide feature is what I've been looking forward to the most. 👀

Like yes, please, let me put a truly ridiculous amount of windows next to each other for no good reason... that's peak productivity right there.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Nice! I’m on the road now, as soon as I get a chance I will install it.
In the meantime please post anything new you find in this beta. Thanks!

 

[Amazing Iceman]

That Ultrawide feature is what I've been looking forward to the most. 👀

Like yes, please, let me put a truly ridiculous amount of windows next to each other for no good reason... that's peak productivity right there.

I do like the feature, but my main focus is on using apps that are native to the Vision Pro.
UWD is a nice addition, but not the main reason to have it.

 

[taxilian]

I've been using this for about a week (so I'm confused about the report that it dropped today – don't know of any reason I would have gotten it early) and it's *fantastic*. As a web software engineer I always have multiple wide displays and this is almost as good.

It's not uncommon for me to have a messaging/chat window, a documentation window, a browser with what I'm working on, and two code windows (frontend, backend) open at the same time – and having a lot of screen real-estate allows that and is much more efficient than swapping between things all the time. I've experimented with the things that try to make individual windows into "native windows" on the vision pro and they just don't work well, the paradigm doesn't work nearly as well.

The only thing I wish is that it could be treated as two displays stitched together instead of one ultra-wide display – things that span the entire width of the screen are awkward to use, like a terminal attached to slide from the top, the dock, or the menu bar. With multiple monitors these things are either only on one monitor or else are on all of them (the dock and menu bar), meaning it's much less moving the mouse around to get to it.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

I've been using this for about a week (so I'm confused about the report that it dropped today – don't know of any reason I would have gotten it early) and it's *fantastic*. As a web software engineer I always have multiple wide displays and this is almost as good.

It's not uncommon for me to have a messaging/chat window, a documentation window, a browser with what I'm working on, and two code windows (frontend, backend) open at the same time – and having a lot of screen real-estate allows that and is much more efficient than swapping between things all the time. I've experimented with the things that try to make individual windows into "native windows" on the vision pro and they just don't work well, the paradigm doesn't work nearly as well.

The only thing I wish is that it could be treated as two displays stitched together instead of one ultra-wide display – things that span the entire width of the screen are awkward to use, like a terminal attached to slide from the top, the dock, or the menu bar. With multiple monitors these things are either only on one monitor or else are on all of them (the dock and menu bar), meaning it's much less moving the mouse around to get to it.

There are some inexpensive utilities that will help you break your display into multiple logical displays. Nobody uses a single maximized window in UW mode.

 

[Realityck]

FYI
visionOS 2.2 beta 3 (22N5794a) - November 18, 2024

Spoiler: visionOS 2.2 Beta 3 Release Notes

Mac Virtual Display​

Resolved Issues​

• Fixed: Playing videos in Firefox does not work while using Mac Virtual Display with Vision Pro speakers. (138642255)
• Fixed: If you are not using the default Mac display resolution, the Mac Virtual Display window might get stuck when changing its aspect ratio. (139087505)

Siri​

Known Issues​

• Siri does not work on the simulator. (139096339)
  Workaround: Develop and test applications using Siri on a device or use a previous visionOS SDK.

SwiftUI​

Resolved Issues​

• Fixed: Compiling in the Swift 6 language mode might cause an @Entry error due to “static property defaultValueis not concurrency-safe because non-‘Sendable’ type”. (133885814)
• Fixed: Views won’t accept dropped directories if UTType.directory or UTType.fileURL are not in the list of accepted content types for drop. (138158126)

TabletopKit​

New Features​

• Direct manipulation allows a user to pick up equipment up close and move it in a way that naturally follows their hands. (138592898)
• Local handoff allows a user to hand off equipment from one hand to the other without releasing the equipment. (138854913)

Resolved Issues​

• Fixed: The existing API tabletopGame(_ game, parent, automaticUpdate, interaction) is erroneously annotated as @available(visionOS, introduced: 2.2), which causes an existing app that uses it to stop compiling, unless the deployment target is bumped to visionOS 2.2. (139018795)

Unity Applications​

Known Issues​

• Some Unity applications might render incorrectly. The content might swim more than expected and appear stretched. (139384386)
  Workaround: Rebuild with Unity release 1.2.3 or later.

 

[menithings]

Unfortunately the ultra wide feature doesn't work on my non-Apple Silicone iMac Pro, even though the regular wide is supported with my AVP, and my iMac is the top spec 18 core XEON, oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[N0ughtsAndCr0sses]

Wasn’t this product cancelled?

