Developers can get a head start on building apps for Apple Inc.’s much-anticipated mixed-reality Apple Vision Pro headset today with newly released developer tools that will allow them to develop for visionOS, the spatial operating system that it runs on.

Apple unveiled the Vision Pro during its WWDC developer conference earlier this month priced at $3,500. It incorporates virtual reality immersive experiences with a view of what a user can see, which is what is known as mixed reality. This allows the headset to blend digital content with the physical world, such as allowing screens and windows to float in a person’s living room or having video game characters stand on a couch.

Since the headset is not expected to be available until early 2024, Apple is hoping to get developers on board to build apps so the device will hit stores with enough apps to make it appealing.

So today, the company announced the visionOS software development kit, which will allow developers to begin building for the Vision Pro headset and design app experiences that take advantage of these capabilities.

“By taking advantage of the space around the user, spatial computing unlocks new opportunities for our developers, and enables them to imagine new ways to help their users connect, be productive, and enjoy new types of entertainment,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations.

Developers will be able to code using the same frameworks they use for other Apple platforms including Xcode, SwiftUI, RealityKit, ARKit and TestFlight. VisionOS has been built from the ground up using Apple’s already deep knowledge of user interface design and combined with a new spatial computing paradigm for immersive 3D content design, which allows users to view content from any angle.

Apple also provided a new tool with Xcode called Reality Pro Composer that permits developers to preview and prepare 3D models, animations, images and sounds.

Since the Vision Pro and developer kits have not shipped yet, developers will get access to a visionOS simulator that will allow them to try out their apps after they have been built. In the simulator, developers will be able to view how their apps will operate in different room layouts and lighting conditions.

Starting next month, Apple said it plans to open developer labs across the globe in Cupertino, London, Munich, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. At these labs, developers will get hands-on experience to test their apps directly with Vision Pro hardware and get support directly from Apple engineers. Starting in July, developers will also be able to apply for developer kits to help build and test their apps directly on Vision Pro.

The new tools are available for developers to download for Apple Developer Program members from Apple’s developer portal today, which will allow developers access to the resources they need to help them design, develop and build apps for the Vision Pro.

Image: Apple