 

[bscheffel]

WebXR still broken

 

[ikiwi84]

Cancelled? This is is now my day to day work setup😀

 

[diddl14]

Updated my MacBook and VP to latest beta's and it all worked like a charm. I've been using a 38" EIZO FlexScan with 3840 x 1600 (24:10) resolution. The Virtual Ultra Wide Screen with 5400 x 1200 is a perfect replacement. It looks super natural and totally crisp! Zero lag on whatever I've been doing so far.

Only thing I'm having issues with is the keyboard not being blended in so can't use full immersive mode yet. Maybe the current beta fixes it. Will try later tonight.

 

[N0ughtsAndCr0sses]

Cancelled? This is is now my day to day work setup😀

😂🤣🤣

That’s the last complex one you’ll have. Another at least equally sophisticated you don’t ever see 🤣🤣🤣

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Updated my MacBook and VP to latest beta's and it all worked like a charm. I've been using a 38" EIZO FlexScan with 3840 x 1600 (24:10) resolution. The Virtual Ultra Wide Screen with 5400 x 1200 is a perfect replacement. It looks super natural and totally crisp! Zero lag on whatever I've been doing so far.

Only thing I'm having issues with is the keyboard not being blended in so can't use full immersive mode yet. Maybe the current beta fixes it. Will try later tonight.

only Apple keyboards will show through. A third party keyboard may appear if you also have an Apple keyboard connected, even if it’s not visible. very odd…

 

[iHeading]

Wasn’t this product cancelled?

Your birth should’ve been cancelled..

 

[diddl14]

only Apple keyboards will show through. A third party keyboard may appear if you also have an Apple keyboard connected, even if it’s not visible. very odd…

Had this with my Apple Magic Keyboard. New MVP beta fixed it. Writing this now from Bora Bora 🏝️

 

[subjonas]

Been trying to get a definitive answer this for awhile if anyone can answer—if you have dual monitors with windows open on both monitors, since Mac Virtual Display only shows your main display (according to Apple support doc) but all monitors get turned off when MVD is activated (I believe), what happens to the windows open on your secondary display? Does the secondary display get moved to a different desktop Space on your main Virtual Display? Do all open windows get moved to your main Virtual Display on the same desktop Space?

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Had this with my Apple Magic Keyboard. New MVP beta fixed it. Writing this now from Bora Bora 🏝️
View attachment 2453117

I have a really nice foldable keyboard that‘s easy to carry around. It even fits inside my compact AVP case I got from Amazon. The problem is that it will become invisible once I go into an Environment.
I did noticed that Bora-Bora looks a lot better now; it feels very real.

 

[damienDevZ]

WebXR still broken

😡, I was hoping they’d have fixed that by this release. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

That Ultrawide feature is what I've been looking forward to the most. 👀

Like yes, please, let me put a truly ridiculous amount of windows next to each other for no good reason... that's peak productivity right there.

Two 4K displays next to each other [my current setup +MBP display underneath] can be a very productive layout. Where do you get off calling it "...a truly ridiculous amount of windows next to each other for no good reason?"

 

[2128506]

The only thing I wish is that it could be treated as two displays stitched together instead of one ultra-wide display – things that span the entire width of the screen are awkward to use, like a terminal attached to slide from the top, the dock, or the menu bar.

Install, learn and configure yabai. Tiling window managers are a must when working with huge screens. You just open windows, it splits them with existing ones, magic.

Regarding the subject: I work on Studio Display set to a rather high resolution, so it could give me 2-3 big apps per display comfortably, or 4-5 smaller ones. Workspace fits into 3 desktops, and I'm kinda annoyed with slow switching (even without animations you have fade effects).

Actually considering buying AVP now (trying to import it at the moment), it seems to have matured enough. Having humongous display would be awesome (not mentioning the ability to use native AVP/iPad apps wherever you put them or to work comfortably anywhere with lapdesk and wireless keyboard/trackpad).

P.S. Universal Display app looks promising - stream any Mac window as native AVP one. I'm quite sure, that Apple will bring this feature into AVP at some point, seems logical and highly usable.

 

[AndreDC]

Been trying to get a definitive answer this for awhile if anyone can answer—if you have dual monitors with windows open on both monitors, since Mac Virtual Display only shows your main display (according to Apple support doc) but all monitors get turned off when MVD is activated (I believe), what happens to the windows open on your secondary display? Does the secondary display get moved to a different desktop Space on your main Virtual Display? Do all open windows get moved to your main Virtual Display on the same desktop Space?

My standard setup is laptop screen as 'main' and two external monitors on the left & right.
When I connect using the Vision pro it blacks out all three screens - laptop and the two external displays. All windows that I had open are put onto the main display but it isnt in the order I had them. it sort of groups them together in a way which is saved for that one big display (the ultrawide). So it treats it really as though you unplugged the three monitors and plugged in a new big one.

Also out of interest I can close the laptop, once I have connected, and it doesnt affect anything.

I have to say... it's really smooth. My favourite feature.

 

[subjonas]

My standard setup is laptop screen as 'main' and two external monitors on the left & right.
When I connect using the Vision pro it blacks out all three screens - laptop and the two external displays. All windows that I had open are put onto the main display but it isnt in the order I had them. it sort of groups them together in a way which is saved for that one big display (the ultrawide). So it treats it really as though you unplugged the three monitors and plugged in a new big one.

Also out of interest I can close the laptop, once I have connected, and it doesnt affect anything.

I have to say... it's really smooth. My favourite feature.

Much appreciated! Very good to know. I did get a response from someone else today who said that their second display windows are minimized after starting MVD, but I believe he was on an older vOS version, so maybe the behavior was changed with the newer version.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Install, learn and configure yabai. Tiling window managers are a must when working with huge screens. You just open windows, it splits them with existing ones, magic.

Regarding the subject: I work on Studio Display set to a rather high resolution, so it could give me 2-3 big apps per display comfortably, or 4-5 smaller ones. Workspace fits into 3 desktops, and I'm kinda annoyed with slow switching (even without animations you have fade effects).

Actually considering buying AVP now (trying to import it at the moment), it seems to have matured enough. Having humongous display would be awesome (not mentioning the ability to use native AVP/iPad apps wherever you put them or to work comfortably anywhere with lapdesk and wireless keyboard/trackpad).

P.S. Universal Display app looks promising - stream any Mac window as native AVP one. I'm quite sure, that Apple will bring this feature into AVP at some point, seems logical and highly usable.

I am in the same mode of considering buying AVP now and have spent two long sessions at the Apple Store investigating AVP. My observations:

• AVP rocks. The AVP UI is very cool and not difficult to learn. I did one test when AVP was first released then a second hour-plus test a week ago. The second time I tested AVP the UI was alteady becoming second nature by the end of the session. Very cool.

• My vision recently became somewhat impaired, not correctable with lenses. The AVP made big visual improvements for me over the 4K displays I normally use set to lowest resolution. I will do a third AVP test session using the paperwork that I normally work from. Reading hard copy data using the AVP cameras will be a totally different test.

• AVP software is beta. Pretty standard in new tech products today, but still a PITA. E.g. the operation of the native AVP spreadsheet was broken when I tested it in detail. That does not matter to me because I use self-built database windows, not spreadsheets; but finding a "native" app essentially in demo-only mode is off-putting. I have only tested v1 of the AVP software. Along with checking how well the AVP cameras read text, integrating my DBs into the AVP UI will be a key part of my next round of testing. My fear is that getting non-native apps from my MBP may be where AVP is really beta.

 

[2128506]

I am in the same mode of considering buying AVP now and have spent two long sessions at the Apple Store investigating AVP. My observations:

• AVP rocks. The AVP UI is very cool and not difficult to learn. I did one test when AVP was first released then a second hour-plus test a week ago. The second time I tested AVP the UI was alteady becoming second nature by the end of the session. Very cool.

• My vision recently became somewhat impaired, not correctable with lenses. The AVP made big visual improvements for me over the 4K displays I normally use set to lowest resolution. I will do a third AVP test session using the paperwork that I normally work from. Reading hard copy data using the AVP cameras will be a totally different test.

• AVP software is beta. Pretty standard in new tech products today, but still a PITA. E.g. the operation of the native AVP spreadsheet was broken when I tested it in detail. That does not matter to me because I use self-built database windows, not spreadsheets; but finding a "native" app essentially in demo-only mode is off-putting. I have only tested v1 of the AVP software. Along with checking how well the AVP cameras read text, integrating my DBs into the AVP UI will be a key part of my next round of testing. My fear is that getting non-native apps from my MBP may be where AVP is really beta.

Thanks for the info!

I work ⅔ of the time in Intellij IDEA, it won't be AVP native anyway, so proper screen mirroring is a must.

Only if Arc browser would release AVP version (they're not going to so far) or Apple add profiles to AVP Safari (they're not going to so far).

Funnily enough, we're somehow the same regarding vision - quarter of a century staring into displays did not help to keep perfect eyesight.